Cheers! These 5 made in India liquor brands are helping extend New Year celebrations
Indian liquor brands have upped their game and are giving tough competition to their foreign peers. SMBStory brings to you five made in India liquor brands that have become extremely popular.
After the Indian government's clarion call for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, consumers have become more aware of locally-made products.
Most alcohol consumers have traditionally been inclined towards international liquor brands. But, in the past few years, many Indian brands have upped their game and are giving tough competition to their foreign peers.
SMBStory brings to you five made in India liquor brands.
Fratelli
India’s wine market is estimated to be valued at $150 million, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 to 25 percent. There are numerous brands operating in the space – with Delhi-based Fratelli Wines leading the way.
Apart from COVID-19, the company suffered a personal setback in October 2020 when Kapil Sekhri, a co-founder and one of the country’s finest winemakers, died of a massive heart attack.
SMBStory caught up with his brother, Gaurav Sekhri, who along with Kapil and four others, founded Fratelli Wines more than a decade ago in 2006.
, which means ‘brothers’ in Italian, has seven founders in all - Kapil and Gaurav Sekhri, Alessio and Andre Secci, Arjunsinh and Ranjitsinh MohitePatil, and winemaker Piero Masi.
Its portfolio comprises 10 distinct variants – Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc-Shiraz, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sangiovese Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Shiraz Rosé. All wines are manufactured at the company’s vineyard in Akluj. Outside India, Japan, the UK, and Italy are the company’s major markets.
Sula
When it comes to the Indian alcohol consumption market, whiskey, vodka, rum, and beer have always been clear winners. Crawling behind with a consumption pattern of almost a million or so is the wine industry.
While the consumption of wine has remained very low in India, the story of is one that you would want to pull up a chair and listen to. This year, the Mumbai-based brand, which started selling wines from the year 2000, celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The company is one of the top wine brands in India and clocks a turnover of almost Rs 500 crore.
Winemaking is a laborious process. Moreover, maintaining its taste, texture and flavour is all the more challenging an endeavour. How has the brand been able to consistently manufacture good quality wines for 20 years?
“Time and patience,” says Chaitanya Rathi, COO of Sula Vineyards, emphasising that the one thing that they have done differently is to focus on the quality of wine.
He also tells SMBStory that hunger for profitable growth in a measured manner is something that the management of the company swears by. This approach is a stark contrast to today’s startup ecosystem’s ‘growth-at-all-cost’ approach.
Dewans Modern Breweries
According to a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India is one of the fastest growing alcoholic beverages markets globally with an estimated market size of 52.5 billion dollars (about Rs 3.9 lakh crore). The market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.8 percent till 2023.
SMBStory spoke to Prem Dewan, Managing Director of Devans Modern Breweries. Devans is an Indian company located in Jammu and its founding years can be traced back to the 1940s.
Prem’s father Dewan Gian Chand owned a couple of liquor shops in Jammu. For years, he sold liquor through his shops but in 1961, he acquired a factory licence for manufacturing liquor.
“He got the brewery licence accidentally from an acquaintance. He had no idea how to make beer so first he hired some specialists to kick start the operations,” Prem says.
In 1967, the company started producing liquor at a capacity of 200 cases a day.
Devans is known for its flagship product, Godfather, a beer brand launched in 1984. Godfather is a strong lager, available in variants including Godfather Legendary and Godfather Super 8.
Today, from making 200 cases a day, the business’ combined capacity has risen to 35,000, which includes both cans and bottles.
Apart from selling in India, it also exports more than 40,000 cases annually to Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, Australia, and a few other countries.
Among popular brands such as Carlsberg, Hoegaarden, and Tuborg, Devans holds about three percent market share in the country in the beer segment.
Grover Zampa
In the early 1960s, businessman Kanwal Grover was importing French machinery and tools for India’s defence and space programmes. Each time he visited France, his passion for fine wines grew.
It took Kanwal a long time to convert his passion into a profession. In 1989, Kanwal and his business partner George Vesselle started their first vineyard at the foot of Nandi Hills, near Bengaluru. The vineyard, named after Grover, produced the first batch of vintage wine in 1992.
Today, Grover Wines has cemented its legacy as the country’s leading producer and exporter of fine wine so much so that Kanwal is now referred to as the ‘father of Indian viticulture’.
In 2012, Grover Wines merged with Nashik-based Vallée de Vin, following which Grover wines was named 'Grover Zampa'. The name Zampa was taken from Vallée de Vin’s Zampa range of wines.
Mergers have a corporate connotation but is also a family business. Kapil Grover, Kanwal’s son, and Karishma Grover, Kanwal’s granddaughter, now lead the brand. Ravi Viswanathan, renowned wine investor, is also at the helm as Chairman, and Vivek Chandramohan oversees the brand as its CEO.
Grover Zampa is now India’s second largest overall wine-maker after Sula Vineyards, say industry sources. The company recorded a revenue of Rs 57.77 crore in FY19, making it one of the leaders in fine wine.
Monika Enterprises
Bhimji Patel, Founder, Monika Enterprises
In 1981, 12-year-old Bhimji Patel left Meghpar village in Kutch, Gujarat, and went to Mumbai. A voracious reader and highly skilled at mathematics, Bhimji was determined to put his talents to use in the bustling city.
The boy joined hands with his cousin and took up odd jobs to earn a living in Mumbai. This humble beginning set the foundation of a self-made story of perseverance, hard work, and passion.
After scraping by for a few years, the boy took a loan of around Rs 30,000 from his elder brother and started a general store. Taking small, confident steps forward and growing the business slowly, Bhimji gradually expanded his store into a supermarket.
His son, Kunal Patel, tells SMBStory: “My father took up all opportunities that came his way. He found a chance to become a commission agent for various products that came from overseas, especially liquor. His constant knack for networking helped him supply imported liquor to foreign embassies in India.”
Bhimji’s days as a commission agent for imported liquor provided valuable experience and set the stage for , a wholesaling and distribution business he launched in Mumbai in 2008.
Since then, Bhimji and his family-run business have come a long way in selling premium imported liquor brands in India.
Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Jose Cuervo Tequila, Ron Diplomatico Rum, Belenkaya Vodka, and Russian Standard Vodka are some foreign liquor brands Bhimji introduced in India. He imported these brands and distributed their products through partners across the country. As each state requires a unique licence to retail liquor, Bhimji partnered with local distributors.
Today, Bhimji is a self-made entrepreneur and his business is booming. He has 125 people working for him.
Last year, Monika Enterprises recorded Rs 100 crore in revenue, claims Kunal, who joined the business in 2013.
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti