Nagpur: As reported in a leading local English daily today, the Mahayuti regime is set to celebrate a groundbreaking “Made-in-India” Scotch project in Nagpur, just before the election code of conduct comes into effect. The foundation for what is to become India’s largest malt distillery, operated by French liquor giant Pernod Ricard, will be laid on October 7. The event will see the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, State Industries Minister Uday Samant, and Jean Touboul, CEO and Managing Director of Pernod Ricard India.
Originally scheduled for September 26, the Rs 1,785 crore project’s ceremony was postponed due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Pohra Devi shrine of the Banjara community in Washim, 270 km away. Fadnavis is looking to leverage this high-profile investment to boost Vidarbha’s image as an investment-friendly region, while for Pernod Ricard, the distillery represents a game-changer in the country’s liquor landscape. Malt, the essential ingredient for Scotch whisky, has until now been imported from Scotland and blended in India. The Nagpur facility will produce the malt locally, revolutionizing the industry, according to sources.
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In addition to boosting the alcohol sector, the project is expected to transform Vidarbha’s agricultural landscape. The distillery will require 50,000 to 60,000 tons of barley annually, necessitating the cultivation of barley over 40,000 hectares in the region. This, in turn, could benefit approximately 90,000 farmers, with the company committed to promoting a farmers’ federation for direct barley procurement. Sources believe this initiative could alleviate the region’s long-standing agrarian crisis by providing a stable and profitable crop for local farmers.
The distillery, covering an impressive 3.6 lakh square meters, will have a daily production capacity of 60,000 liters, making it not only India’s largest but also Pernod Ricard’s most significant facility in Asia. Experts even suggest it may become the largest malt distillery in the entire continent. In February, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government, overcoming initial hurdles over land rates at Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC)’s Butibori estate. The company has now made a 25% down payment for the land and is preparing to start construction soon.
As preparations begin for the barley supply chain, the distillery is expected to set new standards in the Indian spirits industry, significantly benefiting both local farmers and the state’s economy.
