Pernod Ricard India CEO on Royal Stag's 30-year climb to world's largest-selling whisky
Jean Touboul says Royal Stag now sells 32.6 million cases, with India contributing 13% of Pernod Ricard's global net sales. He outlines premiumisation, new launches like Seagram's Xclamat!on, and a Gen Z experience-led strategy.
What happened
Pernod Ricard India CEO Jean Touboul discusses Royal Stag's 30-year milestone as world's largest-selling whisky (32.6M cases), India contributing 13% of global
Key facts
- 13% of global net sales
- 32.6 million cases
- 30 years
- 1 million cases before 2001
- 10 million cases by 2010
- launched 1995
Why this matters
Pernod Ricard's India dominance and new-brand pipeline set a high bar for acquisition targets and partnership plays in the region's premiumising whisky market.
What to watch
- State excise and duty revisions in key markets (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana)
- Pernod Ricard quarterly India net-sales share vs 13% baseline
- United Spirits/Diageo premium counter-launches
- Gen Z consumption trend data and moderation signals
- New-launch velocity and repeat-purchase rates for Xclamat!on
- Expand Xclamat!on and premium SKUs into tier-1 metros with experience-led activations
- Deepen Gen Z engagement via non-alcoholic surrogate branding and event marketing
- Invest in local sourcing/bottling to hedge input and excise costs
- Push exports of Royal Stag to leverage 'world's largest-selling' claim