Johnnie Walker, Chivas to get ₹200–300 cheaper after India-UK FTA; check expected price drops

The trade deal has made international liquor brands more accessible to Indian consumers, according to industry players.

Under the FTA signed in London, India has agreed to reduce duty on UK whisky and gin from 150% to 75% immediately, with a further reduction to 40% by the tenth year of the deal.

“Whisky producers will benefit from tariffs slashed in half, reduced immediately from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and then dropped even further to 40 per cent over the next ten years – giving the UK an advantage over international competitors in reaching the Indian market,” the UK government said in an official statement.

Industry experts, however, cautioned that the maximum price reduction in the near term could be limited to ₹300 per bottle.

According to them, in the premium segment, prices of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Chivas Regal may fall by ₹200–300 per bottle.

For Scotch brands bottled in India, such as Black Dog, 100 Pipers, Passport, Vat 69 and Black & White, the drop may be ₹100-150.

Though Scotch has less than one per cent share in the Indian whisky market, India is the world’s largest Scotch whisky market by volume, with 192 million bottles exported in 2024, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

Typically, a 750 ml bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label is priced at around ₹3,100, while a Macallan 12-Year is priced at ₹8,000.

Chivas Regal sells for ₹2,500 per bottle in markets such as Gurugram, and The Glenlivet 12 Years is priced at ₹3,200 onwards.

Monkey Shoulder costs ₹3,400, Ballantine's 12 Year-old around ₹2,710, Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt about ₹3,800, and Lagavulin starting from ₹9,500.

Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO Jean-Etienne Gourgues termed the India-UK FTA as “a sign of hope in challenging times for the spirits industry”.

“India is the world’s biggest whisky market by volume, and greater access will be an eventual game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine's,” Gourgues said.

The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) said the lowering of import duty would help reduce the cost of blended products but raised concerns over possible dumping of Scotch bottled in India before the FTA.

“We hope that the government will ensure that Scotch whisky and other spirits are not dumped at low import prices or routed through any other country at cheaper rates, which would hurt the year-on-year growth of premium and luxury Indian brands,” CIABC Director General Anant S Iyer said.

Experts added that the falling customs duty could gradually eliminate the rationale for bottling imported Scotch locally to save tax.

The duty cuts will also apply on bulk Scotch used by Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) manufacturers for blending purposes, helping ease cost burdens and making premium spirits more affordable in the world’s largest whisky market.