Luxury Water Turns into India’s New Elite Status Symbol
奢侈瓶装水成印度富人新身份象征
Luxury bottled water is emerging as a new marker of wealth among India’s rich, with tastings that resemble high-end wine events. At a gourmet food store, water sommelier Avanti Mehta hosts blind tastings of premium brands from France, Italy and India. Participants sip from shot glasses, comparing minerality, carbonation and salinity in labels such as Evian, Perrier, San Pellegrino and India’s own Aava. Mehta, who calls herself India’s youngest water sommelier, says each water has distinct characteristics and potential nutritional benefits. Backed by rising disposable incomes and lifestyle-driven consumption, luxury water is becoming a fashionable symbol of refinement among affluent Indians.
奢侈瓶装水正在印度富裕阶层中迅速流行，甚至出现了类似品酒会的专业品水活动。在一家高端食品店，水品鉴师阿凡蒂·梅赫塔组织盲品会，让参与者用小酒杯比较来自法国、意大利和印度的高端矿泉水，包括依云、巴黎水、圣培露和印度本土品牌Aava。她表示，不同水源在矿物质、气泡感和咸度上各有差异，并可能带来不同的营养价值。随着可支配收入上升和生活方式消费升级，奢侈水正成为印度富人展示品位与身份的新象征。
