Tilaknagar Industries, which makes Manson House brandy, is in talks to buy Imperial Blue whiskey from French liquor company Pernod Ricard. According to a Moneycontrol report, Tilaknagar will raise funds from debt and equity to complete the deal. Although the price of the deal has not been disclosed yet, according to earlier reports, it could be $600-650 million (about Rs 5,150-5,578 crore). Tilaknagar has been at the forefront of the race to buy this company since last year. Tilaknagar Industries entered the whiskey market in 2012 Tilaknagar Industries entered the whiskey market in 2012 through the Manson House brand, but 90% of its sales still come from brandy. Imperial Blue, which is the third largest whiskey brand in India. Buying it can give Tilaknagar a big boost in the market. Japanese company Suntory also bid for Imperial Blue Last month, a report in The Economic Times said that Japanese liquor company Suntory has also again bid for Imperial Blue. Suntory had earlier dropped out of the race due to Pernod Ricard’s demand of $1 billion i.e. Rs 8,582 crore. Apart from this, London entrepreneur Ravi Deol’s company Inbru Beverages was also in the race for this acquisition. If this deal is successful, it will be a big step for Tilaknagar Industries. Imperial Blue’s strong market presence and sales figures can make Tilaknagar a strong player in the whiskey market. This acquisition will give the company an opportunity to strengthen its position in the whiskey segment apart from brandy. Imperial Blue is the third largest brand in terms of whiskey sales in India Imperial Blue is the third largest brand in terms of whiskey sales in India, with a market share of 8.6%. This brand is behind McDowell’s and Royal Stag. In 2024, 22.2 million cases of Imperial Blue were sold, which shows marginal growth compared to the previous year. However, its sales have declined by 4% in the last five years. The brand falls in the “deluxe” segment, which is placed between the mass-market and premium categories. Imperial Blue was launched in India in 1997 by Canadian company Seagram Imperial Blue was launched in India in 1997 by Canadian company Seagram. After the sale of Seagram’s global business in 2001, Pernod Ricard took over its Indian operations. Now Pernod Ricard is considering selling this brand as part of its strategic review.
