United Spirits Ltd, the Indian arm of Diageo plc, has rolled out a major transformation of its flagship McDowell’s No. 1 brand in India, as the company looks to reignite growth and strengthen its position amid rising premiumisation trends in the country’s alcoholic beverages market.
United Spirits Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Praveen Someshwar said the company has been working on the transformation of McDowell’s over the last year and has now launched the revamped offering in Uttar Pradesh, marking the first market rollout of what he described as a “full reset” of the whisky brand.
McDowell’s gets premium push
The company has upgraded the McDowell’s No. 1 liquid with 30% more scotch to deliver a smoother and richer taste profile while retaining the same price point to preserve affordability for consumers.
Alongside the upgraded blend, the brand has also received a modern scotch-inspired packaging redesign and a more aspirational 180ml PET format aimed at improving convenience and appeal.
Someshwar told analysts at a recent earnings call that the company carried out rigorous testing over the last several months and is confident that the transformed bundle will help win back consumers and reignite growth for what it described as the world’s largest whisky brand by volume.
The rollout has started in Uttar Pradesh and will continue sequentially across markets in India until the end of August. The company expects clearer consumer response trends to emerge from mid-July onwards as the refreshed portfolio gains wider market presence.
India’s premiumisation story driving strategy
United Spirits said India remains one of the most significant long-term growth opportunities globally for the alcohol industry, with the country expected to add nearly 100 million legal drinking age consumers over the next five years.
The company said growth in the Indian alco-bev market is increasingly being driven by premiumisation and evolving consumer aspirations, prompting it to reshape its portfolio strategy around consumer occasions, premium offerings and innovation-led growth.
Someshwar said the company views India as “three distinct Indias” with sharply different consumer behaviours and aspirations.
According to the company, India-1 comprises aspirational but income-constrained consumers seeking affordable access to aspirational brands, while India-2 represents the value-conscious middle class steadily premiumising. India-3, meanwhile, consists of affluent consumers seeking premium experiences, experimentation and identity-led consumption.
Brand portfolio aligned to changing consumers
United Spirits said its portfolio strategy is designed around these three consumer segments and backed by differentiated approaches instead of a one-size-fits-all model.
The company highlighted that brands such as Signature, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s, Black Dog and Johnnie Walker continue to anchor its premiumisation-led growth strategy in India.