Moët Hennessy India has appointed Siddharth Suri as its Managing Director for India. The appointment comes at time when Moët Hennessy India is looking at its journey to accelerates its growth ambitions and strengthens its leadership in the country’s rapidly evolving luxury wines and spirits market.
In his new role, Siddharth will be in-charge of the company’s portfolio in India, which includes Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Belvedere, Chandon and Volcan. He will be responsible for shaping the company’s long-term growth strategy, driving consumer-centric innovation, and deepening the cultural resonance of Moët Hennessy’s brands with India’s new generation of luxury consumers, whilst building on the company’s legacy of excellence and innovation. Siddharth has worked with Moët Hennessy India earlier as the Sales Director for India and South Asia (Domestic and Travel Retail).
Speaking on the new leadership appointment Anne Claire Delamarre, President, Asia Pacific, shared, “India is a market of immense potential, with a new generation of consumers embracing luxury, craftsmanship, and global experiences in unique ways. We are deeply committed to continuously expanding our presence here, and Siddharth’s appointment reflects that ambition. His strong leadership, proven track record, and deep understanding of both Moët Hennessy and the Indian consumer landscape make him ideally placed to lead our next phase of growth in this exciting market.”
Speaking on his appointment, Siddharth Suri said, “It is an honour to return to Moët Hennessy India at such an exciting inflection point. India is one of the most dynamic luxury markets in the world today, and I look forward to leading the transformation of the company into its next chapter of growth. By building stronger consumer engagement, customer connections, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable business practices, we will continue to set new benchmarks for Moët Hennessy in India.”
With over 24 years of extensive experience in the FMCG and Wines & Spirits industries, Siddharth brings proven expertise in business transformation, market development, and scaling high-performing teams across domestic, travel retail, and international markets. He has held senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, Pernod Ricard, Moët Hennessy, Diageo, and most recently The Coca-Cola Company (HCCB), where he pioneered the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages category in India, shaping an entirely new consumer segment.
The culture of gifting in Southeast Asia is evolving, and luxury wines and spirits are at the centre of this trend. Once seen mainly as status symbols, premium bottles are now chosen for their stories, craftsmanship, and cultural resonance. From Singapore to Vietnam, gifting is growing, driven by changing preferences, digital commerce, and premiumisation of F&B.
Affluent consumers are moving beyond imported classics to gifts that reflect local identity. Artisanal spirits such as Bali’s Iwak Arumery, Singapore’s Tanglin Gin, and Thailand’s Chalong Bay Rum showcase heritage-driven narratives through indigenous ingredients and traditional techniques. Similarly, the Philippines’ Don Papa rum draws on folklore and history to create an emotional bond.
Experiences Over Bottles
Packaging and presentation are increasingly as important as the liquid. Limited-edition bottles, collectible sets, and artistic collaborations elevate gifting, while immersive experiences with personalised labels and glassware turn a bottle into a celebration.
Festivals and milestones further drive demand. From Songkran in Thailand to Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam and weddings in Indonesia, luxury alcohol has become a prestigious part of celebrations. Corporate gifting, anniversaries, and personal milestones continue to be in vogue, often with bespoke sets.
E-commerce is fuelling the trend, offering curated packs, same-day delivery, and customisation such as engraved labels. The unboxing experience is now part of the value proposition, making online platforms vital for reaching affluent consumers in Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.
Sustainability Meets Premiumisation
Wealthier consumers are increasingly conscious of environmental and ethical practices. Eco-friendly packaging, sustainable sourcing, and transparent production are shaping gifting choices, blending luxury with conscience.
The luxury wine and spirits segment is poised for strong growth. Singapore continues to position itself as a regional hub, while Vietnam and Thailand are emerging as high-potential markets with expanding fine dining cultures. Even in traditionally conservative markets like Indonesia and Malaysia, discreet but premium gifting is gaining ground among urban elites.
Luxury gifting is no longer just about indulgence—it is about culture, story, and experience. With digital platforms enhancing accessibility, heritage brands adding authenticity, and sustainability guiding decisions, the future of gifting in Southeast Asia is premium, personalised, and meaningful.
Singapore: A Regional Hub for Premium Gifting As Southeast Asia’s financial hub, Singapore leads the luxury wine and spirits market with a strong corporate gifting culture. Premium wines, rare whiskies, and collectible editions dominate, particularly during Lunar New Year. With advanced e-commerce and duty-free at Changi, personalisation and curated sets are driving demand. Prestige brands like Dom Pérignon, Hennessy, Macallan, and Glenfiddich are go-to gifting staples.
Thailand: Tradition Meets Celebration Thailand’s festive calendar, especially Songkran and year-end corporate occasions, drives gifting. Rum and whisky lead, with Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Moët & Chandon popular among elites. Local craft spirit Chalong Bay rum adds authenticity and cultural depth.
