SMWS owner enters India
The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC), which owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), has created a franchise in India following its expansion into Vietnam.
The group launched in Vietnam in June this year. The move is part of the ASC’s continued push to build its presence in key growth markets across Asia, with arms in Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan.
The ASC signed its India franchise deal with PNM Tech Beverages. Subject to label registration, the ASC expects to ship its first products to India in the coming months.
The group cited Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) data that shows India was the category’s largest market by volume in 2024.
While the ASC expects the market to deliver “marginal returns initially”, it believes “the long-term opportunity from brand presence and strategy execution, alongside our experienced and well-connected franchise partner, is an important area of future growth for the business as the Indian whisky market further develops”.
The group’s expansion is bolstered by Single Cask Nation’s (SCN) entry into Brazil in the third quarter of 2025, following its debut in Denmark in the second half of 2024. The ASC acquired SCN at the beginning of 2024.
According to the IWSR, Brazil is the world’s 15th largest market for ultra-premium whisky, totalling US$158 million.
Andrew Dane, ASC’s CEO, said: “We are continuing to build the SMWS business for the medium to longer term, growing our global presence with entry into exciting new markets such as India, as well as developing new opportunities for SCN, as we expand our whisky fan club globally.
“The Indian market, in particular, presents exciting potential for the group over the medium to longer term, and we are delighted to welcome our new franchise partners, PNM Tech Beverages, to the wider SMWS family.
“We remain confident that the actions we are taking stand us in good stead to continue to deliver future growth.”
The group recently debuted a private cask programme called Artisan Casks, which will release only a ‘handful’ of casks every year.
In its most recent financial results, the ASC suffered a slight sales decrease due to US tariff uncertainty.
Related news
The Scotch Whisky Masters 2025 results
