Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 22: The Scotch Whisky Association wants FSSAI to reconsider sampling and testing of imported Scotch. It says halved tariffs under the UK–India trade deal are not enough on their own.
The Scotch whisky industry has asked India to rethink testing rules for imported Scotch. The Scotch Whisky Association wants sampling and testing reviewed, The Economic Times reported. The appeal follows steep tariff cuts under the UK–India free trade agreement.
Imported Scotch must be sampled and tested before it can be cleared. The rule is set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Checks run through its Food Import Clearance System, which is linked to the customs portal. This food safety process is separate from the customs duty paid on imports.
The association argues that Indian spirits exported to Britain face no such requirement. Ian Duddy, its international director, described the talks with FSSAI as a question of “reciprocity”. He was in India with a visiting UK government trade delegation.
Duddy told The Economic Times the trade deal should cover regulation as well as tariffs. Even after duty cuts, he said, shipments are still sampled and tested. He argued Scotch is made to strict standards within a secure supply chain. Routine testing, in the association’s view, is therefore unnecessary.
Duddy accepted that alcohol and other food products must be regulated. “We’re not arguing against that,” he said. The report did not indicate any response from FSSAI.
The trade agreement came into force on July 15, 2026. It halved India’s import duty on Scotch whisky and gin to 75% from 150%. The duty is proposed to fall further, to 40%, over ten years. The 40% rate remains a future target, not the current tariff.
By volume, India is regarded as the biggest market for Scotch whisky. Scotch exports to India were worth £286 million in 2025. Duddy linked rising demand to growing wealth and an expanding middle class. He also cited a growing appetite for premium products among Indian consumers.
He described the US and Europe as solid but stable markets. India, in his view, offers growth those regions lack.
The association represents more than 90 spirits makers. Its members include Diageo, Pernod Ricard and William Grant & Sons. Retail prices of some bottled-in-origin labels have fallen 10–15% after the deal, the report said. Johnnie Walker, Chivas and The Glenlivet are among them.
The lower prices were reported in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa and Haryana, among others. Retail prices also depend on state excise, distribution margins and local costs. Duddy said multiple, high state-level taxes remain a challenge for companies. Indian exporters to Britain, he noted, deal with one market and one excise regime.
Separately, Indian tax authorities have begun investigating large players, including Diageo and Pernod Ricard. The probes concern alleged misclassification of bulk Scotch concentrates to claim lower FTA duty. It is separate from FSSAI testing, and no findings have been reported.
Lower duties have improved access for Scotch in India. Central tariff cuts, however, do not override separate state excise regimes. Whether import testing changes now rests with India’s food regulator.
