Indian wine event in Belgium raises questions

In an interesting development that has raised eyebrows, the Indian ambassador to Belgium participated in an event for the promotion of a particular brand of Indian wine in Belgium, which will be manufactured by a well-known Maharashtra-based company. However, the venture is being seen as part of a growing trend of Indian diplomats actively pitching for export of produce from India even if it is, in this case, an alcoholic product. The government sources, however, have pointed out that Indian diplomats are also mandated for efforts to promote the export of Indian produce to foreign countries and that there is nothing wrong with this.

The event took place at Kortrijk in Belgium on September 15 in which “the embassy of India in Brussels participated” for promotion of the particular brand of wine. In fact, the Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (EU) Manjeev Singh Puri was the “key note speaker” at the event where he “congratulated the dynamic CEO” of the Indian company “for bringing a wine revolution in India and putting the country on the world wine map”.

Calling the event—attended by over 300 people, including prominent businessmen — as “an indication that there is interest in Indian wine”, Mr Puri said, “You appreciate wine for its flavour, texture, colour and variety. As you know, India is a new entrant to the EU market. Soil, weather, geology, varietals, and the style of wine making, are all decisive factors that give each wine a unique character. While the EU is the foremost exporter of wine (worth Euro 9 billion last year), it also imports wine for more than Euros 2 billion. I hope Indian wine would also be able to find a decent place on your dining tables.” The Indian embassy in Brussels had also stated that “wines from India are trying to expand their market presence in the EU”.

The Indian envoy also reminded the audience about the “opportunities for investment in India” at the event which was organised to “celebrate the fifth anniversary of import” of the particular brand of Indian wine in Belgium.

When contacted, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Indian envoys are also mandated to actively promote the export of produce from India abroad, even if the product is manufactured by a private Indian firm. “Also, in India the consumption, manufacture and export of wine is perfectly legal,” sources pointed out.

When contacted, a former foreign secretary speaking on condition of anonymity said, “This would almost certainly not have happened even a decade ago but I see nothing wrong in it. This is part of a new trend wherein diplomats are also expected to promote the export of produce from India. The diplomats also have to engage in tasks such as trade-promotion apart from their regular work. This trade-promotion is something which Western diplomats have long been engaging in on behalf of their countries. So it’s perfectly okay for Indian diplomats to do so too.”

Another former diplomat pointed out that European countries want India to lower import duty on European wines so that even the cheaper European wines can capture a large slice of the Indian market. But this is something that India is reluctant to do since it is nurturing its own domestic wine industry for its domestic market and also hopes to boost the export of Indian wine abroad.