From brandy leader to whisky player, Tilaknagar charts premium growth with pure malt

India's premium whisky story is entering a new chapter, and Tilaknagar Industries believes the biggest opportunity lies beyond single malts. As younger consumers experiment with different styles and drinking occasions, the company expects categories such as pure malt whisky to gain prominence alongside India's fast growing premium spirits market.

At a media roundtable, Sanaya Dahanukar, general manager, Growth & Innovation at Tilaknagar Industries, said India remains one of the few bright spots for the global alcoholic beverages industry, creating the right conditions for premium whisky categories to flourish. She is also a fifth-generation member of the Dahanukar family.

"India is one of the only growing markets for the alcobev industry today," she said, noting that while the global market has declined for three consecutive years, India grew about 4% over the past year. With 15 million to 20 million consumers entering the legal drinking age every year, India is expected to become the world's largest spirits market by 2032.

The company's latest premium whisky, Seven Islands, exemplifies that strategy. Rather than entering the increasingly crowded single malt category, Tilaknagar launched an Indo Scottish pure malt whisky blended using four malt spirits sourced from the Himalayas, Vindhyas, Scotland's Speyside and Lowlands.

"When we studied the competitive landscape, we felt the single malt category was already quite cluttered. We didn't see a similar product coming from an Indian company, which is why we decided to experiment with a unique style of whisky," Dahanukar said.

The premium push comes after Tilaknagar's acquisition of the Imperial Blue portfolio from Pernod Ricard, which significantly strengthened its distribution reach. Seven Islands is currently available in Maharashtra, Puducherry and West Bengal and will expand to additional markets over the coming months.

The whisky strategy also points to a broader transformation within the company itself. Once overwhelmingly dependent on brandy, Tilaknagar has rapidly diversified after the Imperial Blue acquisition.

"Our dependence on brandy has reduced from previously 90% down to about 30%, which means the bulk of that 70% pie is now whisky," Dahanukar said.

Tilaknagar Industries reported net revenue of ₹949 crore in the March 2026 quarter, up 134% year on year. For FY26, revenue from operations rose 68% to ₹5,248 crore from ₹3,121 crore a year earlier.

Younger consumers rewrite premium drinking habits

Dahanukar believes premiumisation is no longer just about older whisky enthusiasts. Younger legal drinking age consumers are increasingly open to experimenting with cocktails and different whisky styles rather than following traditional consumption rules.

"People are happy to meet a whisky in a highball or even a spritz style when they're looking for a lighter format," she said, adding that India's drinking culture is shifting "from volume to experience." The company witnessed this firsthand during India Cocktail Week, where whisky and even premium brandy cocktails attracted stronger than expected consumer response.

Despite the buzz around Indian single malts, Dahanukar pointed out they still account for less than 5% of India's whisky consumption, even though the segment has been growing by more than 20% annually. Whisky itself contributes over 60% of India's IMFL market, with volumes exceeding 200 million cases.

She also expects the India UK Free Trade Agreement to accelerate premiumisation by making Scotch more affordable while simultaneously creating export opportunities for Indian whisky brands.

Beyond Seven Islands, Tilaknagar has consolidated its premium ambitions under House of TI, a luxury portfolio that includes Monarch grape brandy, Seven Islands, a 21% stake in craft spirits maker Spaceman Spirits Lab, and investments in premium cocktail mixer brand Bartisans.

"We believe Indian craft spirits can and will go global," Dahanukar said. "The next chapter of growth for Indian whiskies will be written across different styles, whether that's single malts, pure malts, blended malts and many more to come."