Mallya dreaming big for Whyte and Mackay

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya is playing out the big game to make Scotch whiskey from UB Group's 595-million-pound acquisition of Whyte and Mackay to be among the top choices by leveraging on UB Group's distribution network.

"All my business strategies are India driven. The acquisition of W&M was done at looking at India as the world largest scotch whiskey market potentially and UB Group's very strong position in distribution," UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya told PTI.

Indicating his intention to create a stranglehold in the seven million cases per annum Indian Scotch whiskey market, Mallya said the group's primary focus would be on India.

"My whole philosophy is India centric. I did not buy W&M to sell it in countries which have one and two per cent growth," he said.

The company has already initiated the move to revamp the sales of W&M's whiskey in the domestic market by taking steps such as local bottling and introduction of W&M's vintage Dalmore brand, which are priced at around Rs three lakh per bottle across major markets in the country.

Local bottling of the Scotch whiskey is aimed at cornering 20 per cent share in domestic market as it would attract lower duties and make the product available at lower price.

So far nine brands, including, The Dalmore, Isle of Jura and the eponymous Whyte & Mackay blended Scotch, have been launched in India and United Spirits is making them available in all major domestic markets.