India's single malt whisky is having a moment. Three of the world's top ten whiskies are now Indian. Brands like Paul John, Amrut, Rampur, Indri and Godawan are competing, and winning, on the global stage, reaching nearly 80 countries. On World Whisky Day, there is plenty to celebrate.

There is also one number worth sitting with: one.

That is the number of spirit distilleries in Asia to have received the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification, Godawan, whose distillery sits in Alwar, Rajasthan, one of India's most water-stressed states. In an industry that uses tens of litres of water to produce every single litre of spirit, and generates several times that volume in effluent, one certified distillery is a quiet indictment of how seriously the broader industry is moving.

The AWS certification is not a token badge. It requires distilleries to demonstrate responsible water use at a watershed level, tracking consumption ratios, treating effluent to verifiable standards, engaging surrounding communities, and contributing to local groundwater recharge. It is, in short, the kind of transparency the industry says it values. Getting there demands measurable outcomes, not stated intentions.

Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra, Director General of the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA), acknowledges the stakes. "Water is not an input that can be substituted or engineered away entirely," he said. "If those regions face severe aquifer depletion — and the data on several of them already warrants serious attention — the ability to sustain, let alone grow, our category will be fundamentally at risk."

The geography of Indian single malt makes this more than an abstract concern. India's prominent distilleries are concentrated in regions already under measurable water stress, Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, Nashik in Maharashtra, the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, and Alwar in Rajasthan. India accounts for 25 percent of global groundwater withdrawals, the highest of any country. Projections cited by IMWA suggest 21 Indian cities could exhaust their groundwater reserves entirely by 2030 if current trends hold.

Chopra insists the industry is moving. "IMWA members have established comprehensive SOPs for water recycling, effluent treatment, and water reuse," he said. "These processes are closely monitored and reviewed annually to identify opportunities for continual improvement." The association represents producers accounting for more than 80 percent of Indian single malt's market share.

But SOPs and certifications are different things. The former describes internal process. The latter requires independent verification against a global standard. On that count, the gap between ambition and accountability remains wide.

The timing matters. Indian single malt is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 12 percent through 2032. Export volumes are climbing. And global buyers — particularly in the UK and Europe — are beginning to ask harder questions about environmental credentials. "The brands that cannot answer those questions convincingly will eventually pay a competitive price," Chopra said.

Published on: May 16, 2026 10:15 AM IST