India’s wine market is opening up for New Zealand wine exporters after the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into force last week.
For Marlborough wineries, the opportunity presents a “journey of discovery” and “offers a strong platform to explore an exciting new market,” says Marcus Pickens, General Manager of Wine Marlborough.
Tariffs on eligible New Zealand wine will reduce over ten years from 150 percent to either 50 percent or 25 percent, depending on value, bringing greater access to India’s fast-growing economy.
New Zealand wine exports to India have historically been modest, but they grew 48 percent in the last year to just under NZ$438,000, according to New Zealand Winegrowers.
For Tyler Hammond, co-founder of Tiraki – a winery based on Longfield Farm in Fairhall – the agreement is good news.
Tiraki already exports pinot noir and sauvignon blanc to India, and he hopes improved access will help them establish a greater presence.
“We’ve always seen India as a market with big potential in the long term.
“Hopefully the FTA will help accelerate the pace of transformation into a very interesting and sizeable market.”
Tyler will attend ProWine in Mumbai next month, India’s largest wine and spirits expo, to reconnect with Tiraki’s importer and boost the development of the brand.
“[We want to] get some further insights into the latest market dynamics and how the FTA changes will impact the market and consumer pricing,” he adds.
India’s wine market is mostly concentrated in three cities: Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, which account for half of the country’s wine consumption and are home to around 70 million people. This is a market 13 times the size of New Zealand and is comparable to the United Kingdom.
Sales of wine are also growing, according to New Zealand Winegrowers. In the year to March 2026, Maharashtra (of which Mumbai is the capital city) sold a record 13 million litres, or around 1.4 million cases, while imports grew 14 percent by volume in 2025.
Marcus says that although tariffs are still high, they have come down significantly already and will reduce further with time, boosting the long-term opportunity for growth.
“Knowing this gives confidence that investment in developing the market will pay off as brands start showing what makes Marlborough wine such a standout.
“The Marlborough wine industry toasts the India-New Zealand FTA coming into force.”
