Pernod Ricard's third quarter sales beat forecasts today, but the French spirits group cautioned that a ban on alcohol sales near Indian highways would slow growth in its second-largest market.
Pernod is the world's second-biggest spirits group after Diageo and counts Jameson Irish whiskey among its brands.
The company maintained its profit outlook, saying it saw further robust growth in the US - its largest market - and in Europe and improving Chinese demand for its Martell cognac.
The owner of Mumm champagne and Absolut vodka said it expected underlying operating profit growth of between 2-4% in the full year to June 30.
India, which accounts for about 10% of group revenue, has been a key growth area, driven by local whisky brands such as Blender's Pride and Royal Stag.
But a government ban on high-value bank notes held back local consumption in the second and third quarter and sales growth in India slowed to 1% in the nine months to March 31, from 12%in the full year 2015-16.
While the ban on alcohol sales near Indian highways will impact sales mainly in the fourth quarter and in the first half of the fiscal year 2017/18, finance chief Gilles Bogaert told Reuters he hoped they should be close to flat in the full year ending June 30 and he was confident about India over the long-term.
The company did not specify what proportion of its sales in India would be hit by the highway sales ban.
Pernod Ricard posted sales of €1.987 billion in the three months to March 31, up 3% on a like-for-like basis and beating expectations for 1% growth.
That growth was helped by double-digit sales growth of its Jameson whiskey in the US and improving demand in Europe.
However, the performance marked a slight slowdown from 4% growth in the second quarter, reflecting weaker sales in Asia due to regulatory changes in India and the earlier timing of the Chinese New Year, which helped second quarter sales.
Like other spirits makers, Pernod Ricard has been hit by a downturn in China sparked by a government clampdown on extravagant spending and its sales fell in the third quarter and were flat over the nine months, after falling 9% last year.
However Bogaert said the underlying trend was improving.
"The expected rebound in China is materialising," he said, echoing Remy Cointreau which made optimistic comments over its prospects in the country earlier this week.
