Diageo moves in on world's biggest whiskey market: India

Mumbai

INDIA has a love-hate relationship with booze. While the majority of adults are lifetime abstainers, those who enjoy a tipple tend to enjoy it a lot - mostly in spirit form.

That's made India both the world's biggest whiskey market and the subject, in some states, of a fresh wave of anti-alcohol laws - in one case, punishable by death. Even as the country prepares to ban liquor sales near major highways to curb drunk driving, Diageo Plc sees opportunities and may be poised to acquire a bigger stake in the country's top distiller.