Indian Single Malts Outsell Scotch in 2024 as Taste Turns Local

For the first time ever, Indian single malt whisky has outsold its Scotch counterpart as the sales of desi brands surged over 25% in 2024, according to a report published by The Economic Times. This marks a major shift in consumer preference, which is now driven by a growing appetite for home-grown premium spirits.

"After advancing by more than 75% in 2023, annual sales of Indian single malts came within 9,000 nine-litre cases of surpassing sales of single malt Scotch. With a further advance in sales of more than 25% in 2024, Indian single malts significantly outsold their Scotch counterparts,” said alcohol market researcher IWSR as quoted by ET.

Single malt is different from blended whiskies; it comes from a single distillery and is celebrated for its unique taste. While pioneers like Amrut and Paul John put Indian on the single malt map in the 2000s, the last three years have seen a surge of new entrants.

Homegrown players like Piccadeily Agro and Radico Khaitan are expanding their categories. Even global whisky giants such as Pernod Richard and Diageo are also tapping into the trend with Indian offerings --- Longitude 77 and Godawan.

India's Achohol Sales

In total, India's beverage alcohol volumes grew by 4% in the first half of 2024, driven by rising demand for premium-plus spirits, ready-to-drink (RTD) options, and homegrown single malts, the IWSR revealed in another research.

"While the Indian beverage alcohol market is less developed than those of mature nations, the regulatory landscape is becoming less bureaucratic in certain key states, with state governments taking a more pragmatic view on an industry that is often a significant contributor to tax revenues,” said IWSR’s India expert Jason Holway points out.

“Combine population growth with less regulation, and the result is significant value growth," he added.

It is also important to acknowledge that scotch remains strong in Indian market. India was the largest market for Scotch by volume in 2024, with 192 million bottles exported, according to data from the Scotch Whisky Association. In value terms, it ranked fourth with exports worth 248 million British pounds.