Pernod Ricard India’s flagship whisky brand Royal Stag has now emerged as the world’s number one whisky brand. It has become the world’s largest-selling whisky brand in calendar year 2025. According to the latest global volume rankings released by the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR), Royal Stag has recorded a groundbreaking 32.6 million nine-litre cases in sales during the calendar year 2025. This cements the position of Royal Stag at the top of the global spirits landscape.
Royal Stag holding such a high position of being world’s no.1 whisky brand represents a milestone moment for both the Indian spirits market and Pernod Ricard India. Over the past five years, Royal Stag’s annual sales volume saw a surge of nearly 75 percent and pushed many long-standing competitors in order to reach this height. This sales performance also led the brand to win the title of Supreme Brand Champion 2026 by The Spirits Business.
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This achievement by the brand comes at a time when the country is continuing to strengthen its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing premium spirits markets. As per Fortune India, Jean Touboul, CEO of Pernod Ricard India, said that Royal Stag’s achievement as world’s largest-selling whisky for 2025, as per the IWSR 2025 rankings, is a milestone for Pernod Ricard India. He said that the trust of the consumers built over three decades is what makes this achievement truly meaningful.
He further said that the journey of Royal Stag is an example of brands that believe staying rooted in culture, evolving with consumers’ changing aspirations, and raising the bar continuously lead the world. Jean called innovation their long-term growth strategy, and hence the brand will never stop innovating.
For the French spirits company, India is its largest market by volume and second largest by value. Pernod Ricard grew faster in India in FY26 despite a tough global market. Global sales were €10.96 billion in FY25, and India was one of its strongest markets.
Pernod Ricard was launched in 1995 and is available across 33 countries. With its entry, it disrupted the Indian spirits industry by offering a blend of imported Scotch malts and grain spirits at a time when the domestic market was being dominated by molasses-based spirits.
The brand established its initial drive on tamper-proof packaging and a “No Artificial Flavors” commitment. This led the brand in its early growth phase to cross its first 10-million-case milestone.
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Following this, in the upcoming decades, Pernod Ricard expanded the franchise by keeping in mind the consumer taste profiles that keep evolving. This includes Royal Stag, Royal Stag Barrel Select, and Royal Stag Double Dark. Royal Stag Barrel Select alone clocked sales of 18.5 million cases between the years 2011 and 2020.
The strategy worked as consumers spent more on premium products. After selling its budget brand Imperial Blue to Tilaknagar Industries in late 2025, Pernod Ricard focused more on making Royal Stag more premium. More recently, it introduced other initiatives like Double Tample Evident Technology closures and Mark of Purity.
Strategy | Execution and Impact |
Demographic advantage | Leveraging India’s rising middle class, expanding disposable income, and urban expansion. |
Product integrity | Introducing Double Tamper Evident Technology (DTET) closures and Mark of Purity. |
Culture-led Marketing | Multi-year partnerships with international cricket, music festivals, and youth festivals. |
Global expansion | Active retail distribution |
Rather than relying on traditional advertising channels, the brand used high-visibility platforms in entertainment and sports to build long-term equity.
As per Fortune India, Debasree Dasgupta, chief marketing officer, Pernod Ricard India, said that this milestone achievement is the result of striving to provide what consumers aspire for and stay relevant to them rather than running behind the scale or numbers. He said that the brand never believed in following the category; instead believes in shaping it.
Royal Stag has been ranked as the world’s number one whisky brand, and this highlights a shift in global alcohol consumption. The brand’s rise to the top shows how Indian-origin brands are achieving global recognition while driving premiumization.
