Overview: India’s ready-to-drink alcohol market is growing faster than the global category, driven by a distinct preference for higher-alcohol profiles. While international competitors move toward lighter options, Indian consumers favor beverages with 12-15% ABV that align closer to traditional spirits.
The Full Story
India sold approximately 5.3 million nine-litre cases of ready-to-drink (RTD) products in 2025, compared with 410 million cases of beer, according to industry estimates. The category reached a value of $200 million in the same year, growing 11% during the period. Between 2022 and 2025, the Indian RTD market expanded at a compound annual growth rate of 6%, outpacing global growth of 3% over the same timeframe. The US, which accounts for about 40% of global RTD volumes, saw volumes decline 1% in 2025.
Flavoured alcoholic beverages, or FABs, accounted for 54% of RTD volumes in 2025, while long drinks made up another 44%. Hard seltzers accounted for just 1%, wine spritzers and coolers another 1%, and cocktails less than 1%. This distribution contrasts with developed markets where hard seltzers and lower-ABV formats have driven much of the RTD boom. Here, some of the fastest-growing products are closer to a cocktail or spirit in alcohol strength.
Production & Profile
IndoBevs’ BroCode is a 15% ABV carbonated wine-based drink with a fruity, sweet profile, while Fratelli’s 15% ABV Shotgun has similar notes. Korean soju and inspired brands are selling flavours such as peach and green grape alongside the original, which has a clean, lightly sweet rice profile. American alcohol conglomerate Sazerac launched its BuzzBallz product late last year as a similar 15% ABV single-serve cocktail with flavours such as berry lemon, strawberry, chilli guava, and Jamun mint.
Bacardi, the market leader with its Breezer product, has also moved beyond its traditional product to Breezer Bold, an 8% ABV range that includes guava chilli, lime and lager and grapefruit yuzu. Rio is mentioned as a high-ABV wine-based RTD alongside BroCode. Soju variants include sparkling and still options at 15% ABV with flavours such as yuzu lime, K Bomb, peach, and green apple.
Brand & Industry History
IndoBevs created the strong-RTD segment with BroCode in 2018 when most of the market was only at the 4% ABV type of offerings. The brand has seen its RTD business grow at a CAGR of about 52% since fiscal year 2018-19 (FY19). Bacardi remains the market leader with its Breezer product, while Sazerac launched BuzzBallz in December 2025 and plans to enter more markets over the next two to three years. Rad Elan sells about 25,000-30,000 cases of Punter Soju a year, with 20 bottles in a case.
What This Means
A higher-ABV RTD can sit closer to spirits in a consumer’s consideration set while giving a packaged, already-mixed drink. Higher-ABV wine-based products such as BroCode also benefit from lower excise rates than some other RTDs in most states. Newer brands are finding demand across northern and eastern markets as well, attracting global players like Sazerac to expand availability and build sustained growth.
Consumer Takeaway
Indian consumers prefer beverages closer to the spirits they already drink, even as global alcohol companies move toward lighter, lower-alcohol-by-volume (ABV) options. New brands are betting on everything from wine-based spirits and Korean-style soju to pre-mixed cocktails with up to 15% alcohol—almost twice the strength of a strong beer—to offer consumers a buzz at a pocket-friendly price.
Source: Read the original article
