Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABDL) has agreed to purchase a non-operational distillery and bottling facility in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, from National Industrial Corporation (NICOL). The Indian spirits group disclosed the deal in a regulatory filing on Friday, 16 January.
ABDL stated it will pay up to Rs700 million ($7.7 million) for the assets, which include land, buildings, plant, machinery, and licences. An additional investment of up to Rs400 million is planned to upgrade ground infrastructure and establish a bottling unit at the site.
"The proposed acquisition is in line with the growth strategy and to enhance backward integration capabilities of the company," ABDL said in the filing. The company noted that the Moradabad location has "adequate" land for expanding existing capacity and will increase its Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) bottling capacity in Uttar Pradesh.
The transaction is expected to close by 31 July. Facility upgrades are scheduled to be completed within 12 months of closing.
ABDL markets brands such as Officer’s Choice Whisky, Sterling Reserve, and ICONiQ White whisky. Last week, the company announced the appointment of Scotch whisky specialist Dr. Martin Leonard as a consultant to advise on commissioning a distillery.
Construction of a single-malt distillery at Rangapur, Telangana, is underway, with commissioning expected in the fourth quarter of the 2026 financial year. In September, ABDL commissioned a PET bottle manufacturing facility in Rangapur, involving capital expenditure of about Rs1.15 billion and designed to produce over 600 million PET bottles annually.
In August, ABDL abandoned its plan to acquire a 51% majority stake in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage producer Good Barrel Distillery.