Wine consumption in India is expected to grow year-on-year and could more than double, reaching 2.4 million nine-litre cases by 2020, according to the recently-published IWSR India Wine Market Report.
In 2011, 840,000 cases of still light wines were consumed in India and consumption in 2012 is forecast to reach 960,000 cases.
The IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Research) is the leading provider of data on wine, spirits and RTDs.
According to the report, the wine market in India is presently small and consumption per capita is low compared to that of beer and spirits, but interest is growing.
Wine is mainly enjoyed by the a small population of travelled Indian businessmen, their foreign guests, tourists, and sometimes upmarket women and cosmopolitan affluent youth.
Despite the difficulties of matching wine with Indian food, a cult enthusiasm is developing for wine consumption and it has become a more regular offering at launch parties, business receptions and sometimes weddings.
“The expansion of the wine market is hindered by the difficulties of trading on the Indian market, such as a limited number of skilled importers, an underdeveloped infrastructure and retail system, and the costs of taxes and licences,” the report added.
The market is now recovering following a dip in 2009 and 2010, and long-term growth is anticipated provided good-quality grapes are sufficiently available.
