Now Reading: Vodka share rises to record 6.1% of India’s liquor market
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Vodka share rises to record 6.1% of India’s liquor market
Vodka is capturing a record share of India's whisky-dominated liquor market, with its category share rising to 6.1% from 3.8%, according to Radico Khaitan MD Abhishek Khaitan. In a spirits market of…
Vodka is capturing a record share of India's whisky-dominated liquor market, with its category share rising to 6.1% from 3.8%, according to Radico Khaitan MD Abhishek Khaitan. In a spirits market of about 400 million cases, each percentage point shift represents roughly four to five million cases. The incremental volume from vodka's latest share gain is now bigger than the entire gin and tequila categories combined.
The shift is driven by younger consumers and women, as well as the growing popularity of flavoured and mixable spirits. States including Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are seeing vodka's share rise rapidly, gaining ground from whisky, rum and brandy. Globally, vodka accounts for about 28% of the spirits market, leaving India with considerable headroom for growth, Khaitan said.
Radico's flagship Magic Moments vodka sold 3.25 million cases in the June quarter, up 43% from a year earlier. The company has about 60% of India's vodka market. Radico has also moved into premium whiskies, with its prestige and above contribution rising to 52% of its portfolio from about 40-43% earlier.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The structural shift toward white spirits reflects changing demographics in a market where whisky has held roughly 60% share for decades. India's legal drinking age and conservative social norms have historically limited women's participation in alcohol consumption, the vodka trend signals a relaxation of those barriers in urban and semi-urban areas. The shift also matters for state excise revenues: vodka typically carries a lower tax incidence than whisky in many states, so a sustained move away from brown spirits could reshape annual budget estimates for state excise departments. Watch for how other states' excise policies respond as vodka's share approaches double digits in the next two to three years.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
