Royal Stag becomes world’s largest selling whisky brand with 32.6 million cases in 2025

Pernod Ricard India’s flagship whisky brand Royal Stag has emerged as the world’s largest selling whisky brand in calendar year 2025, selling 32.6 million cases globally. It also says a lot about the growing influence of Indian whisky brands on the global spirits landscape.

The ranking, based on the latest IWSR 2025 data, marks a milestone for the brand, which was launched in 1995 and is now available across 33 countries. The achievement comes at a time when India continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s fastest growing premium spirits markets.

“Royal Stag ranked the world’s largest selling whisky for 2025 as per the IWSR 2025 rankings is a milestone for Pernod Ricard India. What makes this achievement truly meaningful is what sits behind it, the trust of our consumers built over three decades,” said Jean Touboul, CEO, Pernod Ricard India.

“Royal Stag’s journey is an example that brands which evolve with changing consumer aspirations, stay rooted in culture and continuously raise the bar don’t just remain relevant, they go on to lead the world,” he added.

interestingly, India remains a bright spot for the French spirits maker, largest market in terms of volume and second largest in terms of value. Pernod Ricard reported improving momentum in India during FY26 despite a challenging global environment, with the market continuing to support growth across several strategic brands. The company posted global net sales of €10.96 billion in FY25, while India continued to rank among its strongest growth markets.

Three decades of brand building

Pernod Ricard attributed Royal Stag’s growth to sustained innovation and premiumisation over the past three decades.

The brand crossed 10 million cases during its early years by introducing grain whisky and promoting its “No Artificial Flavours” proposition. It later expanded with Royal Stag Barrel Select, crossing 18.5 million cases between 2011 and 2020. More recently, it introduced initiatives such as the Mark of Purity, Double Tamper Evident Technology closures and Royal Stag Double Dark, while expanding its international footprint to 33 markets.

Debasree Dasgupta, chief marketing officer, Pernod Ricard India, said the milestone shows years of staying relevant to consumers rather than simply chasing scale.

“Royal Stag becoming the world’s largest selling whisky isn’t simply a scale story. It’s the outcome of three decades of staying relentlessly relevant and earning the right to be part of people’s lives. We’ve never believed in following the category. We’ve believed in shaping it,” she said.

The company said the brand’s growth has been supported by continued investments in premium extensions such as Royal Stag Barrel Select and Royal Stag Double Dark, along with long running associations with cricket, music and youth focused platforms including Royal Stag Boombox and the ICC T20 World Cup.