Vietnam: Emerging Fine Wine Market Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest-growing wine markets, with Tet as the peak gifting season. French wines, especially Bordeaux and Burgundy, symbolise prestige, while Martell, Rémy Martin, and fine Cognacs remain staples. Younger professionals are also embracing alternatives like Don Papa rum for its storytelling appeal.
Indonesia & Malaysia: Discreet but Growing In stricter markets, luxury gifting is discreet but aspirational. Weddings, corporate milestones, and private parties feature Johnnie Walker Blue, Royal Salute, Chivas Regal 25, and Macallan Rare Cask, often gifted in bespoke or limited editions.
With cultural collaborations, limited editions, and experiential packaging, luxury wines and spirits continue to shape Southeast Asia’s gifting culture—premium, personal, and meaningful.
Held in Singapore, Vinexpo Asia 2025 brought together 1,100 exhibitors and over 11,000 visitors, reaffirming the resilience of the global wine and spirits industry amidst rising trade tensions and tariff uncertainties. The event underscored the importance of staying connected and adapting to an evolving geo-economic climate.
Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry, Gan Siow Huang, highlighted the existential threat of trade barriers for small producers and the need for a predictable, rules-based trade system. She emphasized Singapore’s commitment to international collaboration, with 28 Free Trade Agreements, including the newly effective Pacific Alliance-Singapore FTA.
The Asia Pacific wine and spirits market is expected to grow annually at 6.85% till 2030, driven by a youthful middle class and interest in innovative offerings such as low- or no-alcohol options. Singapore, with its strategic location and robust logistics, has emerged as a key import-export hub—importing $2.1B and exporting $2.5B worth of wines and spirits.
Vinexpo’s CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, addressed the triple challenges facing the industry: shifting consumption habits, climate change, and geopolitical shocks. He reiterated that face-to-face engagements like Vinexpo are crucial for building partnerships and strategizing the future.
The event saw strong participation from global wine producers and featured over 4,000 business meetings, with buyers from more than 60 countries—especially from Southeast Asia—cementing the region’s growing significance in the alcobev trade.
• Panel discussion on FTA seeks reduction in tariffs
• Company of The Year is Allied Blenders & Distillers
• Corporate Leader of the Year is Nilesh Patel of Global Beverages Group
• Business leader of the Year is Davide Aiudi of Guala Closures India
• Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Satpal Chaudhry who has held key positions in Mohan Meakins, United Breweries, Shaw Wallace, Empee Distilleries, Him Neel Breweries, and Khoday India.
With India’s alcobev sector showing exceptional growth, SAP Media Worldwide, the publishers of Ambrosia magazine among other publications, reached yet another milestone. On March 21 and 22, it hosted the 20th edition of INDSPIRIT 2025 at Le Meridien, Gurugram. The two-decade journey of INDSPIRIT is a highpoint, reflecting the challenges and opportunities the sector has been navigating all through. And when industry peers met to network, exchange ideas and to chill, it was truly a celebration.
INDSPIRIT is an amalgamation of conference, exhibition, networking and AMBROSIA Awards, organised by Ambrosia. This year the panel discussion was on ‘Free Trade Agreements: Gateway or Roadblock for Indian Alcobev Industry’. The 20th edition also featured a consumer-day, to connect the industry with the end-consumer to taste the many different brands. INDSPIRIT 2025 was powered by Platinum Partner SNJ Group and supporting partners Diageo India and Pernod Ricard.
This year INDSPIRIT had an open consumer day on March 22 wherein consumers got to taste a variety of spirits. Lifting the spirits were DJ Veronika and DJ Zorin, followed by sumptuous buffet. It was day 1 of IPL 2025 cricket and SAP Media ensured that there was live coverage, adding to the zing.
Eminent Jury
The AMBROSIA awards were adjudged by an eminent panel of jury members and they included Stephen Beal (London) – Founding Sr. Consultant, Master of Whisky International Drinks Specialists; Bernhard Schafer (Germany) – A Whisky Expert, Spirit Consulting and A Master of Quaich; Ajoy Shaw – DipWSET Wine Maker & Consultant; Binod Maitin – Independent Technical Consultant; Julie Lee (Taiwan) – Industry Expert and Entrepreneur; and Katsuhiko Tanaka (Japan) – Director, Japan Import System Co.
The jury members for the Packaging category of awards were Prof. K Munshi – Industrial Design Centre, IIT Powai; Shekhar Amberkar – Asst. Director, Indian Institute of Packaging & Head of International Packaging Centre and Jigna Shah Oza – Communication Designer | Design Educator.
Panellists seek rationalisation of tariffs
The panel discussion was moderated by Bhavya Desai, Group Head and CEO of SAP Media Worldwide and the panellists were Suresh Menon, Secretary General of International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI); Ajay Srivastava, Founder, Global Trade Research Initiative; and Rajnish Singh of Dhvaen Law Practice and consultant on FTA to the Government.
