Whyte & Mackay single malt whisky finds key mkt in India

India's whisky market is projected to grow from $210 mn in 2022 to $480 mn in 2027

- Varuni Khosla

Global sales of single malt whisky have gained traction every year, eventually surpassing the milestone of $10 billion in retail sales. While some spirit categories have not been as fortunate, UK’s Whyte & Mackay, known for brands like The Dalmore and Jura single malt whisky, has strategically placed India as its most significant market, after the US and China, since its entry in 2018.

"The opportunity is imminent now. India is a young market with a low average drinking age. We launched here in 2018, and far surpassed our pre-covid numbers. We saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% in our sales for the past three years. The Gen Z legal drinking age combined with millennials is a bigger possibility than markets like the US," Mike Southgate, director of developing markets (India, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Middle East & CIS countries) for the company, said in an interview.