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Wine consumption increasing (Bangalore)
"BANGALORE: It is not surprising that Bangaloreans are ringing in the new year with bubbly spirits.

The city has seen a steady increase in wine consumption in recent years, and according to a survey conducted by consultancy firm Brounens in July last, Bangalore has the third largest market for wine in the country after Mumbai and Delhi.

The city consumes around 31,000 cases a year as against the one lakh [1 lahk =100,000] cases in Mumbai and around 54,000 cases in Delhi.

As the fastest growing city in wine consumption with 30 to 35 per cent increase annually, the wine drinking culture in Bangalore has grown with the growth of the Information Technology sector and a large and ever- increasing floating population of international visitors who come to the city on work.

While domestic wine brands have witnessed an increase in sales by 33 per cent in Bangalore, the imported wine segment has reported an increase by seven per cent over the previous decade."

Interesting to note that while Delhi has a population of 15.0MIL, and Mumbai 18.2MIL, Bangalore only(?!) has a population 6.5MIL - so Bangalore consumption is about on par per capita with Mumbai.

Other than the country having 1/5 of the world's population, it's important to realize that ~32% of their population is under the age of 15....just wait a few years & see what happens as the children of the ever increasingly mobile & affluent technology sector begin to come of age.