Tipplers can now use top vodka brands to raise a toast with a certain degree of ease. After price cuts made popular Scotch whiskies more affordable, the market is set to witness the launch of globally renowned vodka brands soon at half the price they are available now.
Kyndal India Pvt Ltd, a leading liquor importer, is set to launch a number of vodka brands from Russia, eastern Europe and the Nordic regions next year. Kyndal India already sells top liquor brands like Absolut Vodka, Remy Martin and Cointreau in India. In the country?s total spirit market, whisky holds 58%, rum 21%, brandy 17% and white spirits just 4%. The market in the country is estimated at 1.2 million cases for 2006-07. As many as 2,269 cases of vodka were sold in 2005-06, against 1,694 in 2004-05. The Absolut brand holds 82% of the total imported premium vodka segment in India.
The company, which will do the bottling locally, is expected to sell the brands at half the price imported vodka is available now. With domestic bottling, the global brands will be available at a range of Rs 450-500. Kyndal India is in talks with vodka manufacturers in Russia, eastern Europe and the Nordic regions. It is learnt that the brands will be launched in India by May 2008. The Nordic countries consist of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and their associated territories.
Siddharth Banerji, director, Kyndal India Pvt Ltd, told FE, ?We want to launch the global brands here, making it affordable to our consumers. We are keen for a partnership model that will help us create brands of the country of origin. We will lease units in the country to bottle the imported spirits.?
