India is poised to become the largest global scotch whisky market in value and volume terms over the next few years, fuelled by competitive intensity, premiumisation and economic growth, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Mark Kent CMG has said.
India is the UK's second-largest market by volumes for Scotch, importing the equivalent of 136 million bottles, worth £146.2 million, in 2021.
Global exports of Scotch Whisky reached the record level of 3.13 billion pounds in 2009, despite the economic downturn in some major markets, The Scotch Whisky Association said on Thursday.
The US remained scotch's largest export market by value.
The free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India are no longer working towards a Diwali deadline though negotiations are progressing well, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has said as New Delhi expressed confidence on Friday of an "early date" for a mutually beneficial deal. "There are ongoing negotiations as we know on the FTA. There is interest on both sides to see if we can work towards a deal, an FTA, that is beneficial to both the countries at an early date," external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi. It came as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his UK counterpart, James Cleverly, and referenced the Roadmap 2030 bilateral agreement signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UK PM Boris Johnson in May last year, with no specific reference to the FTA.
The growth of exports to India stood out, with value up 28 per cent to 43 million pounds
The first Whisky Bible was published in 2004.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances