<div>Plain still cuts a lot of ice in India, but it is the flavoured market that is making vodka brands here high spirited. Last month saw yet another alcoholic beverages player foraying into the flavoured vodka category with Jagatjit Industries (the makers of Aristocrat whisky) launching a new vodka brand IICE in green apple and orange flavours.<br /><br />Vinod Kumar Banga, Chief Operating Officer of Jagatjit Industries points out, “Vodka, specially flavored vodkas, is getting popular among the younger age profile.” According to him, in a market dominated by brown spirits (India is a whisky, rum market and brandy), vodka has been showing strong growth. Trotting out statistics he says, “The overall IMFL market standing at 280 million cases in 2011-12 has grown by 12-14 per cent over last year whereas the vodka market at approx 8 million cases (2011-12) grew over last year at a higher rate of 20-22 per cent.”<br /><br />Even as vodka has been growing at a fast pace, flavoured vodka has been clipping along nicely as well at nearly 15-18 per cent, says NV Group’s Director Sales and Marketing, Varun Jain, citing International Wine and Spirit Research data. The alcoholic beverages maker had brought in mid market vodka brand Sobieski into India two years ago. Just a couple of months ago, NV also scaled up its flavoured vodka range by introducing cranberry flavoured vodka under the Sobieski label. NV also markets Blue Moon brand, under which it retails flavoured vodka as well.<br /><br /><img width="250" height="199" align="right" alt="" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=a846eb18-2977-4d96-9430-99b516d79b0c&groupId=36166&t=1359815527510" />The flavoured vodka market is seeing some noteworthy trends. For instance, both Jain and Banga point that Rajasthan has taken to flavoured vodka like duck to water with 70 per cent of the vodka share gulped by flavoured versions. And one flavor – orange dominates over the rest – in the state.<br /><br />Says Banga, “In both Rajasthan and Karnataka Orange Flavor vodka outsells all other flavours, whereas in Delhi Green Apple flavor sells more.” <br /><br />According to Varun Jain, Vodka is showing strong growth in all the price segments - be it the real high end where brands such as Grey Goose and Beluga operate, the premium segment (Smirnoff, Absolut) as well as the mass market brands such as Blue Moon. NV has priced Sobieski at a mass level (it retails it at Rs 350 for 750 ml in Delhi). “We are playing the volumes game,” he says, while Banga says IIICE is positioned at the semi-premium segment.<br /><br />Significantly, in white spirits, gin – which has been making a comeback of sorts in international markets - has been de-growing in India at a rate of 10 per cent over the last two or three years. Gin's share has been grabbed by vodka. Banga puts it down to the versatility of vodka and its ability to be mixed in different types of cocktails. Also, tier 2 and 3 towns are seeing growing consumption of vodka.<br /><br />According to a latest report, almost 70 per cent of alcohol in south-east Asia is produced in India and the country's contribution in total alcohol beverage imports in the region is around 10 per cent. <br /><br /> </div>
