Tilaknagar, Diageo push to premiumise brandy beyond India's southern stronghold

India's second-largest spirits category sells 88.5M cases annually but 98% comes from five southern states with mass-market pricing. Tilaknagar (Mansion House), Diageo, Radico Khaitan and John Distilleries are betting on premium SKUs and national distribution to break brandy out of its regional, value-tier box.

— Filed Wed, 20 May, 2026, 10:46 IST · Source ET Brand Equity · Updated

Indian liquor companies including Tilaknagar (Mansion House), Diageo, Radico Khaitan and John Distilleries are attempting to premiumise and nationalise brandy, India's second-largest spirits category, currently 98% concentrated in southern states with mass-market positioning.

Why this matters

Tilaknagar is leveraging Mansion House's southern dominance to drive a category-wide premiumisation play, joining global majors like Diageo in repositioning brandy as a national premium spirit.

Retail-brand signals steady at 378 over the last 90 days, indicating sustained brand-led activity.

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