The panellists were in consensus that tariffs on alcobev products are extremely high. Ajay Srivastava said that Donald Trump, the US President was right when he mentioned that India charged 150% tariff on alcohol-based products, followed by passenger cars, while agriculture products it ranged between 30 and 40% and industrial products between 7 and 12%. Trump, he added, was disrupting the world economy with a tariff war.
Suresh Menon said the FTA negotiations were ongoing with the UK and the position of ISWAI members has been that there should be a reduction in tariff on spirits in whatever form they were imported – either bulk or bottled. There was unwanted fear that there would be dumping by cheap Scotch whisky and that would disrupt the domestic market, he said and added that with the trend of premiumisation, this was unlikely to happen. Rajnish Singh advocated a threshold level of tariffs as to bar cheaper products from entering into the country, thus in a way protecting the domestic industry which has been investing substantially in the sector. He referred to the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement with Australia which has a threshold level to ensure that cheap wines are not dumped in the Indian market.
The panellists also referred to the Scotch Whisky Association which since 1915, stated that to be called Scotch Whisky, the spirit has to be aged no less than 3 years, malt or grain – replacing the old early 1900s limit of 2 years. The panellists opined that as the rule on 3 year maturation is not going to change and that Indian whisky manufacturers who wanted to export had to keep this in mind, even though the whiskies in India matured faster due to the hot climate.
India third largest alcobev market
Bhavya Desai talked about how India is the third largest alcobev market and was valued at over 52 billion dollars in 2024 and expected to touch 64 billion dollars by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.8%.
The panel discussion was followed by the much-awaited AMBROSIA Awards. In his opening address before the awards, the Managing Director and Publisher of SAP Media Worldwide, Trilok Desai said, “Despite operating in a highly regulated environment, the industry is witnessing remarkable growth. But with this growth comes a sense of uncertainty. Domestic players are increasingly concerned about the impact of reduced tariffs on Bourbon and the potential phased reduction on Scotch. The worry isn’t limited to premium Scotch—it extends to more affordable Bourbons and Tennessee whiskies, which could directly challenge mid-range IMFL brands.”
Global alcobev giants dominate
Desai added, “Currently, the Indian alcobev market stands at around 410 million cases, growing at a modest rate of 5%. The beer market is slightly larger at approximately 425 million cases, with a healthy growth rate of 8% to 10%, while the country liquor market is around 250 million cases. The world’s top nine alcobev companies operating in India hold a market share of over 52% by value and 43% by volume of the total Indian alcobev market.
Global alcobev giants operating in India bring deep experience from multiple international markets, significantly contributing to the industry’s growth. However, we shouldn’t overlook our own strengths. Indian companies are producing exceptional IMFL products, world-class single malts, and premium gins, along with competitive, high-quality beers that stand toe-to-toe with international brands. That’s something Indians should be incredibly proud of.”
Success of Indian single malts
Referring to the success of Indian single malts on the global map, Desai mentioned how they are inspiring even multinational companies to invest in producing premium spirits within India. “Many are now not only crafting outstanding single malts here, but also looking to export them globally — a true testament to the growing stature of Indian spirits.”
Talking about the AMBROSIA Awards, Desai said, “They are not just about recognition—they’re a celebration of the hard work, creativity, and dedication that have driven the industry forward over the past year.
Tonight, we honour excellence—from outstanding products and innovative packaging to groundbreaking marketing strategies. Over the past 30 years, Ambrosia has witnessed the transformation of the alcobev industry. What was once a market dominated by a few players has become a vibrant and competitive landscape, with Indian and multinational companies alike driving innovation and quality.”
He said that the AMBROSIA Awards have stood for excellence for three decades, thanks to a rigorous and unbiased judging process. “Each year, we assemble an international jury whose expertise ensures that only the very best are recognised. Their insights have highlighted significant improvements in product quality across various categories. Beyond the products, the jury has also acknowledged the remarkable advancements in packaging and design. From labels and bottle shapes to overall presentation, Indian brands are not just meeting global standards—they are often exceeding them.”
Ambrosia launches ASEAN Edition
Desai talked about Ambrosia magazine which has completed 33 years of successful publishing and in 2024 the ASEAN Edition of Ambrosia was launched. The ASEAN edition, launched from Singapore is being circulated across nine ASEAN countries—making Ambrosia the world’s largest combined circulated alcobev magazine. But we’re not stopping there. We’re also exploring the possibility of hosting an international exhibition and awards in Singapore—a significant milestone for the brand.
After Desai’s speech, the AMBROSIA Awards were presented by Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra, a highly decorated officer of the Indian Air Force.
