One of India's leading spirits companies, Allied Blenders and Distillers, has pledged to put Rs 115 crore (£8.97 million) behind a new malt distillery, cresting the wave of the country's premium liquor boom.
Global alcohol consumption has slumped over the past few years, but India has bucked the downward trend, adding 6% in total beverage alcohol volume and 9% in value during 2024, according to IWSR figures.
This is largely thanks to the 'less but better' drinking trend pushing premiumisation among India's middle classes, Pernod Ricard India MD Jean Touboul previously told the drinks business.
And single malt whisky is especially a story of success. Driven by local brands, the category is estimated to have grown to around 500,000 cases in 2025, according to data released by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies.
It's why Jack Daniel's parent company, Brown-Forman, is gearing up to launch several premium spirits brands in India in the coming years.
And it's also why Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) is plotting to plough Rs 115 crore into its subsidiary Minakshi Agro Industries LLP (MAILLP) for building a new malt distillery in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. ...