London: Indian Scotch whisky brewed by a Bangalore-based distillery has been launched in Scotland, the home of whisky connoisseurs and the much-celebrated scotch.

"The Amrut single-malt export whisky, made from barley grown in the Himalayan foothills and distilled and matured in the tropical climate of Bangalore," was unveiled on Tuesday (Aug 24, 2004) at Glasgow.

Targeted at the UK's thriving Indian restaurant market, the premium whisky has met the tough European Union regulations, Amrut Distilleries Executive Director Rakshit Jagdale said in London.

"Amrut is the first Indian malt to meet the requirements of the European Union. We are competing against an industry, which is 400 years old, but Indian malt has its own character and is different. If India can buy and consume a lot of Scotch, then we too can sell Indian spirits worldwide," he said.

This is only the second time ever that an Indian brewer has tried to challenge the Scots on their home ground. A few years ago an Indian blended whisky, 'Kuch Nahin', did make an appearance in some British retail outlets, but soon faded away.

Claiming that his product was as good as Scotland's own scotch, Neelakanta Rao Jagdale, Managing Director of Amrut Distilleries said, "I believe it to be a fine whisky worthy of an international stage."

He said initially Amrut would be available at select Indian restaurants across Scotland.

Amrut malt whisky, developed in the early 1980s for the Indian market, has since been refined with advice from Scottish experts.