Italy Views India as a Key Market

The Vinitaly Roadshow, scheduled to take place in Delhi and Panjim in January, will not only showcase the best of Italian wine for connoisseurs but also present opportunities in the B2B space for marketing and distribution. Supporting this endeavour is the Italian Trade Agency, which will not only promote Italian wineries in India but also lay out a host of marketing strategies to foster commercial partnerships between the two countries. ANTONIETTA Baccanari, Trade Commissioner and Director of the Trade Promotion Office at the Italian Embassy in New Delhi, and Coordinator for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, tells BISHAN Kumar that the initiative will eventually help open up a new trade segment.

India is amongst the key countries Italy is focusing on, especially in the food and beverage trade. This is because the Indian market is massive and booming at a rapid rate, driven by rising disposable incomes, evolving tastes and premiumisation trends. In that context, Italy views India as a key growth market within Asia.

In 2024, Italian wine exports to India reached €2.6 million. In the period January-August 2025, it reached €1.4 million, an increase of 51 percent compared with the same period in the previous year. Rising incomes, changing consumption patterns and growing urbanisation are making the Indian market increasingly receptive to ‘Made in Italy’ food and lifestyle products.

While wine is amongst the leading products imported from Italy into India, authentic Italian ingredients and gourmet products such as pasta, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, truffles, tomato salsa, coffee and high-quality packaged foods also show huge potential. Also, collaboration with Italy in food processing, machinery and packaging presents significant potential.

Showcasing Italian Wines

Given this growth trend, the Vinitaly India Roadshow is aimed to create new opportunities in the Indian market, strengthening relationships with key Indian buyers and maintaining ongoing dialogue with industry professionals. “For the event, the Italian Trade Agency will extend full support to the Italian wine companies in navigating government regulations and custom guidelines, including taxation policy, labelling and packaging norms, and all the required support through its array of services,” says Antonietta.

The Vinitaly India Roadshow is a highly effective and appreciated commercial promotion tool, offering participating producers the opportunity to develop new contacts and consolidate existing ones. It also aims to promote wine as a true ambassador of Italian culture and ‘Made in Italy’ in an ever-growing market like India. “As a post-event follow-up, ITA provides information, assistance, consulting, promotion and training to small and medium-sized Italian businesses, supporting their development in a promising market and promoting foreign investment in Italy,” elaborates Antonietta.

Additionally, Antonietta highlighted her country’s initiatives worldwide to promote Italian food and beverages. She emphasised that wine is an essential part of Italian cuisine and noted that while training programmes have been conducted for shop managers and staff on presenting Italian food, similar initiatives focused specifically on wine would be highly beneficial. She pointed out that many retail staff are well trained in whisky and spirits but have limited knowledge of wine, particularly Italian wines, underscoring the need for targeted wine education for wine shops.

Food as Soft Power

Promotion of Italian cuisine will be achieved through authentic experiences, winepairing workshops and storytelling events. Every year the Italian Trade Agency organises the ‘Week of Promoting Italian Cuisine in the World’, a week-long event showcasing the best of ‘Made in Italy’ gourmet products. India hosts a large number of Italian chefs in hotels and restaurants, and ITA seeks to engage these chefs in various promotional activities.

“With Italian cuisine being mainstream across India, ITA sees potential in using food-driven soft power such as chef exchanges, regional culinary festivals, and crosscountry restaurant partnerships to enhance awareness of Italian wine regions and appellations,” Antonietta says.

The ITA sees immense potential in boosting awareness, and educating the end-consumer by means of promotional programmes.

Potential in India

Wine imports to India are showing clear signs of acceleration. In the first half of 2025, India imported 25,85,127 litres of wine worth approximately €10.85 million, a year-overyear increase of 50.3 percent in volume and 20.9 percent in value. This trend confirms growing demand for imported wines, especially in the premium ranges and in urban contexts. Still wine was the segment with the largest contribution to revenues in the Indian market in 2024, while sparkling wines are expected to be the fastest-growing segment going forward. This explains both the robust demand for imported still wines and the emergence of niches for sparkling wines and premium products.

Italy’s consistent position as a top exporter to India, coupled with India’s nascent premium market, reveals opportunities despite hurdles like high duties and complex statewise regulations. “Despite the large population, wine consumption is still tiny, showing untapped potential. Also, the lack of trained sommeliers, wine educators and low awareness of specific Italian regions and grapes beyond basics (for example Chianti, Prosecco) impacts premium experience. Thanks to these insights, we were able to plan the roadshow just at the right time,” Antonietta says.

Helping with Collaborations

The Italian Trade Agency is all set to fully support Italian companies by carrying out promotional campaigns, conducting market research, facilitating participation in trade shows, arranging targeted matchmaking, offering its office premises for B2B meetings, and organising wine-tasting workshops, webinars, masterclasses, sommelier training programmes and networking events. ITA will also provide comprehensive logistical and operational support for Italian companies visiting India, including organised market visits.

Major urban centres like Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad remain the primary markets while the tier II and III cities are the emerging regions to focus on. Driven by a younger, more travel-oriented population, rising disposable incomes, urbanisation, and increasing consumer aspiration for premium global products, these regions are witnessing doubledigit growth in wine consumption. Therefore, the upcoming potential hotspots include Pune, Nashik, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Lucknow. The ITA aims to involve more business operators from these cities in trade exhibitions both in India as well as in Italy.