Varun Jain, Founder, Smoke Lab Vodka
Smoke Lab Vodka, a premium Indian vodka model from grain-based spirits maker NV Group, is eyeing growth into the UK, Africa, and European markets, alongside plans to reenter Singapore. The corporate, which counts the US as its largest market, goals to promote 50,000 circumstances there in FY26, with plans to double that to 100,000 circumstances the next 12 months.
The New Delhi-based NV Group is a spirits firm specialising within the manufacturing, bottling, and distribution of premium Indian Made Overseas Liquor (IMFL). The group’s ‘Made in India’ alcoholic drinks embody Smoke Lab Vodka, Stainley Gold, and Blue Moon Gin.
“India is extra of a brown spirits market. However the alternative right here is large. Globally, the most important vodka market is the US. Whereas the vodka market in India stands at round 1 million circumstances yearly, the US market is considerably bigger at 95 million circumstances per 12 months. Even when we seize simply 1 per cent of the US market and broaden our footprint there, it will be good for us,” shared Varun Jain, Founding father of Smoke Lab.
Majority gross sales
A majority 60 per cent of Smoke Lab Vodka’s gross sales come from cities like New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Florida, California, Chicago, Georgia, and Tennessee, with plans of higher penetration in California and Texas and a ramped-up visibility and availability in present states. The corporate additionally has a presence within the Center East.
Smoke Lab offered over 150,000 circumstances of vodka within the US over the previous three years. “We count on related volumes to come back from Europe, because the Center East tends to comply with European consumption traits,” Jain stated. “We at the moment are working to construct quantity within the Indian market, particularly with the Canteen Shops Division. We’ve already offered 6,000 circumstances by way of CSD, and the remainder of the Indian market is step by step opening up.”
By 2027, Smoke Lab goals to seize no less than 30 per cent of India’s premium vodka phase.
The vodka is produced at NV Group’s distillery in Punjab, which has a manufacturing capability of roughly 200,000 litres per day. As well as, the corporate operates manufacturing amenities in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Goa, with leased models in Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh, and a tie-up facility in Satpuli, Uttarakhand.
On plans for abroad manufacturing, he stated , “It’s nonetheless early days, as we’d want bigger volumes to justify that transfer. For now, we are able to handle exports from India. After we hit the required scale, we might contemplate manufacturing overseas—however the essence of Smoke Lab will stay Indian. If we ever produce abroad, we’ll ship the liquid from India and bottle it there.”
In India, the NV Group goals to broaden its presence from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal by August 2025.
It goals to realize a 40 per cent development in ENA world gross sales volumes over the subsequent 18 months and is seeking to triple its worldwide distribution footprint by 2026.
Printed on June 24, 2025
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