Young consumers are increasingly pushing India’s liquor companies towards flavoured alcohol, festival-led marketing and easier drinking experiences, according to alcohol manufacturers.
“Growth is strongly flavor-led,” executives at United Spirits Ltd., the maker of Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whisky, said during the company’s FY26 earnings call, adding that innovations such as Minty Jamun were delivering “record monthly volumes”.
The shift is no longer limited to one company. Radico Khaitan Ltd., which sells Magic Moments vodka, said flavours such as “Jamun, Mango, Thandaai” were contributing to strong growth momentum and that the company plans to launch more India-inspired flavours nationally.
Together, the comments suggest India’s alcohol companies increasingly believe younger consumers are moving toward more flavour-led, experimental and experience-driven drinking habits.
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New Drinking
For years, alcohol advertising in India largely revolved around strong whisky, premium status and masculinity.
Now, companies are increasingly talking about flavours, experimentation, music festivals and creator-led marketing. “We are building strong brand love with Gen Z,” United Spirits said while discussing its strategy around flavour innovation, gaming creators and music-led experiences.
The company also linked its strategy to “repertoire” drinking, where consumers increasingly experiment across categories and occasions rather than sticking to one type of alcohol.
Magic Moments vodka grew 21% during FY26 to 8.6 million cases, Radico Khaitan Managing Director Abhishek Khaitan said during the company’s earnings call.
“New flavor innovations, including Flavors of India category, are contributing to this robust momentum,” Khaitan said. The company said it would continue expanding flavours nationally after launches such as Jamun, Mango and Thandaai gained traction.
Flavour Economy
The growing focus on Indian flavours marks another shift in the industry. For years, premium alcohol brands in India borrowed heavily from Western luxury positioning and imported flavour profiles.
Recent launches instead lean into local nostalgia and familiar tastes linked to snacks, desserts and summer drinks.
United Spirits described its strategy as “local flavor innovation”. Radico Khaitan said more launches under its “Flavors of India” range were planned for FY27.
The companies continue to invest heavily in premium whisky and scotch, indicating traditional spirits remain a large part of the market. But executives increasingly described consumers as drinking differently across occasions, categories and social settings.
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Drinking Culture
Alcohol companies are also increasingly positioning themselves as entertainment and lifestyle brands.
United Spirits referenced partnerships linked to Lollapalooza, AP Dhillon, gaming creators and influencer-led campaigns while discussing how it plans to build relevance among younger consumers. Sula Vineyards Ltd. is expanding wine tourism, festivals and hospitality infrastructure after its wine tourism business crossed Rs 100 crore for the first time in FY26.
Rajeev Samant, founder and chief executive officer of Sula Vineyards, said the company was expanding amphitheatre capacity after recent editions of SulaFest sold out. “We have been sold out and we have people landing up on the last day and going away disappointed,” Samant said during the company’s earnings call.
The company said it was increasing infrastructure to host more “music and wine lovers” in coming years.
The comments across the underscores a broader shift in India’s alcohol market, where companies increasingly believe younger consumers want drinking to feel more social, experimental and culturally familiar than previous generations.
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