Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Ian Macleod Bets ₹200 Crore on Indian Single Malt
Ian Macleod is a company known for making Scotch whisky.
It has built its first distillery outside Scotland in India.
The distillery is in Una, Himachal Pradesh, and cost about ₹200 crore.
The company plans to sell a new whisky called Una Himalayan single malt.
It wants this whisky to be among the best Indian whiskies.
Ian Macleod believes more Indian consumers are beginning to buy premium whisky.
It also hopes people around the world will try Una.
The company says Indian whisky makers must focus on quality and avoid cutting corners.
It believes Indian single malt could become globally respected if it tastes good enough.
Ian Macleod has invested about ₹200 crore in a distillery in Una, Himachal Pradesh.
The facility can produce around 1.5 million litres of whisky annually.
Its Una Himalayan single malt is expected to launch around August next year.
The company aims to make Una a premium Indian whisky that can compete globally.
Ian Macleod says quality standards and consumer taste will determine the success of India’s expanding single-malt market.
- Who
- Ian Macleod, a family-owned Scotch whisky company, and Leonard Russell, its managing director and owner.
- What
- The company has built a ₹200 crore Indian distillery and plans to launch Una Himalayan single malt.
- When
- The distillery has been operating for nearly three years, and the whisky is scheduled to launch around August next year.
- Where
- Una, Himachal Pradesh, India.
- Why
- Ian Macleod sees growth in India’s middle class, premium whisky consumption and the potential for Indian single malt to compete internationally.
- Company
- Ian Macleod, described as the world’s tenth largest Scotch whisky company
- Investment
- About ₹200 crore
- Distillery location
- Una, Himachal Pradesh
- Annual capacity
- Around 1.5 million litres
- Planned whisky
- Una Himalayan single malt
- Launch timing
- Around August next year
- Scotch import duties
- The article says duties are expected to fall from 150% to 75%, then to 40% over 10 years