BREWS & SPIRITS EXPO 2025: A PLATFORM FOR INDIA’S EVOLVING ALCOBEV INDUSTRY
Nivedita Bhalla
In house curator (WSCI) Wine & Spirits Club of India
Trade exhibitions sometimes gauge success in foot traffic and square footage. Held at the KTPO Convention Centre in Bengaluru from November 27–29, Brews & Spirits Expo 2025 organized by PDA Ventures Ltd. indicated a more sophisticated measure: intent. Over three precisely planned days, the expo showed an Indian alcobev industry becoming more aware of why it makes, how it shows, and the tales it picks to tell through liquid. The sixth iteration of the exhibition, which had more than 100 exhibitors and close to 4,000 guests, acted less like a marketplace and more like a mirror, showing a sector in the process of intentional change.
With its high concentration of microbreweries, hospitality companies, and beverage businesspeople, Bengaluru turned out to be a tactical location. Microbreweries, distillers, equipment makers, packaging experts, technology providers, distributors, and retailers all gathered on the show floor, therefore highlighting the degree to which production, service, and consumer experience have grown to be intertwined. The way talks moved across boundaries stood out even more than the variety of participants. Brewing science met brand narrative; retail design matched with bartender advocacy; fermentation labs discovered commonalities with flavour exploration.
A Varied Show Floor
The alcobev ecosystem’s whole range was on display on the exhibition floor. Equipment makers, packaging specialists, fermentation experts, automation suppliers, and retail-focused tech firms all shared space alongside microbreweries and distilleries. This combination showed how intimately consumer experience, presentation, and production are today related.
The alcobev ecosystem’s whole range was on display on the exhibition floor. Equipment makers, packaging specialists, fermentation experts, automation suppliers, and retail-focused tech firms all shared space alongside microbreweries and distilleries. This combination showed how intimately consumer experience, presentation, and production are today related.
The show was made more relevant by Bengaluru’s status as a brewing and hospitality center, as industry experts familiar with both craft-led experimentation and large-scale operations strongly participated. Rather than working in isolation, guests and vendors freely moved between conversations on brewing science, flavour development, bar operations, and retail strategy.
Conversations Influencing the Sector
Concurrent with the show, the conference schedule included panel discussions and technical sessions spanning three days. Subjects spanned from liquid creativity and Indian component usage to bartender advocacy, retail changes, and the rising need of brand-led hospitality events.
Concurrent with the show, the conference schedule included panel discussions and technical sessions spanning three days. Subjects spanned from liquid creativity and Indian component usage to bartender advocacy, retail changes, and the rising need of brand-led hospitality events.
Panels on liquid innovation looked at how local ingredients like jaggery, spices, and botanicals are being used more deliberately, not only as taste enhancers but also as part of a brand’s main identity. Other conversations revolved on how businesses and bars are headed for experience-first models, where design, narrative, and interaction count as much as the beverage itself. A recurrent theme in discussions was bartender advocacy, which emphasized a move from only classroom-based learning toward more immersive forms including on-ground experiences, ingredient investigation, and cultural context-building.
Masterclasses and Technical Learning
Along with the panel discussions, technical learning was given a lot of importance at the Brews & Spirits Expo 2025. Professionals wishing to improve operational standards and consistency regularly attended workshops and masterclasses.
Along with the panel discussions, technical learning was given a lot of importance at the Brews & Spirits Expo 2025. Professionals wishing to improve operational standards and consistency regularly attended workshops and masterclasses.
In modern brewing practices, VLB Berlin’s microbiological quality control technical workshop highlighted the growing need of process discipline and hygiene by stressing their relevance in this field. Further seminars addressed subjects as kombucha innovation, craft packaging ideas, precision lager yeast fermentation, tequila and rum manufacture, and best practices in beer and keg washing.
These meetings underlined one straightforward point: the Indian alcobev sector is paying more attention to quality control, repetition, and long-term scaling.
Focus on Boutique Brands
The launch of the WSCI Pavilion, which was introduced in collaboration with Brews & Spirits Expo 2025 and was among the most important new features of this year’s event. Created as a dedicated forum for small, high-quality brands, the pavilion solved a real problem experienced by many smaller manufacturers: limited exposure because of limited marketing budgets.
