Alcohol

Rising incomes and premiumization are driving market value, but shifts toward categories like beer and rigid state pricing controls pose ongoing challenges, says the industry body chief.

India’s ready-to-drink alcohol market is growing faster than the global category, and with a distinctly higher-alcohol profile.

Beer is closing the gap with spirits, with brewers seeing premium and super-premium brands as the next engine of growth.

Varun Beverages is seeking to enhance its alcoholic beverage portfolio. The deal would provide Kiva with established liquor brands and distribution capabilities, although the final transaction terms remain undecided.

Hidden doors, eight-seat counters, and months-long waitlists—India’s dining scene is going micro. Step inside the ultra-intimate, chef-led spaces where hyper-regional ingredients, high-margin economics, and immersive storytelling are trying to redefine the country's luxury culinary landscape.

The world’s top brewer is betting big on India, with Karnataka and Maharashtra showing how policy support can boost demand and investment. AB InBev, which has invested $1.5 bn since 2016, says such moves could double beer consumption in five years and put India among the top five markets.

The French spirits maker is trimming mid-to-senior management roles to sharpen focus on high-margin categories, even as strong sales in India buck a global slowdown.

As growth slows in the broader liquor market, companies from Diageo India to Radico Khaitan are betting affluent consumers will keep trading up to premium whiskies, tequila and imported wines.