Scotch whisky: India outdrinks France as top buyer by volume

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India has replaced France as the world's biggest buyer of Scotch whisky by volume, latest figures show.

Whisky makers exported 219 million bottles to India, up 60% on 2021, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said.

The US is still the largest buyer by value - it imported Scotch whisky worth £1.05bn ($1.27bn) in 2022. India was fifth on the list.

Scotch has long been a status symbol in India, but still has only a 2% share in the world's largest whisky market.

Blended whisky, which is cheaper, has long been the preferred choice for millions of Indian consumers. But demand for more expensive single malts has been growing too, driven by cultural shifts and a rise in Indians' spending power.

While India's share in global Scotch sales has surged - export volumes to the country rose more than 200% over the past decade - exporters see a lot of room to grow.