By Chandini Monnappa and Hritam Mukherjee
(Reuters) -Radico Khaitan, the maker of “Magic Moments” vodka, will invest up to $4.56 million and team up with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath to launch a premium tequila brand, marking its foray into the category.
The Indian liquor maker, known for premium offerings such as Rampur Indian Single Malt and Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, will roll out the brand D’YAVOL Añejo — a premium spirit made from agave and aged about two years in wine casks.
D’YAVOL, a luxury brand founded in 2022 by Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, along with Leti Blagoeva and Bunty Singh, is headquartered in Amsterdam and offers vodka, blended malt Scotch whisky and premium streetwear.
D’YAVOL Añejo is set to launch by December and depending on state excise duty, will be priced between 20,000 rupees ($228.21) and 30,000 rupees, Radico Khaitan Managing Director Abhishek Khaitan told Reuters on Tuesday.
The launch comes as affluent Indians increasingly splurge on everything from luxury dining to premium alcohol, housing and cars. Alcohol sales in the country, according to data from analytics firm Crisil, are projected to grow as much as 10% to $61.35 billion in fiscal 2026.
Tequila is one of the fastest growing segments globally and India is catching on very fast. The market size in the country is about 300,000 cases, out of which 15% is the Añejo (Spanish word meaning ‘aged’) category, Khaitan said.
“We believe that in the next five years, tequila can reach a volume of about a million cases in India plus global market, so I think it was a great opportunity,” he said.
Under the partnership, Radico Khaitan and Shah Rukh Khan’s family will each hold a 47.5% stake in the venture, while Kamath will own 5%.
The deal also underscores the fierce competition in mass and premium liquor segments. Just three weeks ago, peer Tilaknagar Industries bought the “Imperial Blue” whisky brand from Pernod Ricard for $486 million.
($1 = 87.6370 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa and Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
