Brands
Indri crowned ‘Best World Whisky’ at Las Vegas with record 99.1 score
MUMBAI: India’s homegrown single malt Indri has once again made history on the world stage. The Indri-Trini Diwali Collector’s Edition 2025: Marsala Cask Finish has been named ‘Best World Whisky’ at the Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards 2025, with an extraordinary 99.1 points out of 100, one of the highest scores ever achieved by an Indian whiskey.
This marks Indri’s second big win at the competition, after first bagging the top honour in 2023. The victory reaffirms Indri’s reputation as a global benchmark for single malts, while placing India firmly on the world whiskey map.
Crafted by Piccadily Distilleries in Indri, Haryana, the award-winning edition is made from six-row Indian barley and finished in Marsala wine casks. Bottled at cask strength (60 per cent ABV), it is celebrated for its rich profile, stewed apricots, cherries, plums, and nutty spice on the nose; red berries, chocolate, nutmeg, and walnuts on the palate; with a long, lingering fruity-oak finish.
The recognition follows Indri’s phenomenal commercial success. In 2024, the brand became the fastest-growing and largest-selling single malt, outselling global heavyweights such as Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, The Singleton, and Laphroaig (IWSR data).
*“Indri has been rewriting the story of Indian single malts, breaking stereotypes and setting new standards globally,” said Piccadily Distilleries head of marketing Shalini Sharma. “This near-perfect score is not just a win for Indri, but a proud moment for India.”
The Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards, judged through blind tastings by expert distillers, buyers, bartenders, educators, and media, evaluates entries on appearance, aroma, palate, balance, and finish.
With the 2025 collector’s edition set to launch in India before Diwali, anticipation is at an all-time high. Indri’s limited-edition Diwali releases have fast become some of the most awaited whiskey launches worldwide.
For Piccadily Agro Industries Limited, Indri’s success underscores its commitment to premiumisation and innovation. The company, also known for Camikara premium rum and a wide portfolio of malt spirits, has rapidly emerged as a serious force in the global spirits industry.
Indri’s win is more than an award, it is a signal to the world that Indian single malts are not just competing, but leading, at the highest level.
Brands
HSBC names Gautam Anand to head global India private banking unit
The bank taps a 25-year veteran to run its franchise as the war for wealthy NRI clients heats up
MUMBAI: HSBC has handed Gautam Anand the keys to its global India private banking business, betting that a seasoned operator can squeeze more out of one of the world’s most lucrative pools of offshore wealth.
Anand, who joined HSBC Private Bank in December 2023 as global co-ordinator for Global India, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, steps up to lead the franchise outright. He will run the operation across India and its key international outposts in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom, putting him squarely in the middle of the corridors through which Indian money flows abroad.
The appointment is a signal of intent. HSBC only launched its global private banking business in India in 2023, pitching hard at high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients as part of a broader assault on Asian wealth management. The bank now wants Anand to turn that beachhead into a fortress.
He comes well-armed. Before HSBC, Anand clocked time at UBS, Credit Suisse, ANZ and ABN Amro, a CV that reads like a roll-call of the banks that have long competed to manage the fortunes of India’s affluent diaspora.
With Indian wealth exploding at home and spreading fast across global financial centres, the race to capture it is only getting fiercer. HSBC is backing Anand to make sure it does not finish second.
