Indian Malt Whisky Association launches
Some of the biggest names in Indian spirits have come together to form the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA) to create a "unified voice for the industry". The post Indian Malt Whisky Association launches appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Some of the biggest names in Indian spirits have come together to form the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA) to create a "unified voice for the industry".
The heads of four of India's biggest whisky producers have joined forces to elevate the category internationally.
Paul P John, chairman and managing director of John Distilleries, Rakshit N Jagdale, chairman and managing director of Amrut Distilleries, Abhishek Khaitan, managing director of Radico Khaitan and Akhil Dada chairman of Piccadily Agro Industries now make up the IMWA board of directors.
The new industry body is looking to promote 'Made in India' labels while competing with international whisky brands.
A statement announcing the group's formation cited the existence of similar bodies in other well-established whisky producing countries, namely the Scotch Whisky Association, Irish Whiskey Association and Japanese Spirits & Liquor Whisky Association.
The IMWA is looking to emulate the success of such bodies to create a "unified voice for the industry" in India. The organisation plans to build partnerships with local governments to support malt whisky production in the country.
Rajesh Chopra is founder and director general of the IMWA. He emphasised the importance of regulatory and technical standards for the industry. "Defining guidelines, securing certifications, trademarks, geographical indications (GI), and intellectual property rights (IPR) are essential steps to build trust in the authenticity and quality of Indian malt whiskies," he said. "By establishing these standards, we signal to the world that India produces malt whisky of unparalleled quality and distinction."
India's single malt whisky industry has struggled to assert its authenticity due to brands releasing products made with Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA)-based liquor and misrepresenting them as Indian single malts.
The IMWA has said it will safeguard against misrepresentation to help elevate the category.
Chopra stated: "We have observed the launch of so-called Indian single malts by companies lacking proper malt distilleries. Such practices undermine the credibility of the category. It is critical to uphold the hard-earned reputation of Indian malt whisky on the global stage."
To ensure authenticity, the IMWA has defined qualification criteria for Indian single malts and pure malts, all of which must be:
The heads of four of India's biggest whisky producers have joined forces to elevate the category internationally.
Paul P John, chairman and managing director of John Distilleries, Rakshit N Jagdale, chairman and managing director of Amrut Distilleries, Abhishek Khaitan, managing director of Radico Khaitan and Akhil Dada chairman of Piccadily Agro Industries now make up the IMWA board of directors.
The new industry body is looking to promote 'Made in India' labels while competing with international whisky brands.
A statement announcing the group's formation cited the existence of similar bodies in other well-established whisky producing countries, namely the Scotch Whisky Association, Irish Whiskey Association and Japanese Spirits & Liquor Whisky Association.
The IMWA is looking to emulate the success of such bodies to create a "unified voice for the industry" in India. The organisation plans to build partnerships with local governments to support malt whisky production in the country.
Rajesh Chopra is founder and director general of the IMWA. He emphasised the importance of regulatory and technical standards for the industry. "Defining guidelines, securing certifications, trademarks, geographical indications (GI), and intellectual property rights (IPR) are essential steps to build trust in the authenticity and quality of Indian malt whiskies," he said. "By establishing these standards, we signal to the world that India produces malt whisky of unparalleled quality and distinction."
India's single malt whisky industry has struggled to assert its authenticity due to brands releasing products made with Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA)-based liquor and misrepresenting them as Indian single malts.
The IMWA has said it will safeguard against misrepresentation to help elevate the category.
Chopra stated: "We have observed the launch of so-called Indian single malts by companies lacking proper malt distilleries. Such practices undermine the credibility of the category. It is critical to uphold the hard-earned reputation of Indian malt whisky on the global stage."
To ensure authenticity, the IMWA has defined qualification criteria for Indian single malts and pure malts, all of which must be:
- Produced from 100% malted barley
- Made in a single distillery using copper pot stills (not column stills)
- Crafted with only malted barley, pure water and yeast
- Matured for a minimum of three years in wooden oak barrels of less than 700-litre capacity
- Pure malts or 100% malt whisky, a mixture of two or more different malts from different distilleries
