CORPORATE
Pernod Ricard to sell Imperial Blue to Tilaknagar; to focus on global brands
- IBJ Bureau
- Jul 24, 2025
Pernod Ricard has said that it has agreed to sell its Imperial Blue whisky business to Indian liquor-maker Tilaknagar Industries, as the French spirits group boosts its focus on premium labels in its portfolio.
The world’s No 2 Western spirits-maker has not disclosed the value of the deal but has said that on completion, it is expected to be “immediately and meaningfully accretive” to Pernod Ricard India’s operating margin and net sales growth rate.
The transaction is subject to approval from the Competition Commission of India, and is expected to close within the coming months, Pernod Ricard has said in a statement.
The news comes as the French group looks to streamline its business and focus on its core portfolio of pricey, global brands amid a sector-wide downturn in sales.
Pernod Ricard Chairman and CEO Alexandre Ricard has said that the sale will “sharpen our focus on more profitable and faster-growing brands in India, as in the rest of the world”.
Jean Touboul, the CEO of Pernod Ricard India, has said that it will notably allow Pernod Ricard to allocate resources more effectively towards high-growth brands in India such as Royal Stag and Blenders Pride, as well as international brands like Chivas, Jameson, Absolut, and Ballantine’s.
For Tilaknagar Industries, a dominant player in India’s brandy market with Mansion House, the deal marks a strategic shift into whisky, a faster-growing, higher-margin segment.
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