Pernod Ricard exits Imperial to bet big on premium spirits

French spirits major Pernod Ricard India is sharpening its focus on premium alcohol, exiting the mass-market whisky segment even as it launches a new India-made brand aimed at consumerstrading up.

- Suneera Tandon

The company this week completed the sale of its Imperial Blue whisky, among India’s largest-selling mass brands, to Tilaknagar Industries. The move, chief executive Jean Touboul said, frees resources for higher-margin categories and accelerates Pernod Ricard’s decade-long shift toward premiumization.

“The disposal (of Imperial Blue) and launch of Exclamation! form part of the same strategy, which is about premiumization; we want to drive consumers up the ladder of pricing,” Touboul said in an interview with Mint on Tuesday, as the company announced the debut of its India-made spirits brand ‘Exclamation!’