Mumbai, 9^th January 2026.

Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD), India’s largest domestic spirits company by volume, today announced the appointment of globally renowned Scotch whisky specialist Dr. Martin Leonard as Consultant. In this role, he is advising the company on commissioning of the Malt Distillery and on its single malt whisky initiative, further strengthening ABD’s technical expertise as it advances its premium whisky portfolio.

Martin brings over three decades of experience in the global Scotch whisky industry, covering distillation, maturation, blending, bottling, and supply chain operations. He most recently served as Managing Director of Inver House Distillers, where he led five single malt distilleries in Scotland and oversaw large-scale whisky operations, including inventories of more than 600,000 casks.

Martin has also served as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and is a recipient of the Master of the Quaich. He holds a PhD and a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of Glasgow and has previously held senior roles with United Distillers (nowDiageo) and BAT plc. As Consultant, he will work with ABD’s leadership and technical teams to support the development and long-term direction of its single malt business, with a focus on strengthening manufacturing capability and process quality.

Currently, the construction of the single malt distillery is in progress and is expected to be commissioned by Q4 FY26. This is part of the already announced backward integration investment programs, including PET bottle manufacturing, which has already been commissioned in Telangana in September 2025, ENA distillation capacity expansion in Maharashtra, and India’s first single malt distillery in Rangapur, Telangana. Strategically located within the largest integrated alcobev facility in Telangana which also houses an ENA distillery and an IMFL bottling unit, the Rangapur-based single malt distillery is being developed with an investment of ~₹75 Cr and a ~4.0 MLPA capacity to meet the current requirement of ~2.0 MLPA for blending and future single malt whiskies.

On the appointment, Alok Gupta, Managing Director, ABD, said, “Allied Blenders and Distillers has taken important steps in building its presence in India’s premium whisky segment. As we move into the next phase of our single malt journey, Martin’s role will be critical in strengthening our technical depth and operational capabilities. His extensive experience across malt whisky production, maturation, and large-scale operations brings valuable expertise to our team. We believe his guidance will play an important role in shaping a robust, high-quality single malt business aligned with our long-term growth ambitions.”

Sharing his thoughts on the appointment, Martin Leonard, Consultant, ABD, said,“I am pleased to be associated with Allied Blenders and Distillers at this key stage of its growth strategy. I look forward to working closely with the leadership and technical teams to contribute my experience in malt whisky production and operations. I see a strong opportunity to support the development of a high-quality and sustainable single malt business at ABD.”

The appointment of Martin marks an important step as ABD progresses its single malt plans and prepares to advance this business through its next phase of development.