India is emerging as a key growth market for champagne as the country’s appetite for premium spirits grows. And, if the duty cuts planned under the proposed trade deal with the European Union (EU) kick in, the spirit would get more affordable and usher in new growth in a hugely underpenetrated market.
Senior representatives of the Comité Champagne, which represents growers and manufacturing houses in France’s Champagne region, said India’s champagne market has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, with shipments at about 60,000 bottles in 2025, close to a peak of around 65,000 bottles recorded in 2016. This follows a steep decline in 2020, when pandemic restrictions halted shipments.
The next leg of growth in India will depend on pricing, co-presidents David Chatillon and Maxime Toubart, and director general Charles Goemaere, told Mint.
Under the proposed India-EU free , duties on champagne are set to fall from 150% to 20% over seven years. If the benefits are passed on, the first round of cuts—which could halve the duty—is expected to lower prices by 20-30% in the first year, Chatillon said. The trade deal is likely to be implemented next year.
“The product is currently overpriced in India compared to global markets. We expect it to align more closely,” said Chatillon, adding that the benefit would eventually depend on whether intermediaries pass it on. Importers, distributors and determine final prices, making pass-through uncertain. Industry executives said even a partial reduction in prices could expand access.
The country’s fundamentals of demand for the spirit remain strong. “The Indian market is poised for inflection,” Goemaere said, pointing to a young population, rising incomes and a higher spending on experiences after the pandemic.
India is still a small market globally. The per capita consumption in India remains negligible compared with France, where it is about two bottles per person annually, and the US, where it is about a tenth of a bottle.
The Comité Champagne, which had set up its India bureau in 2006, headed by its president Rajiv Singhal, said consumption of the spirit has historically tracked economic cycles—rising during growth periods and dipping during disruptions.
During the India visit of its top executives, the industry body got into an understanding with the Darjeeling Tea Association to explore synergies between the two products—which come with geographical indication (GI) tags—including those around sustainability practices and knowledge sharing.
Global mood gauge
Globally, the demand for champagne has softened after the post-pandemic surge in 2021, with inflation rise and geopolitical tensions affecting key markets such as the US and Europe. “Champagne is a barometer of global mood, and right now the world is not in a good mood,” Goemaere said.
With its GI tag, only the sparkling wine produced in France’s Champagne region can use the name; similar items produced elsewhere are labelled as sparkling wine.
Supply remains constrained. The Champagne region spans about 34,000 hectares, with annual production limited to about 300-320 million bottles. Growth is, therefore, driven by pricing and new markets rather than volumes. “There is no demand problem in India, Price is the barrier,” Chatillon added.
Champagne in India is sold starting about ₹4,000 a bottle, whereas an Indian sparkling wine can be bought for upwards of ₹1,000.
Champagne exports have averaged about 300 million bottles annually over the past decade, with total output typically in the range of 300-320 million bottles. In the most recent data available, 271.7 million bottles were shipped in 2024. Of this, 43.5%, or about 118.3 million bottles, was consumed within France.
The region also maintains significant reserves, including about 1 billion bottles in stock and 305 million kg of grapes in reserve, equivalent to around 261 million bottles.
The US is the largest export market, with about 27million bottles shipped in 2024, followed by the UK at 22 million. Despite this, per capita consumption in the US remains low, at roughly a tenth of a bottle per person annually.
India remains a minnow in this context, but higher disposable incomes a growing population entering the legal drinking age is what the champagne makers are betting big on. The country saw around 18-19 million people voting for the first time in the 2024 general election, and over the next four years, about 65 million Indians are expected to reach legal drinking age (18-25 years), depending on state regulations.
The champagne industry is valued at about €6 billion at the producer level, and it accounts for roughly 8% of global sparkling wine volumes but about a third of its value. Within the region, large houses such as Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesy’s Moët & Chandon account for about a fifth of total shipments, even as the sector remains fragmented across around 20,000 growers and 300 houses.