Champagne Indage ties up with Adelaide Univ for wine institute

NEW DELHI: Domestic wine major Champagne Indage has tied up with University of Adelaide and Maharashtra government to set up a wine institute to train manpower for the sector, whose staff requirement is estimated at nearly 20,000 by 2020.

The institute, which will be set up at an investment of around Rs 150 crore at Narayangaon near Pune, is expected to start the academic session in the next two to three years.

"This will help in providing trained technicians, laboratory workers, wine makers and viticulturists to work for the growing Indian wine market," Champagne Indage Managing Director Ranjit Chougule told the media.

According to an estimate by industry experts, by the year 2020, India's wine industry will require 10,000 skilled viticulturists (vine growers), 5,000 winery staff operators, 1,000 wine makers, 500 wine experts and marketing, serving and finance professionals.

Chougule said the institute - to be named 'Indian Institute of Vine and Wine' - will come up on 17 acres of land. Champagne Indage and University of Adelaide have already signed an MoU with the state government for the purpose.

University of Adelaide, rated amongst the best in the world for education and research in viticulture (science of cultivating grapes) and oenology (the science of wine manufacturing) will draft the curriculum and also help in conducting researches, he said.

The institute will offer a three-year diploma, a four- year degree and two-year Master's degree in various areas of wine making, marketing, finance and vine growing, Chougule said, adding the degrees will be valid all over the world.

"It will provide training from the lowest to the upper most management level," he said.