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The Siddharth Banerji-led Kyndal India — importer, maker and distributor of premium spirits — has teamed with Scotland-based Edrington to bottle Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky in India, the first ever outside Scotland.
In a 50:50 joint venture — Edrington Kyndal India will bottle, market and distribute Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky in India. Edrington is engaged in blending, bottling, distributing and marketing of brands such as The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark and premium single malts The Macallan and Highland Park.
Over the next three years, the company targets to have a 10 per cent share in the Scotch whisky market in India, said David Pattinson, Area Director, India, Edrington. The market is estimated at 2.9 million cases per annum.
Cutty Sark is already available in Indian market by way of import. With bottling in India, the price will come down. While a 750 ml bottle of Cutty Sark is available for around Rs 2,000, Kyndal-bottled Cutty Sark would be priced at Rs 1,400 for 750ml in Delhi.
Pattinson also said the product will have a new premium focused package for India. While the product will initially be available in Delhi, Kyndal will extend it across retail outlets in Goa, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Puducherry, Orissa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka October onwards.
Meanwhile, Banerji said the company has plans to bring a few more premium brands in India over the next couple of years. "Considering the market, we will not hurry things," he added.
Whisky consumption in India has doubled between 2007 and 2012, to about 1.4 billion litres, according to International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR). Between 2000 and 2013, sales of imported whisky grew 17.3 per cent annually, while local sales were up 6.6 per cent. And between 2004 and 2013, imported whisky sales grew 22.5 per cent annually against 13.6 per cent for the domestic produce, while whisky as a segment grew 13.8 per cent annually, according to IWSR.
Kyndal is also setting up a malt distillery in Scotland, to make an entry into the premium Scotch whisky global market. The father-daughter team of Kyndal India has also brought Bootz Authentic Dutch grape brandy to India through a joint venture with Amsterdam-based Lucas Bols. The distillery is expected to start commercial production in 2018.
Kyndal is also credited for launching and building brands like Absolut Vodka, Remy Martin Cognac and Jim Beam in the Indian sub-continent and West Asia.
