India: Diageo joins Indian Malt Whisky Association

Diageo India, the country's leading player in the alcobev segment, has joined the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA), which is an alliance of India's malt whisky producers, Rediff Money reported on November 20.

Joining of Diageo India (United Spritis Ltd), which owns home-grown single malt brand Godawan, will strengthen the future of Indian Single Malt Whisky, which in the past year has been acclaimed globally with award-wining premium whisky, a statement said.

IMWA is working for developing rigorous quality and process guidelines to ensure authenticity, transparency, and excellence in Indian Single Malt and Pure/Vatted Malt whiskies.

The standards emphasise production using 100 per cent malted barley at a single distillery, using copper pot still distillation, and a minimum three-year maturation in oak barrels of capacity less than 700 litres within India.