Indian Whisky Brands Dominate Global Sales; Royal Stag Becomes World’s Best-Selling Whisky
Business Desk, New Delhi: Indian whisky brands strengthened their position in the global spirits market in 2025, with domestic labels occupying the top four positions among the world’s best-selling whisky brands by volume. According to data featured in The Spirits Business Brand Champions 2026, Pernod Ricard-owned Royal Stag emerged as the world’s best-selling whisky in 2025, overtaking United Spirits’ McDowell’s Whisky.
Royal Stag sold 32.6 million nine-litre cases during the year, marking a 5% increase over 2024. McDowell’s recorded sales of 31.9 million cases, down 0.9%, leaving it around 700,000 cases behind Royal Stag. The development highlights the enormous scale of India’s whisky market, where several home-grown brands sell volumes significantly higher than many globally recognised Scotch, bourbon and Irish whiskey labels.
Indian brands dominate the global whisky rankings
The strength of Indian whisky becomes even clearer when the leading brands are compared globally. Royal Stag ranked third among all spirits brands worldwide by volume, behind Jinro Soju and Suntory’s -196 ready-to-drink range. McDowell’s ranked fourth.
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Two other Indian whisky brands also featured among the world’s top-selling spirits. Allied Blenders & Distillers’ Officer’s Choice sold 20.7 million cases, while Imperial Blue recorded 20.3 million cases. By comparison, Johnnie Walker, the world’s largest-selling Scotch whisky brand, sold around 20.3 million cases in 2025.
Top whisky brands by 2025 volume
| Brand | 2025 Volume |
|---|---|
| Royal Stag | 32.6 million cases |
| McDowell’s Whisky | 31.9 million cases |
| Officer’s Choice | 20.7 million cases |
| Imperial Blue | 20.3 million cases |
| Royal Challenge | 10.6 million cases |
| Blenders Pride | 10.1 million cases |
| Iconiq White | 9.5 million cases |
| 8PM | 9.2 million cases |
| Signature | 3.9 million cases |
| Director’s Special Black | 3.7 million cases |
Source: The Brand Champions 2026, The Spirits Business. Volumes are nine-litre cases.
Royal Stag takes the global No. 1 position
Royal Stag’s rise to the top of the global whisky rankings follows five consecutive years of volume growth. The brand increased sales from around 22.4 million cases in 2021 to 32.6 million cases in 2025. The latest performance also makes Royal Stag the largest-selling brand in Pernod Ricard’s global portfolio by volume, ahead of brands such as Absolut, Jameson, Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s. The brand has a particularly strong presence across India, with growth reported in markets including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam.
Iconiq White records exceptional growth
While established brands continue to dominate volumes, newer Indian whisky labels are also expanding rapidly. Iconiq White, owned by Allied Blenders & Distillers, recorded one of the strongest performances among major whisky brands. Its sales more than doubled in 2025 to 9.5 million cases, representing growth of 111.1%.
The brand had sold around 1.6 million cases in 2023 and subsequently expanded rapidly. Its performance highlights the growing importance of contemporary branding, packaging and younger consumer positioning in India’s whisky market. Radico Khaitan’s 8PM, meanwhile, sold 9.2 million cases in 2025, although volumes declined 4.8% from the previous year.
Royal Challenge and Signature continue to grow
United Spirits’ Royal Challenge also recorded significant growth, with sales reaching 10.6 million cases, up 16.4% year-on-year. The brand has more than doubled its volumes since 2021, when it sold approximately 4.7 million cases.
United Spirits’ Signature also posted strong growth. Sales reached 3.9 million cases in 2025, an increase of 17.6%. The brand’s volume has nearly doubled from around 2 million cases in 2021. These performances underline the increasing importance of the premium and upper-mainstream segments within India’s large whisky market.
Some established brands face volume pressure
Not every major Indian whisky brand recorded growth in 2025. Imperial Blue registered sales of 20.3 million cases, down 11.4%. The brand has experienced a gradual decline in volumes in recent years.
Officer’s Choice also recorded a 2.8% decline, with sales of 20.7 million cases. The brand had reached a peak of approximately 24.9 million cases in 2022. Imperial Blue changed ownership in 2025 after Pernod Ricard agreed to sell the brand to Tilaknagar Industries. The transaction expanded Tilaknagar Industries’ presence in the mass-market spirits segment and could influence the brand’s strategy and performance in subsequent years.
Premiumisation reshapes India’s whisky market
One of the key trends emerging from the Indian whisky market is premiumisation. Consumers are increasingly showing interest in products positioned above the entry-level segment, while established Indian companies are expanding their premium portfolios.
Brands such as Royal Stag, Blenders Pride and Royal Challenge are positioned within different tiers of the premium and mainstream whisky market. At the higher end, Indian single malts such as Amrut and Paul John are building international recognition. However, single malt whisky operates at a much smaller volume compared with India’s mass-market whisky brands. The two segments therefore serve different consumer and business models.
Indian whisky grows despite weaker global spirits volumes
The performance of Indian whisky is notable because it came during a relatively challenging period for the global spirits industry. According to the data cited in the Brand Champions report, global spirits volumes declined by around 1% in 2025. American whiskey, Canadian whisky and Japanese whisky also recorded declines.
Scotch whisky exports faced pressure as well, with industry data showing declines in both value and volume during the year. Against this backdrop, the Indian whisky segment added approximately 5 million cases and nearly $500 million in value, according to preliminary IWSR data cited in the report. The figures point to India’s growing importance as both a consumer market and a major source of global spirits volume.
Import competition could increase
Changes in India’s trade and tariff environment could also bring greater competition from international whisky producers. India reduced the import duty on bottled bourbon from 150% to 100% in February 2025. Trade agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom are also expected to gradually reduce tariffs on imported alcoholic beverages.
Lower tariffs could provide Scotch, bourbon and other international whisky producers with greater access to India’s expanding premium spirits market. However, international brands will face a well-established domestic industry with strong distribution networks, competitive pricing and deep consumer familiarity.
Indian whisky enters a new phase
The latest global sales figures show that India’s whisky industry is evolving on multiple fronts. Large domestic brands continue to generate enormous volumes, while premiumisation, new-age brands and changing consumer preferences are creating new growth opportunities. Royal Stag’s rise to the world’s best-selling whisky, alongside McDowell’s, Officer’s Choice and Imperial Blue among the global volume leaders, demonstrates the scale of India’s whisky industry.
The next phase of growth is likely to be shaped by premiumisation, brand innovation, changing consumer preferences and increasing competition from imported spirits. For the global whisky industry, one message from the 2025 numbers is particularly clear: Indian whisky brands are no longer a regional volume story; they are a major force in the global spirits market.
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