Nepal-based Khukri Rum enters India, targets pan-India expansion in FY26

Nepal-based Khukri Rum has entered the Indian market to tap into the growing demand for premium spirits. Currently available in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa, the brand plans to expand to additional States in the next fiscal year.

In its first year, Khukri aims to sell 20,000 cases in India as it establishes its presence in the evolving premium rum segment.

“We are in key global markets like the US, Japan, Italy, the UK, Australia, UAE and Bahrain. In India, the brand is currently in three states, and we have plans to expand across the country in the coming financial year. Next fiscal, we will go to the northeast, deeper parts of Maharashtra, Kerala, and Pondicherry down South, and in states like Haryana, and Rajasthan up North. Soon, we will be available duty-free as well,” shared Harsh Sinha, Country Director – India, MCKT Beverages, the parent company.

Sinha added, “We are the market leader in Nepal in the rum category. Our brand is present everywhere in the country.”

The parent company operates a distillery and bottling unit in Kathmandu, where the spirits are produced. The company will initially fix the product in Nepal and take the bottled-in-origin (BIO) approach. However, it may examine a Bottled in India (BII) approach as well, he said.

In Nepal, the company sells approximately 3.5 lakh cases of Khukri spirits annually. In India, it aims to sell around 20,000 cases in the first year, with plans for gradual growth as it expands across both standard and premium market segments.

“The plan is to go deep into the market and offer the right products to seek acceptance like in other parts of the world. Once we establish that, revenue will follow through. In India, the rum market is primarily dominated by the value segment, which accounts for 96-97 per cent of the kitty. The balance is in standard premium and super-premium. But you’ll see newer players getting into that segment because trends show consumers are ready for experimentation. Consumers are ready to buy premium liquids because they want to drink less, but quality,” Sinha explained.

The variants launched include three premium expressions – Khukri XXX Rum, Khukri Spiced Rum and Khukri White Rum. In the next fiscal, the brand will be launching an additional product – Khukri Coronation Rum – in the Indian market, which is already present in Nepal and other countries. In Nepal, the brand’s portfolio also includes vodka and a grain spirit.