New Delhi, May 7 -- Indian consumers eyeing cheaper Scotch whisky and gin after the India-UK trade pact should steel themselves for a disappointment. While the tariff on British whisky and gin was halved from an eye-watering 150% to 75% after three years of painstaking negotiations, this is not likely to reflect in prices, experts told Mint.

This is because of several factors, including the multiplicity of local tariffs and liquor companies being unwilling to pass on the benefits of lower tariffs to consumers, citing narrowing profit margins.

Liquor is imported in three different categories.

Also Read | The dueling science behind how alcohol affects your health

First is the high-end bottled-in-origin (BIO) category-where products are ...