AlcoBev India 2025: Sets billion-dollar goal

On April 23, India’s economic narrative was punctuated by a landmark event that promises to reshape the country’s alcoholic beverage industry: the AlcoBev India 2025 conclave. Jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), this day-long conclave brought together an impressive array of industry stalwarts, government officials, and policy experts. Their shared mission was to propel India’s alcoholic beverage exports from the current USD 370 million to an ambitious USD 1 billion, while aligning with the national “Make in India” initiative. 

A Spirited Start

The event commenced with a warm welcome by CIABC Director General, Anant S. Iyer, who outlined the industry’s evolving landscape and the crucial role of policy reforms in unlocking its full potential. Deepak Roy, Chairman of CIABC, delivered the thematic address, drawing from his decades-long experience to advocate passionately for global promotion of indigenous spirits such as Mahua and Feni. “When ‘Tequila’ can be synonymous with Mexico, ‘Sake’ with Japan and ‘Soju’ with Korea, the same we can achieve internationally with ‘Feni’ or ‘Mahua’, which have a rich cultural legacy. We need to get out of the old mindset and promote Indian heritage spirits,” he said.

Embracing Innovation

The conclave featured a series of insightful panel discussions, kicking off with a deep dive into the Evolution of Indian Brown & White Spirits. Moderated by Alok Gupta, Managing Director of Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD), the session explored how Indian spirits have matured over the time, with contributions from industry veterans like Rakesh Vasishta, National Sales Head at Piccadily Agro Industries Ltd, Sudhir Upadhyay of Radico Khaitan, and Rahul Mehra, Co-founder of Third Eye Distillery. Rahul, who put Indian gin on the global map with the award-winning Stranger & Sons, stressed the need for innovation to challenge long-standing foreign dominance in the sector.

Subsequent discussions explored Decoding Market Trends, with discussions centred around consumer behaviour, experiential marketing, and digital outreach. Moderated by Anant S. Iyer, the session underscored the need for robust market insights and creative consumer engagement strategies. Key voices included Bikram Basu of ABD Maestro, Ashutosh Rajput of Alcobrew Distilleries, and Pallav Soin of Modi Illva, who stressed the growing demand for premiumisation and the pivotal role of sustainable practices.

Elevating Experiences, Packaging

One of the standout sessions, Revolutionising On-Premise Experiences, showcased how India’s bar culture is evolving. Led by Paramjit Singh Gill, CEO of Globus Spirits’ Consumer Division, the panel featured Vikram Achanta of Tulleeho, Amulya Pandit of Euromonitor International, Ajay Kakkar of Radico Khaitan and Neeraj Sharma of Sula Vineyards. Discussions revolved around virtual tastings and innovative on-premise strategies to elevate consumer experiences while keeping pace with global trends.

Sustainability was the focal point of Session IV on eco-friendly packaging moderated by Varun Lohia, Head - Supply Chain and Procurement at ABD. Panellists included Anand Channapur of Alisha Torrent Closures, Praveen Malviya of Piccadily Agro Industries, Dr. Juhi Gupta of Tetra Pak, Aditya Patwardhan of Renault Paper Products, and Karninder Verma of AGI Greenpac, who shared pioneering innovations in sustainable labelling and packaging solutions, a critical growth lever in an increasingly environmentally conscious market.

Regulation & Global Ambitions

As India eyes global expansion, regulatory clarity emerged as a recurring theme throughout the conference. Session V and Session VI addressed the industry’s most pressing regulatory challenges, from excise policy stability to tariff barriers and state-level tax reforms. Panellists included senior bureaucrats like Harshita Attaluri, IPS – CMD, Kerala State Beverages Corporation, Raju Vaziraney –Director of CIABC, and Rajnish Singh, Founder of Dhvaen Law Practice, along with excise commissioners from Uttarakhand, Harish Chand Semwal, Madhya Pradesh’s Abhijeet Agrawal, and Telangana’s, Chevvuru Hari Kiran. They shared their perspectives on streamlining regulations to foster industry growth and strongly advocated for a cohesive national policy to enable the industry to flourish domestically and internationally.

