INDIA TO BECOME LARGEST WHISKY MARKET

Published: 23 July, 2008

India will overtake the US as the world's largest volume market for whisky by the end of 2001, according to a new report. In The Global Whisk(e)y Report, industry analyst Canadean says that US demand has been falling by an average of 2% per annum since 1992, while Indian consumption has been rising by an annual average of 9%. Last year, the US still had the world's highest national demand, accounting for 45 million cases, compared with India's 43.7 million. The signs are now that Indians will have consumed almost 46 million cases in 2001, compared with the Americans' 44.8 million,' the report states. It also says that the duty paid global market for whisky stood at 211 million cases last year. Duty free is estimated to have accounted for another 6.5 million cases. The market is dominated by a small number of countries. Just over 21% of the world's whisky is consumed in the US, which, along with India and Thailand, accounts for 56% of total volume. The top ten markets account for 84% of all sales. Despite the high profile and historical pedigree of whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, the US and Canada, Thai brands hold the first and third places for volume, while the second place goes to the Japanese Suntory brand. Scotch is the leading sub-category, accounting for 32% of world sales. The bulk of this - 27% - was accounted for by standard Scotch, while de luxe Scotch whisky claimed 3%, malt whisky 1.6% and super-premium Scotch only 0.25% American whiskey - after Scotch, the second largest sub-category, at 27 million cases - had an unspectacular year, with growth static, due to a fall in domestic volumes. Canadian whisky, the third largest sub-category - accounting for around 10% of world sales - was the only sector to experience a drop, with volumes falling by 1%. For details on the report, contact Kevin Baker on 01256 394223.

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