Industry News

The India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on April 27, 2026, could become one of the biggest long-term export opportunities for New Zealand wineries. For years, India has been seen as a high-potential but difficult market. Consumer interest was growing, but extremely high import duties, regulatory complexity, and slow customs processes made it difficult for many wineries to enter profitably. That is now starting to change. Under the new agreement, India’s steep

Karnataka is set to introduce a major shift in how alcohol is taxed. Moving away from a price-based system, the state is transitioning to an Alcohol-in-Beverage (AIB) taxation model—where taxes are directly linked to the actual alcohol content in a drink. Karnataka’s New Alcohol Tax: First introduced in the 2024–25 budget, this reform is aimed at encouraging lower-strength beverages and creating a more balanced pricing structure across categories. The new system is expected t

India’s alcoholic beverage industry is growing at a fantastic pace. A young population, rising incomes, and increasing interest in premium beers, spirits, and wines are all driving strong demand. The market, currently valued at around 65 billion dollars, is expanding rapidly. Yet as the hot summer of 2026 approaches, when beer sales usually reach their peak, the industry is facing an unexpected problem. The trouble is not with the drink itself. It is the bottle and the can. I

India’s relationship with wine has changed dramatically over the past two decades. What once felt like an emerging curiosity has matured into a confident and expressive industry, shaped as much by geography as by ambition. Today, Indian wine is not simply about learning from the Old World or competing with the New. It is about discovering its own rhythm, guided by climate, soil, and a new generation of winemakers who understand that identity comes from place. Across the count

The India UK Free Trade Agreement is set to shake things up for premium spirits in one of the world's biggest and fastest growing alcohol markets. With clear tariff cuts on UK made spirits, this deal sets up a much more structured and predictable way to bring imports in, all while staying true to official government policy. Where Things Stand Right Now The India UK FTA has officially been concluded and signed. Talks wrapped up back on May 6, 2025, and the formal signing happe

The recently announced India US interim trade framework marks a significant moment in the evolution of bilateral trade between the two countries. Beyond headlines and tariff numbers, the agreement sends a clear strategic signal to global businesses, including wine and spirits brands, about India’s long term trade direction. This is not a dramatic overnight opening of the market. It is something more deliberate. India is recalibrating how it engages with global partners, and a

India has quietly taken an important step in global trade by signing and activating its trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association or EFTA before completing its long awaited trade agreement with the European Union. The India EFTA trade agreement was signed on March 10 2024 and will begin being implemented from October 1 2025. In comparison the India European Union trade agreement was finalised in early 2026 and is not yet fully implemented. These dates are impor