India’s domestic wine market looks set to double in the next two years, according to the latest research from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Assocham.

Current consumption of 5m litres is expected to grow 25% in the next two years, to reach 9m by 2010, with major cities like Mumbai, Delhi/NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad producing a good deal of wine consumers.

Rising disposable incomes and reduced duties with eased restrictions on the distribution of wine to deter consumption of stronger alcoholic drinks, has helped the industry’s significant growth.

This new research further solidifies the trends Berrys’ Masters of Wine Team recently predicted in Berrys’ Future of Wine Report – a glimpse of what the world of wine might look like in 2058.

In the report Berrys’ experts note that the technology exchange in winemaking and viticulture from Europe and Australasia means India is likely to challenge the supremacy of traditional winemaking countries. What’s more if the increasing number of vineyards planted in parts of western and southern India are any indication, India will soon be taken seriously as a fine wine-growing nation.

Alun Griffiths MW predicts: “India has the potential to embrace wine in a big way and the economic muscle to dictate to producers what style of wine they should be making.”