New Delhi, Oct 3: The seventy nine-year-old, light coloured Scotch whisky Cutty Sark which began importing its Bottled in Origin (BIO) drink in India since last year April, has sold about 10,000 cases, a figure which it seeks to increase by five times in as many years.

Brand Cutty Sark with a turnover of £ 80 million world-wide, regards India as a fast growing Scotch whisky market with a lot of potential and expects the Indian market to contribute about 2 per cent of its turnover in five years.

The brand is scouting for more adventure sports-persons to endorse its brand. It has already roped in sailor sportsman Sandeep Srikant. “Last year we sold about 10,000 cases and we seek to sell about 50,000 cases in five years, which in terms of sales will be £ 2 million,” said Peter Davie, regional brands director, Cutty Sark. However it is based on the premise that duties on imported Scotch whiskeys would come down in the years to come,” he said.

“Cutty Sark expects to sell about 15,000 cases this year at the present rate of duty,” said Brian senior,” director Indian sub-continent and lower Gulf. “The total duty, at present-including state levies come to about 500 per cent of the import price,” said Brian Senior.

In this budget, the basic customs duty on liquor was reduced from 210 to 182 per cent. Apart from this, BIO products have to pay a special additional duty of 50 per cent for booze priced above $ 25 and 75 per cent on those below $ 25.

Currently, Cutty Sark is available in the retail shops albeit premium ones, only in Mumbai, Calcutta and Haryana, which it will soon take to Chandigarh and onto Goa and upcountry Maharashtra.