What distinguishes ProWine Mumbai from other trade shows in the region, and how do you tailor each to meet local industry needs?
ProWine Mumbai is the only truly international wine and spirits trade fair in India, backed by the global legacy of ProWein World with over 30 years of success across continents. What sets it apart is the way it blends international expertise with deep local insight, creating a platform that aligns with India’s unique regulatory, cultural, and business environment.
Unlike standalone exhibitions, ProWine Mumbai is a complete 360° experience. Beyond the interactions & tastings on the exhibition floor, we host Masterclasses – an important platform for brand storytelling in a market where alcohol advertising is restricted – allowing brands to engage audiences through tastings, pairings and education.
The ProWine & ProSpirits Challenge, a blind tasting judged by sommeliers and serious consumers, offers brands valuable insights into local preferences. The ProWine Mumbai Bartenders’ Competition shines a spotlight on influencers at the point of pour, celebrating cocktail culture and mixology. Panel discussions bring industry leaders together to exchange views on pressing issues and trends shaping India’s alcobev sector, while ProWine Mumbai – Honouring Excellence, honours brands and individuals who have made innovative and noteworthy contributions.
Finally, the exclusive ProWine Mumbai Networking Night provides a space for meaningful connections and collaborations.
It is also one of the few platforms that ensures representation across wines, spirits, craft liquors, and emerging categories like low- & no-alcohol beverages – making ProWine Mumbai truly relevant to the entire alcobev ecosystem.
In what ways are you helping international brands navigate entry or expansion into the Indian markets?
We act as a gateway. India is complex – fragmented state regulations, high duties and logistical challenges. To ease entry, we secure special permission from the authorities, so brands can showcase without prior label registration, and provide door-to-door logistics support. Beyond that, we facilitate matchmaking with importers, distributors and HoReCa leaders, plus provide platforms like blind tastings, masterclasses and panel discussions that allow brands to build credibility and visibility with the right stakeholders.
What trends are you seeing in wine and spirits consumption across Mumbai, particularly in terms of premiumisation, innovation or local preferences?
Premiumisation continues to be the defining trend. Consumers, not only in Mumbai but all metro cities of India, are seeking authenticity, international quality and status-driven products.
Imported wines are seeing strong growth and gaining popularity among urban consumers, while whisky, gin and agave spirits are surging in premium spirits categories. At the same time, craft spirits, sake and cocktail culture are taking root in India’s world-class bars.
Local consumers are also experimenting more, with younger demographics driving wine’s double-digit growth and demanding innovation and variety. Local pride is also on the rise, with Indian-origin whiskies earning international recognition for their heritage-rich, award-worthy labels.
We’ve also seen a significant post-pandemic shift – households are spending more on alcoholic beverages than ever before, reflecting growing acceptance and enthusiasm. The retail landscape is expanding too, with boutique wine shops, speciality liquor stores and upscale lounges offering curated, personalised experiences.
At the same time, India’s bars and restaurants are now at par with global standards, many of them ranked among Asia’s best, creating world-class environments for consumers to explore high-quality wines and spirits.
How do you see younger consumers in India influencing demand and product innovation within the wine and spirits sector?
Young Indian consumers are adventurous, digitally savvy and globally exposed. They are shifting from loyalty to experimentation – seeking new flavours, cocktails and even no- & low-alcohol alternatives.
They are also health-conscious, driving interest in organic wines and low-sugar drinks. Their demand for experiences over products means storytelling, brand authenticity and mixology-driven activations resonate strongly, directly shaping innovation in the market.
What kind of exhibitors and buyers can participants expect to meet at this year’s editions in Mumbai?
Exhibitors include international and domestic producers of wine, spirits, craft beverages, beer, zero-alcohol alternatives and accessories, along with trade promotion bodies.
On the visitor side, we curate a highly-qualified audience: importers, distributors, retailers, HoReCa decision-makers, sommeliers, F&B leaders, investors, wine & spirits clubs, academia and serious enthusiasts. Last year, we hosted 170 exhibitors from 18 countries showcasing 1,000-plus brands across ten country pavilions and 5,947 high-intent attendees from 31 countries across trade and consumer categories.
How have you enhanced the event experience – whether digitally or on-site – to increase business value for attendees?
We’ve built layers well beyond the booth to create a complete business ecosystem. Digitally, we now offer a pre-show matchmaking and appointment scheduling platform.
On-site, the experience is enriched through masterclasses, blind tastings, panel discussions, competitions and the ProWine Mumbai Night – ensuring multiple touchpoints for networking, learning and brand engagement, while bringing the entire industry under one roof, making networking far more effective.
To further strengthen value, this year we are introducing a nominal visitor fee to ensure a focused audience of serious trade professionals and engaged consumers. Together, these enhancements make ProWine Mumbai not just an exhibition, but a dynamic and ROI-driven business platform.
How do you see the role of ProWine evolving in emerging markets like India, where wine culture is still developing?
We see ProWine Mumbai as both a catalyst and a bridge. For emerging markets, ProWine is not just about trade – it’s about education, exposure and long-term ecosystem building. In India, that means accelerating wine culture, spotlighting craft innovation, enabling premiumisation,and making international trade accessible.
Our role is to connect global producers with India’s evolving consumer base, while simultaneously empowering local players to scale and innovate.
India’s wine scene is undergoing a metamorphosis. Wine is increasingly replacing traditional spirits among an expanding middle class that travels, earns more and seeks sophisticated choices. This cultural shift is further amplified by growing accessibility – in urban centres like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, consumers are not only experimenting with wine but also seeking knowledge about varietals, pairings and provenance.ProWine accelerates this shift by spotlighting premium international labels and leading domestic brands like Sula, Fratelli and Grover Zampa, while also showcasing local innovation such as Roseline, wine made from rose petals by JK Wingro, Vinophile, a DIY wine-making kit by Praras Biosciences and Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin – crafted with juniper from the Eastern Himalayas and GI-tagged Khasi mandarin from north-east India.
These innovations reflect the creativity and potential of Indian producers, and ProWine Mumbai provides the global stage to bring them forward.
While per-capita wine consumption in India remains modest, it is growing rapidly in urban centres and beginning to spread into tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Global rankings identify India as one of the most attractive emerging wine markets, and trade accords with Australia, the UK, the US and Europe are reducing import barriers. ProWine helps brands – both international and domestic – navigate these dynamics, enabling market entry, fostering partnerships and elevating wine from an occasional indulgence to an aspirational lifestyle choice.
In essence, ProWine is not just an exhibition – it’s a launchpad: educating professionals, celebrating innovation, and building the infrastructure needed for long-term growth in India’s wine and spirits landscape.
Are there any initiatives tied to education, trade partnerships or local sourcing that you’re particularly excited about this year?
Yes, quite a few. Our masterclass programme continues to be a major highlight, combining education-led tastings with brand storytelling by global experts – often bringing their culture to life in unique ways.
The ProWine & ProSpirits Challenge offers brands a credible, merit-based endorsement from both sommeliers and consumers, while our panel discussions tackle pressing industry topics and industry trends.
The Bartenders’ Competition is another exciting initiative, shining a spotlight on industry influencers and driving India’s bartending revolution by empowering mixologists. Winners receive unparalleled exposure, including bar takeovers at top international establishments, WSET course scholarships and strong media visibility.
Finally, our ProWine Mumbai Night – an exclusive, invite-only B2B Networking Evening – remains an invaluable platform for trade professionals to connect, collaborate, and build lasting partnerships. Collectively, these initiatives foster education, recognition and meaningful connections across the industry.
