Meet the Panel Behind IGSA | A conversation with Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra, AVSM (Retd)
By the IGSA Editorial Team
After close to four decades in the Indian Army, Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra, AVSM (Retd), now serves a different mission: earning Indian single malt the trust it deserves. In this interview, the India Global Spirits Awards judge talks authenticity, the new Indian drinker and why credible judging matters.
What do a military career and a fine single malt have in common? Both reward discipline, patience and a clear sense of mission. And both are ruined by shortcuts.
So after close to four decades in the Indian Army, Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra traded the parade ground for the tasting glass. Fittingly, he calls it “National service continuing in another form.”
In this edition of Meet the Panel Behind IGSA, the India Global Spirits Awards (IGSA) asked him about leaving the Army for whisky, why Indian single malt needed its own voice, how the Indian drinker has changed, and why brands should put their spirits to the test.
Who Is Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra?
Rajesh Chopra served close to four decades in the Indian Army. Today, he works with the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA), set up in July 2024 to protect, preserve and promote Indian single malt whisky. In addition, he sits on the IGSA judging panel alongside the industry professionals and trade buyers on our Meet Our Judges page.
- Current role: Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA); IGSA Panellist
- Experience: Close to four decades in the Indian Army; AVSM (Retd)
- Focus areas: Authenticity, standards and consumer trust in Indian single malt
Key Takeaways from Maj Gen Rajesh Chopra’s IGSA Interview
- Mission focus travels well. Above all, it mattered most in moving from the Army to whisky.
- Indian single malt needed one voice. That is why IMWA exists: to protect, preserve and promote the category.
- Climate helps, craft decides. India’s heat speeds maturation, but it cannot replace good cask management.
- India is many markets, not one. As a result, brands that copy-paste a global playbook get it wrong.
- Credible judging builds trust. After all, an award is only as strong as the evaluation behind it.
IGSA Judge Maj Gen Rajesh Chopra on the Army, IMWA and Indian Single Malt
Not many people go from the Indian Army to a whisky association. How did that happen?
After close to four decades in the Army, I saw this as a chance to keep serving the Nation in a different avatar. The sector was new, but the purpose was familiar: building Indian brands that command respect internationally. Discipline, mission focus, teamwork and integrity also describe what genuine Indian single malt stands for.
However, there was no single defining moment, more a growing conviction that this was meaningful work. Bringing diverse stakeholders together around a shared national ambition was particularly compelling.
Discipline, leadership or patience: which Army lesson has served you best, and what surprised you?
Clarity of purpose and mission focus. Patience comes a close second, because IMWA’s members compete commercially while sharing one goal: making Indian single malt a respected global category.
On the other hand, what surprised me most is the depth of science and craft involved. Barley, water, fermentation, distillation, wood and climate all shape the final spirit, and India’s climate creates a truly distinctive maturation environment.
Why did Indian malt whisky need its own association, and why now?
Individual brands were making their mark, but the category needed a common voice on authenticity, standards, consumer confidence and international recognition. That is why IMWA was incorporated in July 2024 to Protect, Preserve and Promote Indian Single Malt Whisky.
The timing also mattered. In fact, it was essential to build the foundations while momentum was growing, not after questions of authenticity became harder to fix. We are not copying another country’s model; we are building one that fits India.
“For me, this is National service continuing in another form.”
Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra
AVSM (Retd), IMWA and IGSA panellist
Fifteen years ago, few took Indian whisky seriously. Now it wins international awards. What changed?
Sustained investment in production, better distillation and maturation, skilled Indian master distillers and blenders, and the confidence to build a distinct identity instead of imitating others.
For example, India’s higher temperatures and seasonal swings intensify the interaction between spirit and oak. But climate is an advantage only with sound practice, careful cask management and adequate maturation. It cannot substitute for craftsmanship.
Why should an everyday drinker care whether their whisky is a genuine Indian single malt?
Because authenticity tells you what you are paying for. Not every whisky made in India is Indian single malt; the category has specific rules on raw materials, distillation and production at a single distillery.
IMWA’s Certification Trademark Hologram initiative will help consumers spot products covered by our certification framework, and we are pursuing a Geographical Indication for Indian Single Malt Whisky. When consumers trust what is in the bottle, the whole category benefits.
Maj Gen Rajesh Chopra on the Indian Drinker, the Market and IGSA
Is India ready for international spirits brands? What do outsiders get wrong?
India is ready, but it needs a long-term approach. The biggest mistake is treating it as one market. Preferences, purchasing power, taxes, distribution and excise rules vary widely from state to state.
Similarly, another myth is that Indian consumers automatically prefer imports. The rise of Indian single malt shows people now reward quality, provenance and individuality, wherever a spirit comes from.
How is today’s Indian drinker different from the one a decade ago?
More informed, more curious and far more experimental. A decade ago, the conversation was about brand familiarity, price and prestige. Today, people want to know about ingredients, maturation, flavour and provenance.
As a result, guided tastings, food pairings, cocktail programmes and distillery tourism are all growing. And there is no single right way to drink whisky: neat, with water or in a well-made cocktail. What matters is informed appreciation and responsible consumption.
Why did Rajesh Chopra join the India Global Spirits Awards judging panel?
Because informed, independent assessment builds consumer confidence and raises industry standards. An India-focused competition matters because this market has its own preferences, commercial realities and regulations.
I also value that IGSA looks at both quality and market fit. A technically accomplished spirit still has to communicate its value and be positioned well on flavour, price and occasion for the people it wants to reach.
“The value of a competition ultimately lies in the credibility of its judging.”
Maj Gen (Dr) Rajesh Chopra
AVSM (Retd), IMWA and IGSA panellist
Advice from Rajesh Chopra: should a brand enter IGSA this year?
Enter with confidence in your product and an openness to learning. For Indian producers, it is a showcase for the quality and diversity of spirits made here. For international brands, it is a way to introduce your expressions to a market increasingly keen on new styles and origins.
Ultimately, the value goes beyond the medal. Independent evaluation helps you understand your strengths and keep improving.
Off duty, what does Rajesh Chopra pour for himself?
Whisky, no surprises there, especially expressions that reflect their ingredients, maturation and origin. I like to take my time with a spirit rather than treat it simply as a drink. Every expression has a story, and it often reveals as much about its makers as about the liquid itself.
A Closing Thought from the Rajesh Chopra Interview
Talk to Maj Gen Chopra for long enough and one word keeps coming back: trust. Trust that the label tells the truth, and trust that an award was earned on merit. Therefore, for producers deciding their next move, that is the mission brief: make it genuine, then let independent judges confirm it.
About the India Global Spirits Awards
The India Global Spirits Awards (IGSA) is an international spirits competition held in Delhi, India, that judges spirits on two things: how good they are, and how well they could do in the Indian market. Every entry is tasted blind, then goes through a trade assessment of its potential in India by Indian and international industry professionals and trade buyers.
- Early submission fee: $225 per SKU
- Early submission deadline: 27 November 2026
- Competition dates: 23 and 24 July 2027
- Location: Delhi, India
Entries for IGSA 2027 are open now. First, read the event information and entry FAQs before you register.