November 29, 2003 29 November 2003 Absolut Vodka entering the India

Swedish premium vodka Absolut has been launched in the India. Kyndal India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based spirits major Whyte & Mackay (W&M) will be importing and distributing Absolute vodka, initially in Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta and parts of Punjab. A bottle of Absolut will be priced at Rs 1,500. More information inside the article.Kyndal’s licensed marketing partner in India, Shaw Wallace, will undertake secondary distribution of Absolut. Currently, Absolut is available in bars and restaurants and also at duty-free shops in international airports in India. The Absolut brand is owned by a Swedish public-sector undertaking (PSU) V&S Group, and is the second largest selling vodka brand globally. The vodka is a single-source brand, manufactured only in Southern Sweden and imported all over the world. Bengt Baron, president, V&S Absolut Spirits, said, “We have taken two years to study the Indian market, and our entry is timely. India is a very exciting market. There is a marked incr-ease of consumption from an aspirational point of view. Since we target Absolut at the premium market, we do not expect overnight success.

We hope to build a solid platform for the long term.” The Absolut advertising campaign and brand has long been associated with popular culture and art, fashion, literature and cinema.