Indian single malts outsell global brands in 2023: Report

Indian single malts sales have surpassed global brands in 2023, according to Times of India report citing data by the industry body Confederation of India Alcoholic Beverages Companies (CIABC). Of the total sales of 6,75,000 cases of single malts in India in 2023, around 3,45,000 were retailed by domestic makers while the remaining 3,30,000 were by Scottish and others.

Some of the top Indian brands of single malts are Amrut, Paul John, Indri, and Gianchand among others. The local brands are not cheap: Indri starts at $37 a bottle (around 3,000), Amrut $42 (around 3,500), and Rampur $66 (around 5,400) in shops near New Delhi. In comparison, Pernod's Glenlivet retails from $40 (around 3,200) to $118 (around 9,800), depending on age.

Unlike many Asian countries where beer dominates alcohol sales, India is predominantly a whisky drinking nation. In response to the drink India trend, global brands that have focussed on single malts aged in Scotland are looking to Indian whiskies to tap the boom in one of the world's biggest whisky markets.

Established global brands such as Glenlivet, made by France's Pernod Ricard, and Talisker by Britain's Diageo fight for shelf space with local rivals Indri, Amrut, and Radico Khaitan's Rampur. The craze for 'desi' brands has prompted Diageo and Pernod Ricard, to join local brands.

In 2022, Diageo, Pernod's larger rival launched its first Indian single malt, Godawan named after a large, endangered Indian bird that sells in five foreign markets, including the United States. While Pernod launched Longitude 77 last year. The homegrown single malts clocked 53% of total sales in 2023 as per CIABC data.

Indian single malts soared 144% in 2021 22, beating the 32% growth in Scotch, data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis shows. For the period until 2027, it predicts, consumption of Indian malts is set to grow 13% a year compared to Scotch at 8%. Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world to know more.

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