WINE CONSUMPTION IN INDIA GROWS BY 30% PER YEAR, BUT IMPORT DUTIES AS HIGH AS 270%. VINITALY’S TRIP TO NEW DELHI AND MUMBAI

Wine consumption in Italy is growing by about 30% each year, but import customs fees for Italian products are on average 270%. This is the scenario that Vinitaly, the most important Italian wine exposition, encountered in the Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, where over 60 producers presented some of their best Italian wines to the Indian market. Inaugurating the three day show organized by Ice and Veronafiere, was Vice Minister of Productive activities and Foreign Affairs delegate, Adolfo Urso, who was in India as head of a delegation with Confindustria, Simest, Sace, Altagamma, and Bocconi University.

“India - stated Urso - which registers an increase of about 30% per year in the wine market, with over 1.2 million bottles sold, maintains average import duties of about 270% on Italian wine imports. With this exhibition - explained the Vice Minister - we hope to familiarize our best products but also sensitize the government of New Delhi on significantly reducing the barriers for our wine exportations to India”.

The Indian market is very strategic for “made in Italy” products and during Vice Minister Urso’s mission important agreements were signed for bilateral cooperation in the industrial sector, as well as agreements between Italian business consortium Confindustria and India’s equivalent, and between Simest, the Italian company that manages foreign investments, and, again, the Indian equivalent.