Meanwhile, whisky maestro Dhavall Gandhi underscored the importance of maturation strategies and category expansion to build globally competitive Indian brands.

Policy Meets Possibility

Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA, underscored India’s significant untapped potential in international markets, citing the rising global appreciation for Indian gins, beers, wines, and rums. Highlighting a target of increasing alcoholic beverage exports to USD 1 billion by 2030, he urged the industry to venture beyond domestic markets to build global brands.

Supporting this vision, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Dr. Subrata Gupta pointed out the need for value addition and reduced wastage in India’s agricultural processing sectors, noting India’s lag behind countries like Thailand and Brazil. Enhanced processing of fruits, vegetables, and even meat could, he argued, synergise effectively with increased beverage exports, delivering higher farmer incomes and valuable foreign exchange.

Indian Brands Going Global

The final session looked outward, exploring how Indian brands can expand their global footprint. Moderated by Siddharth Banerji, Managing Director of Kyndal Group, Session VII brought together international business leaders and government officials to discuss free trade agreements (FTAs), advertising challenges, and the opportunities awaiting Indian brands overseas. Success stories from Rajiv Samant of Sula Vineyards and Sanjeev Banga of Radico Khaitan served as beacons of what is possible when ambition meets execution. Ranjit Singh, Joint Secretary at MoFPI and Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Director, BEDF at APEDA emphasised the importance of compliance, cultural adaptation, and building brands that resonate globally while staying rooted in Indian heritage.

Bridging gap between Centre & States

In a significant step for India’s alcobev regulatory ecosystem, AlcoBev India 2025 hosted a groundbreaking interaction that brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, APEDA, and Excise Commissioners from various states to discuss measures aimed at advancing the alcobev industry. 

This first-of-its-kind initiative was widely welcomed by industry stakeholders, as it aimed to foster collaboration between central authorities and state regulators. The discussion addressed longstanding challenges such as licensing bottlenecks, price fixation mechanisms, label registrations, and retaillevel operations.

The collective objective was clear: to improve ease of doing business, create a level playing field across all liquor categories, and amplify the presence of Indian alcobev brands in both domestic and global markets.

The dialogue saw participants identify core areas of concern while jointly exploring actionable, pragmatic solutions. This collaborative spirit reflects a growing consensus on the need for a more streamlined and supportive regulatory environment. The interaction signals a positive shift toward greater cooperation and policy alignment, paving the way for the sustainable growth of the alcobev sector.

The dialogue saw the participation by Dr. Subrata Gupta, IAS Secretary, MoFPI; Ranjit Singh, Joint Secretary at MoFPI; Abhishek Dev, IAS, Chairman, APEDA; Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Director, BEDF at APEDA; Harish Chand Semwal, IAS – Excise Commissioner, Uttarakhand; Vinay Pratap Singh, IAS- Excise Commissioner, Haryana; Dr Adarsh Singh, IAS -Excise Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh; Harshita Attaluri, IPS – CMD, Kerala State Beverages Corporation; Chevvuru Hari Kiran, IAS- Excise Commissioner, Telangana and Abhijeet Agrawal, IAS – Excise Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh.

Celebration of Spirits & Style

AlcoBev India 2025 culminated on a celebratory note, with a cultural performance sponsored by Radico Khaitan, featuring a unique fashion show titled “The Spirit Awakens”, by celebrated designer Jyoti Sachdev Iyer. Seamlessly blending the worlds of haute couture and fine spirits, the showcase transformed Radico’s iconic offerings like Magic Moments Vodka, Rampur Double Cask, Morpheus brandy Royal Ranthambore Heritage Collection Whisky, Sangam and others into stunning sartorial creations. Each ensemble was a narrative in itself, echoing the layered richness of the spirits they represented, all underscored by a live saxophonist’s sultry, and soulful melodies.

Speaking on her inspiration, Jyoti remarked, “The Spirit Awakens was a tribute to craftsmanship and creativity, drawing inspiration from Radico’s exceptional spirits to weave a visual and emotional journey.”