Simba Beer’s award-winning Witbier and Stout highlight India’s growing craft brewing presence on the global stage (Photo: Pinterest)
For years, the Indian beer industry has been swamped by heavy scale lagers and brand names, allowing little experimentation in beers. This trend changed in August when Simba Beer, one of India's first craft breweries and won two medals at the World Beer Awards (WBA) 2025 for its Witbier and Stout. This is more than a medal but an authenticity that Indian craft beers can now be on par with global brewing traditions purely judged by taste and quality through that recognition.
World Beer Awards don't compromise on credibility due to their format. Every entry is blind tasted by an international panel of brewers, writers and industry specialists. No label or back story is revealed and only against strict style guidelines do the beers get judged.
Simba Wit is winner of the silver medal. It is a Belgian style Wit bier known for its use of wheat malt, coriander and orange peel. These ingredients give it a hazy appearance, a refreshing citrus aroma and a smooth, light body, making it both complex and easy to drink.
Simba produces beer in modest quantities at its primary brewery in Durg, Chhattisgarh to maintain a high standard of quality and flavor. Prabhtej Singh Bhatia and Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia, two brothers founded this Indian craft beer company in 2016.
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The significance that Simba's brews came out on top under such conditions is that they are not just competitive domestically but also that they meet the rigorous standards that define international excellence.
The medal is more than trinkets on a shelf for Simba. According to co-founder and COO Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia, it means validation of the team for their perseverance, and which has been the unique hallmark of Simba beer trying to craft beers with character and not one size fits all as from its inception.
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The brand has taken that ethos into its collaborations with artists, musicians and cultural communities in shaping beer as both a beverage and cultural experience and, therefore, with this recognition by WBA and validates technical brewing prowess and that broader creative identity of Simba.
Simba's accolades are a hopeful sign for Indian brewing craft as a whole and as that segment of the business is still adjusting to the realities of regulations against which it has to operate and the overwhelming market presence of mass brands. Exemplary quality benchmarks that encourage more brewers to put their mettle to the test are provided by international awards, and then some begin to think differently about what Indian beer can represent to them. Recognition at this level moves Indian craft from being a curiosity to a category with respectable standing throughout the world.
Simba's medals, however, represent progress for an entire brewing culture rather than just an individual win. With an unbeatable combination of innovation and uncompromising quality, Simba sends a message loud and clear that Indian craft brewing is ready to take its rightful place on the international stage, inspiring others in the industry to think bigger and brew bolder.
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