MaQintosh Whisky Set to Spread its Wings

Through an agreement between Amrut Distilleries Limited and India Glycols Limited, MaQintosh Whisky will now be available in north India as well. Given that the present whisky market is dominated by just a few leading players, this move will expand the field and provide consumers access to yet another fine quality whisky. As Raju Vaziraney, Head (Business Development) and Adviser, Amrut Distilleries, says, this will be the first step towards introducing more interesting expressions.

In what is being termed in the industry as a very significant partnership, Amrut Distilleries Limited has signed a royalty agreement with India Glycols Limited (IGL) to leverage the strengths and core competence of both the organisations. This will bring into the limelight Amrut Distilleries’ versatile brand MaQintosh Whisky, which has been popular since over three decades because of its brilliant blend. At the crux of this deal has been Raju Vaziraney who is the Principal Advisor for both Amrut Distilleries and IGL. Amrut Distilleries, Bengaluru is the pioneer of Indian single malts and is known for its world-class whiskies. As per the agreement, Amrut Distilleries will supply and monitor the blend and also ensure that its accredited vendors supply the packing material as per the prescribed quality standards. IGL, known for its world-class ENA and also the capability of making world-class brands at its state-of the-art distillery in Uttarakhand, will use its strengths to market MaQintosh Whisky in its home state where it has a leadership position in the relevant segments. IGL will invest the working capital and maintain full control over the sale and distribution of MaQintosh Whisky and use its competence in sales and marketing in the markets of north India. IGL will build the brand and also ensure that the volume targets are achieved. “It is very difficult to establish a whisky brand in the premium segment in India. It is because the consumer wants world-class quality as well as feel the legacy that the brand belongs to. Therefore, in this case, both the companies will complement each other,” informs Raju Vaziraney.

Maintaining the Quality

The biggest task under this agreement is to first and foremost retain the high standards of quality for MaQintosh Whisky even as IGL scales production in its home states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. As per Raju, this will be guaranteed because Amrut Distilleries will supply the blend with the support of accredited vendors. The SOPs of the brand will be followed through production and the highest quality control standards. There is a brand manual which is being followed in letter and spirit. “We follow the brand ‘guard book’ to ensure the consistency of all POS material and brand support items. This guard book has for reference all the brand support material samples so that brand personality is consistent in the minds of the consumers,” Raju informs. Here, quality is also tied to pricing, especially given the discerning nature of consumers who choose their beverage in the range of Rs. 800-1200. Both Amrut Distilleries and IGL therefore have their task cut out for them.

The Expansion

The partnership is slated for a long-term period. IGL is aiming for a minimum of 10 percent market share in the relevant premium segment, in the next two years. As regard expansion, Raju admits that it will take quite some time to establish the brand in the premium segment. Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, in particular, are huge markets in the premium whisky segment and the companies will follow a steady-build approach to establish the brand across various geographies. “I am personally not an advocate of a big bang approach in the market since consumers take time to shift and also new recruits will only gradually adopt and stay with the brand,” Raju states. He informs that the company will focus on a multi-pronged marketing approach that will include digital campaigning too in order to spread awareness about the brand and educate consumers about the finer points of top-quality whisky. In the meantime, the Haryana market is on the top of the list given that it is a huge market for the premium whisky segment. “The premium whisky space has largely been dominated by two or three players for quite some time and the consumers will now get a richer experience with another whole-body blend in the form of the young and classy new look of MaQintosh Whisky,” Raju points out. Meanwhile, after the initial focus on MaQintosh Whisky, the company is planning for another expression. This will enlarge the reach of the brand besides offering two expressions from the house of Amrut Distilleries. Post October, the companies shall step on the gas for a bigger market share.