What does Ajay Devgn, Yuvraj Singh and Kevin Pietersen have in common? Well, these well-known figures, besides being the masters in their own right, have recently started their liquor brands to grab a slice of the $52.4-billion alco-bev industry in India.
“Venturing into the world of tequila was a very intentional move for me—one driven by both passion and purpose,” said former cricketer Yuvraj Singh, co-founder of FINO, a premium tequila brand that recently made its way into India after officially launching in the US. Singh is not alone. A growing number of A-listers is entering the liquor business in India and shaking up the market.
In April, actor Ajay Devgn partnered with luxury spirits house Cartel Bros to launch ‘The GlenJourneys Pioneer Edition’, a premium 21-year-old highland single malt scotch whisky that will be available through select travel retail channels worldwide.“Bringing The GlenJourneys 21-year-old highland single malt to life has been a journey of passion and precision,” said Devgn, who has become an investor in Cartel Bros, the company that launched another Scotch whisky brand, The GlenWalk, last year in collaboration with actor Sanjay Dutt. “Every detail of the brand reflects our commitment to craftsmanship and excellence,” added Devgn.
With the country’s alco-bev industry experiencing rapid growth, even global celebrities are trying to capitalise on the expanding market. “India has always been close to me, both professionally and personally. I’ve watched the Indian consumer space evolve rapidly over the years, especially in lifestyle and premium categories,” said former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, who has become a marquee investor and brand ambassador for Ardent Alcobev, an emerging player in India’s premium alcobev market. The company recently unveiled Dram Bell, a luxury blended Scotch whisky.
Even though these celebrities are not new to entrepreneurship, they had their own reasons to venture into the world of liquor. Yuvraj Singh, for instance, said the name of his tequila brand itself – FINO (which expands into ‘Failure Is Not an Option’) – echoes his life journey. “Whether it was on the professional or personal front, I’ve always believed in pushing forward, no matter how tough things get,” said Singh, adding: “As a health-conscious choice, FINO is crafted without artificial additives. It is made of 100% pure blue agave, a spirit that’s lower in sugar, carbohydrates and calories compared to many alternatives.”
Similarly, Pietersen said he didn’t want to be just a face for the brand – he wanted to help build one. “When the team at Ardent presented their vision, it resonated with me immediately, a chance to co-create something meaningful, rooted in quality and authenticity… Dram Bell is about raising the bar, quite literally, for how India experiences Scotch,” added Pietersen, who is also a mentor with the Delhi Capitals franchise this IPL season.
Debashish Shyam, co-founder and director of Ardent Alcobev, too, explained how Pietersen came on board not just as an investor, but “as a believer in the opportunity we saw in India and more specifically in the premiumisation of the alcobev category”. “With Kevin’s global reach and our team’s industry experience, we saw a natural partnership to bring world-class products to India at accessible prices,” said Shyam, who is targeting 1% market share in all segments that Ardent will operate in, within the first year of business. “The first three years should see an aggressive growth (~ 50%), driven by new markets, new SKUs (stock keeping units) and growing consumer adoption. We expect to break even in three years,” he added.
FINO, too, is seeing major growth opportunities in India with the ultra-luxury ‘niche’ tequila category with a 392% CAGR from last year. “Relatively speaking, the market in India for premium tequila is still small compared to whisky and gin, but growing by leaps and bounds. The younger generation is becoming more health conscious and turning to spirits with no additives and the least amount of sugar and calories. While we’re still in early growth stages and have only entered duty free in India thus far, we are seeing incredible growth and demand for FINO. We’ve also seen particularly strong performance in premium on-premises accounts in the US,” said Vikram Kumar, chief revenue officer, and Paroon Chadha, board chair, FINO.
Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pietersen and Ajay Devgn are following in the footsteps of Indian celebrities like actor Shah Rukh Khan, who co-founded D’yavol that offers a range of luxury spirits; actor Danny Denzongpa, founder of Yuksom Breweries that offers several beer brands; and actor Rana Daggubati and composer-singer Anirudh Ravichander, who are the co-founders of tequila brand Loca Loka. Globally, celebrities like Nick Jonas, Drew Barrymore, Dwayne Johnson and George Clooney own liquor brands.
