India drinks a lot of whisky – around half of the world’s output is sold there. It makes a lot too. According to the most recent edition of DI’s Millionaires’ Club, the top four bestselling whisky brands in the world are all Indian and the country is only prevented from a top five medal sweep by Johnnie Walker in fifth. India’s relationship with whisky is on a scale that’s difficult to comprehend and, what’s more, these statistics come from a market where alcohol consumption isn’t necessarily the norm. India’s recently published National Family Health Survey reported that alcohol is consumed by about 29% of men and 1% of women aged 15-49 years. Everything is bigger in the world’s most populous country.
When we talk about these high-volume Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) whisky brands, we’re typically referring to blends of Scotch and domestically produced malt and grain whiskies or, more often, brands made with a neutral molasses spirit base that wouldn’t fall under the EU classification of whisky.
So historically, the category has been divided. The most valuable whisky market in the world saw its own whiskies as of inferior quality to imports, particularly those from Scotland. The domestic brands reflected this standing, often adopting Scottish-sounding monikers to take advantage of the distinction.
But that was then, and as we all know India is a country on the move. It’s now two decades since Amrut, the country’s first single malt, launched. It recognised the difference in reputational standing between imported whiskies and IMFL so initially launched in the UK. It would be six years later, in 2010, that the brand finally launched in the domestic market. If it was to succeed as a single malt at home, first it had to convince the world.
“When I first worked with Indian whiskies around 10 years ago, the vast majority of people I met were surprised to hear about whiskies that came from India, and even people from India were dubious,” says Stef Holt, curator of world whisky at Mangrove Global, which distributes Indri within the UK market.
“I think the brands that have been exported from India have absolutely proved their quality and the reputation is becoming more respected, as well as a recognisable Indian style being established… I’d definitely say that among the New World whiskies, it’s got one of the longest histories of production and enough distilleries with great reputations that it’s probably next in line to switch from exotic and unusual to mainstream – even if that is the premium end of mainstream.”
Given the size of the domestic audience, a rise into stratospheric volumes seems to be very much on the cards for India’s single malt brands.
“The future for Indian spirits looks promising, especially as the country continues to emerge as a global economic player,” says master distiller at Paul John whisky, Michael d’Souza.
“Our primary focus over the next three years is to increase the number of barrels at our Goan distillery to match the demand we are seeing. This year, we doubled our production capabilities, expanding from 1.5 to 3 million litres annually. Currently, we have 40,000 barrels and our target is to double this to reach 75,000-80,000 barrels. Our ambition post-2030 is to build a new distillery in the southern part of India. The reputational future of Indian single malt ultimately relies upon the quality of whisky the sector produces.”
Finally, in its own country, the reputation of Indian single malt has put the category on the top shelf alongside premium imports.
“The segment is really growing,” says Rajiv Mukherjee, head mixologist and assistant manager at ZLB23 in Bengaluru.
“There are a few brands releasing very exclusive single malts with the same price point as Scotch and consumers are very keen to try them. In terms of quality the segment is now appreciated as much as Scotch or bourbon, especially among younger, well-travelled people.”
And the reputational shift bears out for Indian single malts as Sanjeev Banga, president of international business at Radico Khaitan, the producer of Rampur single malt, says: “Single malt whiskies, whether Scotch or Indian, are on a major growth trajectory in India. Data collated by the IWSR [indicates] Indian single malts have already surpassed Scotch single malts in the domestic Indian market.
“Indian single malts are now very highly regarded, not only in India but globally. India is the largest consumer of whisky in the world and whisky aficionados, as well as [average] consumers, are very proud that India is now producing some of the best single malts in the world.”
Perhaps the greatest validation of the category isn’t in the impressive sustained growth of the established brands, but in the multinationals now recognising the category’s potential. Since 2022, Diageo has launched a premium single malt, Godawan, Pernod Ricard debuted Longitude 77, and even McDowell’s, the IMFL giant that sold more than 31 million nine litre cases in 2023, has released a triple cask matured single malt.
“Godawan was launched in 2022 with the vision of being an artisanal single malt, born from the unique terroir of Rajasthan,” says Vikram Damodaran, chief innovation officer at Diageo India. “Feeling the pulse of single malt consumption in India and globally, we recognised a growing demand for innovative, terroir-driven whiskies.
“Indian malts have really come of age in the last few years. In fact, one of the fastest-growing categories in the recent times has been Indian malts, getting to almost the same size of the global imported malts. Indian consumers are willing to buy the best spirit in the market irrespective of whether it’s Indian or global. Consumers choose based on their needs and preferences and, as Indian malts have become truly world class, consumers are choosing the best Indian malts.”
Healthy competition
The influx of multinationals can be seen as a stamp of approval from the wider spirits industry and, locally, many of the producers recognise it as such.
“Paul John welcomes healthy competition from multinationals who seek to launch Indian single malts,” says d’Souza.
“We are thrilled to see the single malt market expanding to incorporate global influences. We’ve identified innovation across markets where the approach is to diversify their palates with increasingly global flavours, combinations and techniques to truly appreciate the diversity of premium alcohol.”
It’s a sentiment that Banga at Radico Khaitan agrees with: “I think it is a recognition as well as an endorsement that the Indian single malt category is the next big thing and the global MNCs don’t want to miss out on the opportunity. We welcome more players as it will help in the expansion of the category.”
But how did we get here? While it’s been 20 years since Amrut launched, that’s a blink of the eye in whisky and in truth the category was, for much of its history, a slow burn that has burst into flame almost overnight.
“India is in the middle of deep societal change led by rising affluence, women, youth and boom towns,” explains Damodaran. “The Indian single malt drinker has evolved significantly over the last few years. For one, the malt drinker is increasingly younger. Gone are the days when only the older generation had malts. Many young affluents are choosing single malts much earlier in their consumption repertoire.
“In 2023, 40% of luxury spirits drinkers were women, up from 25% in 2021, and increasingly the malt consumer is a repertoire seeker and experimentative, looking for new tastes and experiences.”
India is changing and the growth of its domestic single malt category reflects this. While Indian whisky will still largely refer to the multimillion case domestic brands, it’s in the premium single malts where its reputation will become defined both domestically and overseas. Given the scale and acceleration of its home market, its potential is limitless in ways that other categories can only imagine.
