A NEW distillery in Fife could be operational by 2015 thanks to a new partnership between Indian drinks group Kyndal and Perthshire distiller John Fergus & Co.
The £6.7m micro distillery and bonded warehouse in Glenrothes is the result of the joint venture and will focus on exporting to markets in India, Africa and the Far East.
It is expected the venture will create 15 new jobs and generate exports worth £3.6m over the next three years.
A grant of £1.6m grant was made available through the Scottish Government’s Food Processing Marketing and Co-operation Scheme, with Scottish Enterprise providing a £240,000 Regional Selective Assistance grant to support employment at the new distillery.
Minister for external affairs, Humza Yousaf made the announcement during a visit to India to promote business links between the two countries.
The partnership comes as talks drag on between India and the European Union on a free trade deal over tariff cuts on products and services, including Scotch whisky.