Lucknow, September 24, 2026: Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD) chose Lucknow as the launch city for ‘The Indian Edit‘ its new premium blended whisky signalling how central U.P. is to the company’s next phase of growth. The brand was unveiled at an exclusive event at Hyatt Regency Lucknow, with ABD’s senior leadership present to mark the occasion in what is becoming one of India’s most strategically important IMFL markets.
Amar Sinha, Managing Director, ABD, said: “U.P. is central to this journey. The state has one of the most progressive excise policy frameworks in India, supported by an industry-friendly government and a conducive environment for long-term investment. These excise-friendly policies, introduced by the government over the past eight years, have contributed to significant growth in the state’s IMFL market. ABD is investing over ₹600 crores in the state to strengthen its manufacturing footprint. We see significant potential in the state and look forward to contributing to its growth and its vision of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.”
U.P. is not just another launch market for ABD it is where the company is placing one of its largest bets. ABD has announced an investment of over ₹600 crore in the state to expand its manufacturing footprint, with a bottling unit expected to become operational in Q3 FY27 and a distillery planned for commissioning within the next 24 months. The Indian Edit, priced at ₹1,040 for a 750ml bottle in UP, sits in the prestige-and-above segment where the state has seen sustained double-digit volume growth over the past three years.
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Bikram Basu, Group Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, ABD, speaking at the Lucknow launch said: “The Indian Edit Premium Whisky captures the beauty of India today increasingly modern in outlook, globally competitive, and evolving on traditions and values which are core to us as people and our ancient civilisation. It celebrates a person rooted as ‘The Indian’ and confident in shaping a contemporary, global view. It comes at the heart of where the spirits business lies in terms of value and volume today, and we are confident in our abilities to make this a standout success.”
The Indian Edit is a blend of Indian malt and grain spirits with fine Scotch malts, delivering notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle oak with warmth, richness and a long finish. The packaging draws directly from Indian cultural identity regional languages embossed on the bottle inspired by Indian currency notes, a vintage motif label reminiscent of classic Indian travelling circuses and a cap designed to evoke a Maharaja crown. The brand is available in 750ml, 500ml and 180ml formats across Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Goa, Daman, Telangana and West Bengal, with rapid expansion planned in additional markets.
The launch places The Indian Edit in direct competition with established prestige-segment Indian blended whiskies at a time when UP’s premium beer salience is already among the highest in the country and IMFL premiumisation is accelerating across the state’s urban and semi-urban markets making it a natural fit for ABD’s largest single manufacturing investment in India.
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