India now accounts for almost one in every two bottles of whisky sold in the world. The country also recently leapfrogged France to become the world’s biggest market for Scotch according to a new article in the Financial Times of London
India is also a major producer of whisky with seven of the top ten global brands, by volume, are Indian says the newspaper. Indian single malt premium whiskies are made with Indian barley, and distilled and matured locally. These luxury whiskies are targeting a global market and attracting accolades among increasingly broad-minded whisky connoisseurs.
One of the well known products of the Rampur Distillery located at the foot of the Himalayas, is the Rampur Double Cask Malt. It is made using six-row barley from the states of Rajasthan and Punjab, proprietary yeast, and the mineral rich water from the Himalayas.
North-west of Rampur is the Piccadilly Distillery in the state of Haryana, whose single malts are matured in ex-bourbon, ex-french wine and ex-sherry casks. Indri Three Wood ‘s Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 was chosen as The Best Whisky in the World. It won ‘Best in Show, Double Gold’ at Whiskies of the World Awards 2023.
Both Indri and Amrut, which is distilled in Bangalore, are made according to strict Scotch whisky rules – but some newcomers do produce malts that are more experimental.
From Johnnie Walker producer Diageo is Godawan, a luxury malt distilled and aged in the desert state of Rajasthan.
Vikram Damodaran, Diageo India’s chief of innovation, says, “For hundreds of years, the Rajasthani royal family had its own distillery for making herbal elixirs for ceremonies and celebrations. It’s played a very important role in Rajasthani communities.”
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
