The Moodie BLOG in India: Part 4 – Smoke rings over Delhi

by Martin Moodie |
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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

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The taste of Indian consumers is moving inexorably upmarket, almost by the day. As noted in an earlier BLOG, Alpha Future says high-end malt whiskies and Montblanc writing instruments are selling out as fast as they can be stocked at Delhi International Airport.

The same phenomenon can be seen in the shopping malls and upmarket bars of Delhi. On Saturday evening The Moodie Report was invited along by Alpha Future Business Development Director Rakesh Chopra to an evening for cigar aficionados run by prominent local tobacco products specialist Godfrey Phillips. The smoke of choice was Cuban, a fine range of Habanos to be specific, from Romeo y Julieta to the more recent launch Guantanamera.

On a hotel rooftop with a lovely poolside setting, the chance to blow away the jetlag with plumes of Habanos smoke provided an equally welcome opportunity to look out over the lights of Delhi. With ‘Chivas life’ signs all around them, guests supped on 12yo Scotch whisky and smoked some of the world’s best cigars. “Indians are really getting into their cigars now,” said Gaurav Joshi (pictured centre), Area Sales Manager – Cigars for Godfrey Phillips India. The same goes for malt whisky added Badsha Banerji, National Account Manager – India for Focus Brands, who represents The Glenrothes, a fine Speyside malt, as well as the Cutty Sark blend. “Many people are actually collecting malts even though they don’t really yet know the difference between them.”

It’s that sort of consumerism, one that in different ways is straddling several generations, that makes India such an exciting place to do business today.