Scotch, gin may not get cheaper

Indian consumers eyeing cheaper Scotch whisky and gin after the India-UK trade pact should steel themselves for a disappointment.

- Varuni Khosla

Indian consumers eyeing cheaper Scotch whisky and gin after the India-UK trade pact should steel themselves for a disappointment. While the tariff on British whisky and gin was halved from an eye-watering 150% to 75% after three years of painstaking negotiations, this is not likely to reflect in prices, executives told Mint.

This is because of several factors, including the multiplicity of local tariffs and liquor companies being unwilling to pass on the benefits of lower tariffs to consumers.

Liquor is imported in three different categories.