Русский
Russia’s Kaluga Kristall Distillery is looking at exporting its products to the Indian consumer market and has said it has partnered with India’s M/S Blue Billion Group to study the Indian market’s potential for its products.
The company stated, “The study aims to determine the optimal positioning of the distillery’s products in one of the world’s largest consumer markets, including an analysis of the target audience, price segment, effective promotion channels, and details of entering key Indian states.”
Opportunities are expected to be explored for supplying liqueurs and gin to India for the HoReCa segment and ready-to-drink cocktails for retail.
The results of the study will form the basis for developing an export strategy and determining the format for further cooperation between the parties on the Indian market, according to the press release.
The history of the Kaluga plant “Kristall” begins in 1901, when the official opening of the State Wine Warehouse took place in Kaluga. At that time, only state enterprises were allowed to produce and sell alcoholic beverages. At the beginning of the century, the plant went through World War I, the revolutionary movement, and the Civil War with foreign intervention. During the Great Patriotic War, alcohol was produced both for “Molotov cocktails” and for treating wounds on the battlefield. And during the German occupation, the plant’s product stocks were destroyed so that Russian “schnapps” would not fall into the enemy’s hands.
Today, KLVZ “Kristall” is one of the most dynamically developing alcohol producers in Russia. It is among the top 10 largest companies in the industry, producing over 20 million liters of vodka and liqueur-vodka products per year. The plant’s lineup includes more than 10 types of alcohol and over 45 own brands. The products are supplied to 61 regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and China.
The distillery boosted output 2.1-fold year-on-year to 619,000 decaliters of liquor in 2024, with sales jumping nearly 2.2-fold year-on-year to 595,000 dal. PJSC Kristall AG conducted an IPO on the Moscow Exchange in February 2024, raising ₽1.15 billion.
India is a significant, yet diverse alcohol consumption market, as it has a significant Muslim population, and some states are dry. India’s northeastern states consume the highest volumes of alcohol. India’s total alcohol consumption per capita per annum is about 4.10 liters of pure alcohol, with consumption three times higher among males than females. This compares with a global average of about 5.5 liters. The Russian average is just under 8 liters.
Further Reading
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