India's Whisky Boom Cools After Pandemic Surge

Growth in imported whisky sales in India has slowed for a second consecutive year in 2025. This moderation follows a significant boom in premium spirits consumption that emerged after the pandemic. Data from IWSR indicates a general cooling of discretionary spending impacting categories like Scotch, Irish, Japanese, and American whiskies.

Scotch, the largest imported segment, saw its growth decrease to 5% in 2025, a notable drop from previous periods. Irish whiskey experienced a sharper deceleration, with growth slowing significantly after a substantial surge in 2024. Japanese whisky also reported a decline in growth rates, though it maintained strong compound annual growth over the 2020-2025 period.

Industry experts attribute this slowdown to a combination of factors, including supply constraints, tougher year-on-year comparisons, currency pressures, and shifts in consumer spending. However, they emphasize that the underlying consumer interest in premium spirits remains robust, suggesting a normalization to more sustainable growth rates rather than a complete reversal of the premiumization trend.