Market research in India for a foreign drinks brand

Start with the decision

Research should answer a decision, not produce a report. Write the decisions first. Which state to enter? Which product to bring? Which price to set? Which channel to use? Whether to enter at all?

Each decision needs different evidence. Choosing a state needs rules, costs and demand. Setting a price needs what comparable products cost and what shoppers will pay. Picking a channel needs how outlets in that state buy.

Desk research

Start with what is already known. Official notifications from state excise departments, customs information, trade association material and published industry articles give the rules and the shape of the trade. Treat anything old with caution, since rules change.

Be careful with market size and growth numbers that circulate online. Many are estimates of unclear origin. We do not quote them here. Prefer figures you can trace to a named source. Prefer your own primary research for decisions that matter.

Retail and trade audits

A retail audit means visiting shops, bars and restaurants and recording what is on the shelf, at what price and in what packaging. It shows who your competitors are, how the category is displayed and what the shopper sees. In some states, retail is limited to licensed outlets, so the audit follows the licence map.

Trade interviews add the why. Talk to distributors, bar managers and buyers. Ask what sells, what they wish they could stock and what margin they expect.

Consumer research

Surveys and tastings test how drinkers respond to your product. Run them with adults, with people who already drink the category, in the cities you plan to enter. Taste tests should be opt-in and responsible, with spit cups and water. Non-drinkers should be welcome to join without pressure.

Test the name and the label as well as the liquid. A name that works abroad may mean something else in an Indian language. Test price against comparable products rather than asking people to name a price from nothing.

Sample sizes and design matter. A small, well-designed study in two cities beats a large, loose one. See our guides on market research for a new beer brand and managing reviews and ratings for related methods.

State by state differences

Because alcohol is a state subject, research must be state specific. Rules on sale, price and advertising differ. So do tastes, incomes and drinking occasions. A finding from one city does not transfer to another.

Several states, including Bihar and Gujarat, have prohibition, so a plan to sell alcohol there is a different question from a plan for other states. Check what is allowed in any state before you plan fieldwork. Use local researchers who know the rules.

Turning findings into a plan

Set your results next to the economics. A product people like at a price they will not pay is no use. Combine research with a cost model and a view of how the product reaches the shelf. The result is a go, no-go or adjust decision, with a clear list of what to test next.

Plan for a second round. The first study narrows the questions. The second answers them. Keep the scope small enough to finish.

How we help

We run market research for foreign drinks brands in India: desk research, retail and competitor price audits, trade interviews and consumer surveys. We design the study around your decision, work with local fieldworkers where needed and report in plain terms. Work is remote by video call and shared data, with site visits by arrangement.

We do not predict sales or quote market sizes. We give you evidence from the places you plan to sell.

Traps to avoid

Do not rely on one city. Do not ask friends and family. Do not test only with people who already love your brand abroad. Do not let a distributor who wants to sell your product run the research that decides whether to sell it.

Be careful with leading questions. Ask what people drink and why before you show them your product. Record how they react rather than only what they say they would pay.

Finally, keep the research ethical. Collect only the information you need, explain how you will use it and follow the rules on alcohol and on personal data.

Common questions

How long does research take?

It depends on scope. A focused desk and trade study is quicker than a multi-city consumer survey. We scope it around your decision.

Can research be done from abroad?

Desk research and planning can. Field work needs local people, which we arrange. You can join by video.

Do you provide market size figures?

We avoid unsourced estimates. We prefer primary evidence from the states and channels you plan to use.