The Hindu Business Line : Diageo plans to bottle Smirnoff vodka, Gordon gin in TN

Chennai, Nov. 17 Diageo India, the Indian arm of Diageo plc, that owns some of the world’s leading premium brands across spirits, wine and beer categories, is planning to bottle its Smirnoff vodka and Gordon Dry Gin in Tamil Nadu.

The company, according to its Managing Director, Mr Asif Adil, is in talks with a couple of bottlers in the State, and may start bottling these liquor brands in the next two months.

Currently, Black & White and VAT 69 are the two Scotch whisky brands from the Diageo stable that are sold in Tamil Nadu. These two brands are bottled at Nashik.

In the early ’90s the State Government allowed a clutch of Scotch whisky brands to be retailed in Tamil Nadu even if they were not bottled in the State, and these two brands were among them.

Smirnoff is a premium vodka brand from Diageo which is bottled at several locations and available in almost all States in the country except Tamil Nadu.

Change in policy

For years, the Tamil Nadu Government had a policy not to retail foreign liquor brands that are not bottled, and beers that are not brewed in the State. To tide over the soaring demand for beer last summer, the Government decided to import beer brands that are brewed outside the State. Now, with the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac), which controls the liquor trade in the State, opening its doors for bottled-in-origin foreign liquor, Diageo launched its Scotch brands Johnnie Walker Black Label and Johnnie Walker Red Label.

It also launched Smirnoff Black and Gordon Gin in Chennai last week, to be sold at Tasmac outlets.

Prices

While a 750 ml bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label is to be priced at Rs 3,605, the Red Label variant will be at Rs 1,713. These products will remain in the bottled-in-origin category. A one litre bottle of Smirnoff Black and Gordon’s gin, which will soon be bottled in the State from bulk imports, are to be retailed at Rs 1,819 and Rs 1,650 respectively. The company plans to eventually launch flavoured variants of vodka.

As many people may find it infra dig to buy these premium products from Tasmac outlets, Mr Adil said his company would push the State Government to allow the company to set up exclusive outlets or at least shop-in-shops at some modern retail outlets.

More Stories on : Strategy | Breweries | Tamil Nadu

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