India, Aug. 28 -- For years, India's beer shelves have told a predictable story: big names, mass-market lagers, and scale above all else. Craft was a small chapter, written in the margins by a few adventurous brewers.

This August, that story changed in a way that cannot be ignored. Simba Beer, the country's homegrown craft pioneer, picked up two medals at the World Beer Awards (WBA) 2025, one for its Witbier and another for its Stout.

For many casual drinkers, that may sound like just another award list. But for brewers and industry watchers, it signals something far larger: Indian craft is now being recognised on the same stage as established brewing nations, judged purely on taste.

The World Beer Awards are not like every other conte...