EU-India trade, with tariffs down to 20%, is a new "El Dorado" for wine producers.

India is shaping up to be the new "El Dorado" for Italian wine exports following the recently signed EU-India agreements, which, among other things, see tariffs on wine drop from 150% to 20% for premium wines and 30% for mid-range wines.
“For us wine producers, the EU-India agreement opens up a market with extraordinary opportunities, and I'm not talking about India but all of Southeast Asia, Thailand and Indonesia, but also Vietnam, regions where there is no wine culture, the consumption of which is very low compared to the population that instead drinks a lot of beer,” explains Diego Cusumano , a producer who knows the international wine market well.
Although still a niche market, recent export data show accelerated growth for Italian wine in India, despite the protectionist barriers that have previously hindered trade. Italian exports reached a value of approximately $33 million, up 14% by the beginning of 2026, with approximately 1 million liters of wine exported. Italy thus emerges as the second-largest foreign supplier of wine after Australia and France, with a market share of 17% of the total value of Indian wine imports.
"With Indian duties previously set at 150% ," emphasizes winemaker Cusumano, " a truly quality Italian wine could cost 12-14 times more. This price was truly prohibitive for this market to even come close to offering our product. Indeed, to date, 70% of Italian wine exported to India has been in the entry-level price range, with higher-end wines being the prerogative of French production."
WINE IS THE BEST VALUE FOR ITALIAN TOURISM AND CULTURE.
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Now it is essential to be the first to conquer the Indian market, moving quickly and rapidly, with the financial support - especially regarding promotion costs - of the institutions and with an effective and shared communication and promotion plan.
According to the producers, this agreement also represents a fantastic opportunity for incoming tourism to Italy, and not just to its most popular tourist destinations. It's well-established that wine and food are a driving force for promoting Italy, our culture, Made in Italy products, and above all, our regions, the lands where our food and wine originate. "This represents ," adds Cusumano, " an opportunity to promote not only the sector but all Made in Italy products and their destinations to a growing market of 2 billion potential tourists!"
"My proposal ," he continues, " is therefore a large communications budget funded by the Ministries of Agriculture, Made in Italy, and Tourism, but managed by producers and recognized professionals. People will realize that a glass of good Italian wine is worth more than a thousand Botticelli avatars."