The 2025 edition of Vinexpo Mumbai has been abruptly canceled just weeks before its opening, with organiser Vinexposium citing “technical issue” and pledging to return in 2026 with stronger logistics and execution, Vino Joy News has learned.
In a statement to Vino Joy News, Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse said the decision came after assessing operational challenges that would have compromised the fair’s quality and delivery.
“In India, we encountered a technical issue which, overall, led me to conclude that the 2025 edition would not have met Vinexposium’s standards,” Lameyse said, without specifying the exact nature of the issue.
“As a result, I preferred to take a step back from this edition and return in 2026 with the best possible logistics and execution. When you run Vinexposium, you cannot afford to deliver a trade show that falls short of our clients’ expectations, whether in terms of execution, organization, or visitor quality.”
Vinexposium said it would take “all necessary measures” to support exhibitors and partners who had already committed to the 2025 edition, which was originally planed for October 3–4 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The organiser also confirmed that Sonal Holland MW’s event in Mumbai will proceed seperately as scheduled, despite Vinexpo’s cancellation.
Lameyse stressed that the group’s long-term commitment to India remains unchanged.
“I have always considered India to be a market with a bright future — and I continue to believe this,” he said. “But, like any emerging market, it requires adapting to the reality on the ground and remaining flexible, even in the face of setbacks.”
Vinexposium operates some of the world’s largest wine and spirits trade fairs, including Vinexpo Paris and Vinexpo Hong Kong, and has been seeking to strengthen its footprint in Asia amid shifting market dynamics and geopolitical headwinds.
The cancellation comes at a delicate time for India’s wine and spirits sector, which has been attracting renewed global attention. New Delhi and Brussels are in the final stage of negotiating a free trade agreement, which could see India slashing its tariffs on European wines by more than 100%, down from the current 150% — a move that would reshape the market for imported wines.
India has already made a similar gesture toward the United Kingdom, cutting import tariffs on Scotch whisky from 150% to 75% immediately under a bilateral trade deal. The combination of easing trade barriers and a growing urban middle class has made India one of the most closely watched emerging markets in Asia for wine and spirits producers.
According to data from India’s Ministry of Commerce, compiled by Vino Joy News, India imported 2.58 million litres of wine worth US$12.55 million in the first half of 2025, marking year-on-year growth of 50.3% in volume and 20.9% in value. Australia remains the country’s largest supplier, buoyed by its free trade agreement with India.
Vinexpo entered the Indian market in 2021 a show in Delhi before moving to Mumbai in 2022. Last year’s fair drew more than 80 exhibitors and 5,304 visitors, according to the organizer.
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