India helps drive up UK's Scotch whisky export boom

India was among the top export destinations for Scotch whisky in 2018, a year during which the export value of Scotland's popular tipple grew by 7.8 per cent to hit a record 4.70 billion-pound.

Official figures from the UK's Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) analysed by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) revealed this week that India remains among the top 10 export destinations for whisky produced in Scotland.

The Indian market was also among the top three in terms of volume, with 112.6 million bottles sold to India in 2018, compared to top-ranked France at 187.8 million bottles and second-placed US at 136.8 million bottles.

In terms of value, India came in at 138.8 million pounds, up 34.1 per cent compared to 2017.

"2018 was another year of strong export growth for Scotch Whisky, attesting to its enduring popularity in different countries and among cultures right across the world. Quite simply, Scotch Whisky remains the whisky everyone wants to drink," said Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association.

"A key driver for global growth is the growing market for premium spirits. Scotch Whisky is in a great position to take advantage of this given its unrivalled reputation for quality, authenticity and provenance," she said.

However, the whisky association chief warned of risks posed by Britain's impending exit from the European Union (EU) next month, at a time when EU member-countries like France, Germany and Spain are among the leading export markets for the spirit. The EU is the largest region for Scotch exports, accounting for 30 per cent of global value and 36 per cent of global volume.

She said: "These figures underscore strength of the Scotch Whisky category, which has continued to grow despite the challenges posed by Brexit and by tensions in the global trading system.

"However, the industry does not take continued growth for granted. We operate in a competitive global marketplace and so a competitive business environment in Scotland and across the UK is vital to Scotch whisky's success."