The launch of the WSCI Pavilion, which was introduced in collaboration with Brews & Spirits Expo 2025 and was among the most important new features of this year’s event. Created as a dedicated forum for small, high-quality brands, the pavilion solved a real problem experienced by many smaller manufacturers: limited exposure because of limited marketing budgets.
Without the expense or scale constraints of bigger exhibition formats, the WSCI Pavilion gave these companies direct access to trade guests, bartenders, and decision-makers. The pavilion was one of the louder successes of the show since it had consistent foot traffic and ongoing involvement across the three days.
Conversations Beyond the Main Floor
Away from the busier exhibition aisles and panel rooms, quieter conversations also shaped the character of the Expo was the WSCI Studio, designed for long-form discussions rather than quick exchanges. Over the course of the event, industry veterans, founders, and leaders stepped into the studio to reflect on their journeys, share hard-earned perspectives, and speak candidly about how they see the Indian alcobev industry evolving. These conversations moved beyond product showcases and trend forecasts. They touched on early failures, market realities, regulatory challenges, and the long view required to build sustainable brands in India. The interviews recorded at the WSCI Studio will be released to readers in the coming weeks, offering a deeper look into the people shaping the industry behind the scenes.
Away from the busier exhibition aisles and panel rooms, quieter conversations also shaped the character of the Expo was the WSCI Studio, designed for long-form discussions rather than quick exchanges. Over the course of the event, industry veterans, founders, and leaders stepped into the studio to reflect on their journeys, share hard-earned perspectives, and speak candidly about how they see the Indian alcobev industry evolving. These conversations moved beyond product showcases and trend forecasts. They touched on early failures, market realities, regulatory challenges, and the long view required to build sustainable brands in India. The interviews recorded at the WSCI Studio will be released to readers in the coming weeks, offering a deeper look into the people shaping the industry behind the scenes.
Industry Recognition and Contests
The programme was further given momentum by the series of contests and award shows held at the event. The Sip & Savour Hospitality Awards 2025 honored Bengaluru-based businesses for their wine-and-dine experiences, while the bbb Awards Ceremony acknowledged greatness throughout several areas of the alcobev sector. Among other things, award categories covered Best Craft Beer Selection, Best New Microbrewery, Best Beer and Food Pairing, and Most Creative Beer Flavour.
The programme was further given momentum by the series of contests and award shows held at the event. The Sip & Savour Hospitality Awards 2025 honored Bengaluru-based businesses for their wine-and-dine experiences, while the bbb Awards Ceremony acknowledged greatness throughout several areas of the alcobev sector. Among other things, award categories covered Best Craft Beer Selection, Best New Microbrewery, Best Beer and Food Pairing, and Most Creative Beer Flavour.
The IBG Flair Challenge 2025, which was put together with help from the India Bartenders Guild, showed off how creative and skilled bartenders could be on the last day. Following an awards presentation, a panel discussion on the development of flair bartending marked the end of the competition.
Curtains Closing By the time the fair came to an end, Brews & Spirits Expo 2025 had confirmed its status as more than only a business show. It served practically as a venue for discussions on production, service, retail, and consumer interaction converging all at one place.
The occasion mirrored a sector becoming more organised and deliberate with its mix of technical learning, brand displays, contests, and focused programmes like the WSCI Pavilion.
For now, as the curtains close on Brews & Spirits Expo 2025, the broader takeaway remains clear: the event was not just about what was poured, displayed, or awarded, but about the conversations both public and private that continue to shape the future of Indian alcobev.
“Where every sip told a tale, Brews & Spirits Expo 2025 proved to be a landmark celebration of innovation, passion and partnership.
I am deeply grateful to our visionary sponsors, dedicated exhibitors, insightful speakers, and every attendee who brought energy to the event – together we set a new benchmark for the Indian beverage industry. Your unwavering support turned our vision into an unforgettable experience, and we look forward to carrying this momentum forward.”
Nazeeba Zarin, Managing Director, PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd.
Nazeeba Zarin, Managing Director, PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd.
