Supreme Brand Champion 2026: Royal Stag
Storming to the top of the Indian whisky sector, Royal Stag is this year’s Supreme Brand Champion after winning over drinkers with its music and cricket campaigns.
There can only be one Indian whisky at the top, and for the first time, Royal Stag is now the biggest‐selling brand in the category. This major milestone for the Pernod Ricard‐owned whisky giant prompted us to name it Supreme Brand Champion, after it hit 32.6 million nine‐litre cases in 2025 – a rise of 5%.
Usurping the number‐one position from United Spirits‐owned McDowell’s Whisky, Royal Stag is also the leading Indian whisky for Pernod Ricard, after the French spirits conglomerate sold its Imperial Blue brand to Tilaknagar Industries in December 2025.
Now the fourth‐largest Indian whisky, Imperial Blue was once bigger than Royal Stag – in 2021 it sold 24.1m cases compared with Royal Stag’s 22.4m – so the latter’s growth trajectory has been huge in that context.
In July 2025, Pernod Ricard said the divestment of Imperial Blue would enable the business to “fully tap into premiumisation trends and support sustained, profitable growth”. Royal Stag sits at a slightly higher price than the budget‐friendly Imperial Blue and the sale of the latter brand for €412.6m (US$485m) will undoubtedly mean more focus and investment on Royal Stag in future.
“Royal Stag operates in the deluxe segment, which has become the de facto entry point for new entrants into the category,” says Debasree Dasgupta, chief marketing officer of Pernod Ricard India, who adds that the brand showcased “unmatched quality at an affordable price” through its Mark of Purity communication campaign.
She notes that Royal Stag is the “largest‐selling brand for Pernod Ricard globally”, adding that it has become a “beacon of success” for the group by “delivering on both value and volume ambitions for the company”.
Dasgupta also highlights that the brand has connected with young people since its launch two decades ago. The brand has worked to inspire the youth of India through its communication around the philosophy, ‘It’s our life. We live it large.’
Royal Stag has targeted younger consumers through multiple marketing activations focused on cricket (such as the ICC T20 World Cup Campaign) and music.
“To tap into the young cohort in specific youth hubs of the country, the brand saw the successful execution of its unique music‐led IP, Royal Stag BoomBox, a one‐of‐a‐kind festival that has an amalgamation of various subcultural elements – music, food, and fashion all under one roof,” Dasgupta notes.
Multisensory playground
The fourth edition of the campaign saw the brand embark on a four‐city tour last year, kicking off with an opening night in Kolkata in February, where fans came together for performances from Indian artists such as headliner Armaan Malik. The expansive Aquatica Ground in Kolkata was turned into a “multisensory playground, featuring vibrant installations, immersive art displays, curated food experiences, and interactive zones”.
After Kolkata, in March the BoomBox activation headed to Vizag, Mumbai and Mohali.
Regarding its cricket marketing, Dasgupta says: “In terms of driving recruitment, the brand ensured a magnified through‐the‐line amplification of ICC T20 World Cup, which ties back to the brand tenets of celebrating cricket as a youth passion point.”
In addition, the brand’s festive campaign that took place during the “high consumption period” of September to November supported its growth.
There were also new innovations, with the launch of Royal Stag Double Dark, a peaty blend that’s described as being a first for the category, alongside new premium packaging for Royal Stag Barrel Select.
As for the forthcoming year, Dasgupta says the aim is to stay ahead of the curve and future‐proof the brand’s leadership position.
The brand has tapped famous faces as its ambassadors, from across the worlds of entertainment, sport and gaming, including Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Badshah, Sidharth Malhotra, Naga Chaitanya and Payal Dhare.
Dasgupta intends to amplify Royal Stag’s latest campaign, and continue building the brand through its cricket links. There are also plans to expand Royal Stag Double Dark to new markets and launch new recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging for the brand.
Dasgupta adds: “Being a category leader, Royal Stag’s future success is pegged on driving recruitment into the portfolio, and in the process driving category growth.
“Focus would be on fortifying the mother brand as the destination for the new entrant, further strengthening Royal Stag Barrel Select as the upgrade destination and Royal Stag Double Dark being positioned for the experimenters, a stronger portfolio play will ensure the brand franchise grows ahead of the curve.”
The Brand Champions report analyses the world’s million-case-selling spirits brands. The 2026 edition is available to read online for free.
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