Vinitaly India Roadshow in New Delhi with 100 Operators and Buyers
India enters the international development plan of the trade fair brand promoting Italian wine with the first edition of Vinitaly India Roadshow, scheduled for March 7-8 in New Delhi. Organized by Veronafiere in collaboration with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and with the support of the Italian Embassy in New Delhi, Vinitaly India Roadshow features a selection of 12 key players representing Italy’s wine industry.
Among them are Piemonte Land of Wine (which brings together 14 wine consortia from Piedmont), Italia del Vino Consorzio (23 companies from 16 regions), Angelini Wines & Estates (with its estates in 4 regions), and Uvaitaly (11 producers from 5 regions).
The event, hosted at the Vivanta Dwarka hotel, includes B2B meetings with 100 industry professionals, including importers, liquor store managers, and HoReCa executives, all pre-selected and accredited by the Indian Chamber of Commerce. These connections will also extend invitations to the 57th edition of Vinitaly, set to take place in Verona from April 6-9.
“In a time of rising trade wars,” stated Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere SpA, “we view the strategic partnership between India and the European Union, announced just days ago, with great interest. Currently, Italian wine sales in India remain marginal compared to our global wine exports, which exceeded $8 billion in 2024. However, we firmly believe that India could become an increasingly important market for wine—a beverage long associated with moderate alcohol consumption. Our Unione Italiana Vini-Vinitaly Observatory estimates a 40% increase in wine consumption between 2024 and 2028, and with new bilateral agreements, that growth could be even higher.”
Adolfo Rebughini, General Director of Veronafiere SpA, added: “With Vinitaly, we represent Italian wine and Italy as the world’s leading wine producer in terms of variety. Our fair is the world’s largest event dedicated to promoting Italian wine, hosting 90,000 industry professionals each year—over a third of them coming from 140 different countries. Indian buyers are already a fixed presence at Vinitaly, with over 100 attending the last edition. But that is not enough: we aim to strengthen their participation. We are here to promote Italian wine alongside major industry players, but also to build stronger, long-term partnerships to attract even more professionals to Vinitaly. India is a rapidly growing economy and, compared to other Asian markets, has a better understanding of Western culture and traditions, which it already partially shares.”
Italian Wine Market in India
The Italian wine market in India is valued at $33 million (including taxes), with a 17% share of total wine imports. Italy ranks third in value in a $418 million market, which is dominated by domestic wines (77% by volume, 50% by value).
In imported wine volume, Italy ranks second, with around 1 million liters. However, in value terms, it follows Australia (30% market share) and France (19%). The main challenge is the positioning of Italian wines, with 70% falling in the entry-level category, while France dominates the premium segment.
A significant growth trend, according to the Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory (based on IWSR data), is Italian sparkling wines, whose sales are expected to double by 2028, reaching $20 million.
These figures are expected to rise significantly once the free trade agreement—announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—is finalized. The agreement is set to be signed by the end of this year.
