How will India-UK FTA affect Indian alcobev stocks?
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel
Mumbai: Shares of most Indian alcohol companies fell on Wednesday after India and the United Kingdom finalised a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that includes deep cuts in import duties on Scotch whisky and gin. The move is expected to make imported liquor more affordable in India, a development that may challenge local liquor brands in the premium and luxury space.Under the new FTA, India has agreed to cut import duties on Scotch, whisky and gin from 150% to 75% with immediate effect, with a further reduction to 40% over the next 10 years. This means that imported spirits, especially premium Scotch, will become much cheaper for Indian consumers.Shares of Som Distilleries and Breweries fell 4%, Radico Khaitan and Piccadilly Agro declined 3% each. Companies fear that cheaper Scotch could erode the market share of Indian-made premium liquor. But not everyone is losing.United Spirits, India's biggest liquor company and part of the global Diageo group, could emerge as a big winner from this deal. That's because 32% of its sales already come from luxury and premium brands, many of which are imported Scotches bottled in origin (BIO). Shares of United Spirits gained 0.9%."While competition from imported scotch whiskey (no of cases) might increase, the Indian Alco-beverage sector, which uses bulk whisky as raw material for blended Scotch, stands to benefit," said Chakri Lokapriya, CIO - Equities, LGT Wealth India.Currently, taxes make up around 15% of the retail price of imported Scotch in India.Analysts estimate the new tariff structure could lead to price drops of 8-20% over time, making imported brands much more competitive.With lower duties, these premium imports could see stronger demand and higher volumes. Analysts estimate that United Spirits' BIO Scotch portfolio could grow at a compound rate of 33% over the next three years, driven by rising affordability and changing consumer tastes.Moreover, Diageo's global supply chain means United Spirits is well-positioned to scale up its Scotch offerings without major cost pressures. Even if profit margins from imported Scotch remain limited (around 10%), the sheer volume growth is likely to boost the company's overall profits.Domestic companies like Radico Khaitan may face more direct pressure. However, they also import Scotch in bulk to blend with Indian spirits, so cheaper raw material could help them cut costs and improve margins. Radico's super-premium products, which use imported Scotch for blending, could see a margin gain of about 100 basis points, according to analysts."Radico imports the bulk of scotch for blending premium products. This could reduce raw material costs significantly for Radico, which can lead to expansion of gross margin by ~100 bps helping Radico's super-premium portfolio (~10% of IMFL revenue)," Lokapriya said.So, while competition may increase, some Indian firms could still benefit by using cheaper imported ingredients to make better-quality products at more competitive prices.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
'Targeting us over Russian oil purchase is...': India responds after US President Trump threatens to substantially raise tariff
india us relations New Delhi: The Indian government on Monday said that the targeting of the country by the US over Russian oil purchase is unjustified and unreasonable, after American President Donald Trump threatened to impose hefty tariffs on New Delhi. An official statement said that like any major economy, 'India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security'. According to the government, India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. 'In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,' the Centre emphasised. 'India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,' the government highlighted. New Delhi reacted after Trump threatened to substantially raise tariffs on India for purchasing oil from Russia. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,' Trump wrote in his social media post. 'Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he added. According to the Indian government, the European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023. 'This is significantly more than India's total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022. Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment,' said the official statement. The government further stated that where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals. 'In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' the government stressed.
The Print
28 minutes ago
- The Print
India rejects criticism over its procurement of Russian crude oil; calls out US, EU
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a rare statement rebutting the criticism against New Delhi's energy ties with Moscow, hours after US President Donald Trump threatened more tariffs on India. Firmly rejecting the criticism, India pointed out the continuing trade relations the US and the European Union have with Russia. New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) India on Monday mounted a sharp counterattack on the US and the European Union for their 'unjustified and unreasonable' targeting of New Delhi for its procurement of Russian crude oil. India has been targeted by the United States and the EU for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict, the MEA said. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict, it said. 'The US at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,' it added. The MEA said India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. 'They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,' it said. 'Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,' it added. The MEA said the Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment. 'Where the US is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals,' it said. 'In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' the MEA said. PTI MPB KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
'Unjustified, unreasonable': India slams Trump's fresh tariff threat, says US 'actively encouraged' import of Russian oil
India strongly defended its Russian oil imports after Donald Trump threatened new tariffs, calling the criticism 'unjustified and unreasonable.' The MEA cited Western nations' continued trade with Russia and stressed India's right to safeguard its energy security. read more India became a major buyer of Russian oil, providing a much-needed export market for Moscow after it was cut off from traditional buyers in Europe because of the Ukraine war. Reuters The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) defended the India's choice to buy oil from Russia on Monday, amid criticism from the US and the European Union. According to the MEA, India's imports from Russia are driven by need and are intended to keep energy costs predictable and affordable for Indian customers. The MEA branded criticism of India's trade policies as 'unjustified and unreasonable,' and stated that India will take all necessary steps to protect its national interests and economic security. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) explained that India's crude imports from Russia were caused by interruptions in regular supply lines following the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine. The MEA emphasised that New Delhi's energy imports are a sovereign decision driven by national interest and market realities. According to the MEA statement, 'The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.' 'India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability,' it added. India became a major buyer of Russian oil, providing a much-needed export market for Moscow after it was cut off from traditional buyers in Europe because of the Ukraine war. New Delhi saved itself billions of dollars while bolstering Moscow's coffers. The MEA further noted that the European Union had a bilateral trade of EUR67.5 billion in goods and EUR17.2 billion in services with Russia in 2023, significantly more than India's total trade with Russia. The EU's LNG imports from Russia reached a record 16.5 million tonnes in 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, the US continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its electric vehicle industry, fertilisers, and chemicals from Russia, read MEA release. India's energy import strategy prioritises energy security and affordability. The country has diversified its energy imports, increasing reliance on countries like Russia to meet its growing energy demands. The MEA's response came after President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of Russian oil and reselling it for profit, claiming this undermined efforts to end the Ukraine conflict and, as a result, he would 'substantially raise the tariff paid by India to the USA'. The MEA, in the statement, stressed that these imports are guided by the need to ensure predictable and affordable energy prices for its citizens, while noting that Western nations criticising India are themselves engaged in far larger trade with Russia, despite no such compelling energy insecurity. 'India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,' the statement read. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For now, an existing 10 percent US tariff on Indian products is expected to rise to 25 percent come Thursday. Last month, the EU and Britain sought to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to halt the war in Ukraine by slashing a price cap meant to choke off revenues from key oil exports.
