“India, as it moves towards becoming a more prosperous nation, is looking more at its own roots to find out what is good, rather than looking for something that just mimics something that is happening globally. So, there are innovations with ingredients like millet, rice or any other grain,” said Ruchira Jaitly, marketing director, Diageo India. “The US had its moment with bourbon and Canada had its moment with rye. It’s about really looking at that unique blend of what is Indian and we do a lot of innovation in our process, because we have very different temperature, different maturation, different climatic zones across the country.”
Historically, Scottish and Irish distillers have used barley as their primary grain, while Canadian and American distillers use corn, rye and wheat. India does not have a dominant global indigenous spirit similar to Baiju in China or sake, the Japanese rice wine. The market is dominated by locally produced and adapted versions of European spirits, called Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), even though almost every state has its own version of distilled spirit. The companies said their innovation will extend beyond the product, with sustainability driving the overall alternative grains strategy.
‘Sustainable options’
“One of our key goals is to explore alternative grains with the aim of finding a better solution for traditional resource-intensive crops such as rice,” said Gagandeep Sethi, SVP of Integrated Operations at Pernod Ricard, which owns Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, 100 Pipers and Blenders Pride. “We are exploring more sustainable options, such as corn, with the aim of reducing water use, lowering methane emissions and creating new opportunities for farmers. This approach not only addresses environmental concerns, but also enhances the distinct flavour profiles of our products.”
Two years ago, Diageo launched Godawan whisky inspired by the techniques of Rajasthani artisanal spirits makers and distilled from locally sourced six-row barley. The maker of Johnnie Walker and McDowell’s said there will soon be more options to choose from its experimental in-house “grain platform” initiative.
“We are experimenting with a whole range of grains. For example, I can tell you what ragi schnapps tastes like. It tastes like blanco, the purest form of tequila. Then there is Bengal gram, which has a very unique flavour. I don’t want to select a grain that is prevalent in many parts of the world. “We select the grain that is intrinsic to this land,” said Vikram Damodaran, chief innovation officer at Diageo India. India is the world’s largest producer of millets. The country’s three millet varieties — bajra, sorghum and buckwheat — together account for about 18% of global production. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, and the Indian government has announced that it wants to make the country the global millet hub. Major consumer goods manufacturers including Nestlé, ITC, Britannia, Hindustan Unilever and Marico have announced plans to introduce millet-based products or boost their existing millet portfolios.
According to the latest IWSR report, premiumisation in India continues, but is now taking on a distinctly Indian element.
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