For scotch whisky brand owners, the long wait is over. With work having been undertaken for "more than a decade", the announcement of a free trade agreement between India and the UK yesterday (6 May) allowed Global Drinks Intel the opportunity to catch up with the head of the Scotch Whisky Association, Mark Kent.How does it feel to have got this trade deal over the line, finally?It's certainly been a long-standing objective for the scotch whisky industry. India is the world's biggest whiskey/whisky market - given that scotch accounts for 3% of the market, the potential for growth is very signi
‘It’s not going to solve all our issues, but it’s a landmark deal’ – Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Mark Kent speaks to Global Drinks Intel
‘This isn’t a question of simply turning on the taps and increasing our exports to India exponentially.’

Olly has been reporting on the beverage industry as a B2B journalist since 2003. He spent 18 years at Just Drinks, 16 of which as managing editor. Since joining Global Drinks Intel in 2022, he's interviewed the CEOs for brand owners including AB InBev, Campari Group, Carlsberg, Heineken and Suntory Global Spirits and has a bulging contacts book from across beverage alcohol worldwide.



