India's Gen Z loves premium alcohol but is drinking less

Data shows Gen Z drinkers are more inclined than millennials to cut alcohol consumption

- Suneera Tandon & Varuni Khosla

Young Indians are rethinking how they drink. A rising number of Gen Z consumers are cutting back on alcohol or trading quantity for quality, in line with a global shift towards health and wellness.

Data indicates that Gen Z drinkers in India are more inclined to reduce their alcohol consumption compared with millennials, who continue to be the primary consumers of alcohol in India.

"There is a clear decline in alcobev consumption globally, and India is not immune to this trend," said Rajeev Samant, founder and CEO of Sula Vineyards. "Even when we consider the demographic dividend, we still see people on Instagram advocating for a more alcohol-free lifestyle. Things have definitely changed. Alcohol consumption may not be evolving in the way we once expected."

Traditionally, the under-30 age group has never been a major wine-consuming segment, he said. "That said, this cohort in India today likely consumes more wine, relative to previous generations."

According to data from IWSR, a global tracker of the alcoholic beverage industry, the attitude of Gen Z (those over the legal drinking age) towards alcohol in India differs significantly from millennials.