Diageo is present in india through its subsidiary united spirits limited, india’s leading beverage alcohol company, with an outstanding portfolio of premium brands. in 2013-14, diageo plc acquired a 54.8% shareholding in united spirits making india one of its largest markets. founded in 1826, we are the largest indian spirits company involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of beverage alcohol, producing and selling scotch whisky, imfl whisky, brandy, rum, vodka, gin and wine. our portfolio of over 140 brands includes the much-loved mcdowell's no.1, royal challenge, signature, and antiquity as well as diageo’s iconic brands such as johnnie walker, vat 69, black & white, smirnoff and ciroc among others. we pride ourselves on innovative products that have made a mark on the world stage by regularly winning local and international accolades and awards. headquartered in bengaluru, we have a strong global footprint supported by a committed team of 3800 employees dedicated to fulfilling our mission of becoming the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer goods company in india. a major contributor to state excise revenues, we make a valuable contribution of over inr 181,776 m annually to the exchequer by way of excise, sales tax, octroi and other levies. diageo sincerely believes in being a good corporate citizen and is committed to creating a positive role for alcohol in society through its national road to safety programmes. diageo also improves the lives of people in the communities around its plants with particular emphasis on empowering women. its flagship programme, project s-h-e delivers much-needed initiatives in water, health and education to lead the industry in demonstrating the highest standards of corporate citizenship. we are listed on the bombay stock exchange (bse: 532432) and the national stock exchange (nse: mcdowell-n). visit diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.drinkiq.com.