Indian wine industry is gradually gaining momentum by undertaking various measures to acquire a strong foothold as well as establish a competitive edge in the global markets  Although Indian wine is not as popular as those manufactured in other foreign countries, demand for the same is gradually witnessing an upsurge. According to a poll conducted by FoodProcessing360, 83% of the respondents are of the view that the domestic wine industry will be able to maintain a stable position in the global market, while 17% are still uncertain about the same.As a fruit, grape is not much in demand in the domestic market, which is why a large quantity of the commodity is converted into wine to be exported to the global markets. Despite surplus production of grapes, during the recessionary period leading Indian wine makers witnessed huge losses as grapes were not processed into wine owing to demand slump. However, of late with gradual revival in demand, wine makers are able to sell the commodity in both domestic and global markets.
Measures to gain traction
It must be noted that till very late Indian wine failed to make its presence felt in the global markets, which prompted domestic wine makers to consider ways to improve production of the liquor.
In this context, Dr V.H. Potty, food technologist, deputy director (Rtd) and former chairman of Technology Application division of Central Food Technological Research Institute and currently chairman of Diversified Food Technologies (India) in Mysore says, “In order to improve the quality of Indian wine, grapes should be plucked at an early stage to prevent them from rotting. Moreover, the government should provide incentives to grape cultivators so that they can purchase latest machinery that would bolster wine production.”
States such as Maharashtra and Karnataka have managed to export supreme quality wine to the global markets, thereby gaining recognition among other competing wine markets. However, in order to boost the Indian wine industry further, the government should lower the prevailing duties.
According to Alok Chandra, an independent wine consultant of Gryphon Brands Inc., a small-sized wine consultancy based in Bengaluru, “Indian wine companies should also attend more global events that deal with wine. This would help them to remain abreast about latest machinery and techniques that would improve the quality of wine. By attending such events, they can also increase their networking.” In this manner, Indian wine makers will not only be able to establish a strong foothold in the foreign markets but also increase their domestic customer base.
Sabrina Mitchell |
