Wine fantasy

Sales of imported wines triple to 2 million cases, and it is projected that this will reach 8 million cases by 2028

It’s 2025. Narendra Modi has just been re-elected as prime minister for a record third time, and the Bharatiya Janata Party seems unstoppable. However, perhaps on recognising that fermented beverages like wine and beer represent the gentler and more civilised face of society, custom duties on imported wines and beer have been slashed from 150 per cent to 100 per cent this year, with a stated policy of progressively bringing this down to 50 per cent by 2026.

This is accompanied by a policy aimed at bringing all alcoholic beverages out of state control and to levy a standard 28 per