ABD to acquire distillery in $7.7m deal
Indian spirits producer Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) has agreed to purchase a non-operational distillery and bottling facility in Uttar Pradesh for up to ₹70 crore (US$7.7 million).
ABD, owner of Indian whisky Officer’s Choice, disclosed on the Indian stock exchange it had gained board approval to buy the facility from National Industrial Corporation Private Limited (NICOL).
ABD plans to spend up to ₹40 crore (US$4.4m) on upgrading the site in Moradabad and setting up a bottling unit.
The company said the deal was in line with its growth strategy and plan to ‘enhance backward integration capabilities’ of ABD.
ABD believes the facility is in an ideal location with adequate space to accommodate an expansion to increase its existing capacity as well as enhance bottling capabilities for Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL).
The acquisition includes the purchase of the land, building, plant, machinery and licences from NICOL.
NICOL produces spirits such as whisky, brandy, gin and vodka.
The transaction is expected to be completed by 31 July 2026. The deal, including the expansion spend, totals up to ₹110 crore (US$12.1m).
Last summer, ABD backed out of a deal to buy a majority share of Good Barrel Distillery.
ABD’s portfolio includes Indian whiskies Officer’s Choice, Iconiq White Whisky, and Sterling Reserve Premium Whiskies. In 2024, the volume sales for each whisky in respective order were 21.3 million nine-litre cases, 4.5m cases, and 3.9m cases.
More information about their performances in 2024, plus the world’s other million-case-selling spirits, can be found in The Brand Champions 2025 report.
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