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Surging Indian demand creates sales boom for Scotch whisky

Xinhua, November 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Sales of Scotch whisky, Britain's biggest food and drink export, have been given a massive boost after exports to India rose by 41 percent, reports here said Wednesday.

Sales of Scotch whisky grew by 3.1 percent during the first half of the year, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced.

Leadsom referred to the booming demand in India during a visit to the Glenmorangie whisky bottling plant in Livingstone as part of her first visit to Scotland as environment secretary.

She saw first-hand how demand for Scotch whisky has grown, with an equivalent 533 million bottles shipped overseas in the first half of the year, up from 517 million bottles in the first half of 2015.

It represents the first growth in volume since 2013, with the Indian export figures showing an increase of 41 percent compared to the same period in 2015.

"India is highlighted in the government's recently launched UK Food and Drink International Action Plan for its export potential," said a government spokesman in London, adding that Britain aimed to gain 349 million pounds (429 million U.S.dollars) in food and drink export to India over the next five years.

"The Scotch whisky industry is a powerful example on the significant global opportunities out there for our food and drink businesses," said Leadsom.

She said Scotch whisky industry accounts for nearly one-quarter of all food and drink exports in Britain.

Scotland's food and drink is vital for the British economy, worth 5.5 billion pounds (6.77 billion U.S.dollars) last year, representing 30 percent of Britain's total food and drink exports.

During round-table talks with leaders of Scotland's food and drink industry, Leadsom discussed the opportunities and challenges created by Brexit for Scotch whisky.

"We welcomed the chance to talk about the importance of continued moves towards a fairer and competitive excise duty regime in the UK," said Julie Hesketh-Laird, deputy chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association.

"Looking overseas, we would like to see new free trade deals which provide a boost to Scotch whisky in a range of markets," said Hesketh-Laird. Endi