Backed by cricketer Kevin Pietersen, the brand is set for new launches. Co-founder and Director Debashish Shyam shares Ardent’s growth milestones, global ambitions, and its goal of capturing 10 per cent of India’s premium spirits space
Ardent Alcobev has established itself as a growing name in the Indian alcobev sector. Could you walk us through the brand’s journey so far and the milestones that define its evolution?
Ardent was set up about 18 months ago with the aim of premiumising the Indian consumer. While India is a large spirits market, the premium segment is still relatively small. We saw an opportunity to introduce consumers to bottled-at-origin spirits—Scotch from Scotland, vodka from Russia, and so on.
We launched our first brand, Drambell Blended Scotch Whisky, in Maharashtra in December 2024. Since then, we’ve expanded to Goa, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, with more states in the pipeline. A key milestone was Kevin Pietersen coming on board as both investor and brand partner. He’s actively involved in helping us expand, not only in India but also in international markets such as the Middle East and Africa.
We are also preparing to launch two new brands—Gin Soak and Glacir Vodka—both bottled in Russia and 100 per cent imported. Beyond the portfolio, we’re expanding our team and building strong back-end operations to support growth.
You’ve entered several states but not Uttar Pradesh yet, despite its potential. Why so?
DS: UP is definitely of interest. Our majority shareholder, Rajasthan Liquor, is based in Kanpur, so the state is very important to us. However, we want to ensure we have the right distribution and marketing partner before entering. UP is a massive market in terms of population and geography, but the premium spirits segment there is still developing compared to states like Maharashtra or Delhi. We are in active conversations, and I expect we will open UP by the end of this year.
Where does Ardent stand today in terms of market share within India’s competitive alcobev industry?
It’s still early days—we’ve been in operations for just eight months. In Maharashtra, within the blended Scotch whisky segment, we’ve already achieved about 6–6.5 per cent market share, which is promising.
To put it in context, India sells about 350 million cases of spirits annually, but less than 10 per cent of that is premium brands priced at Rs 1,000 and above. That’s our space. We see immense potential for consumers to trade up, and our strategy is to play a key role in that premiumisation journey.
What factors have been critical in driving your growth so far?
Three things: pricing, distribution, and positioning. First, our pricing is designed to encourage premiumisation. For example, Drambell Scotch retails at Rs 1,750 in Maharashtra, just Rs 150–200 higher than top-end IMFL brands like Blender’s Pride or Signature. That small price step makes upgrading much easier for consumers.
Second, distribution—we’re present across Maharashtra, from Mumbai and Pune to towns like Nashik and Aurangabad, with 20 distributors ensuring availability.
Third, brand positioning. With Kevin Pietersen backing Drambell, we’ve cut through the clutter and positioned ourselves as a noticeable, high-quality brand.
What are your immediate and long-term expansion plans, both geographically and in terms of your portfolio?
Geographically, in the next 12 months we plan to enter the top 20 Indian markets—Punjab, West Bengal, the Northeast, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and of course UP.
Internationally, we’re eyeing the Middle East, Africa, and even Russia, where we already have supply partnerships for gin and vodka.
On the portfolio side, after whisky, gin, and vodka, we’ll move into tequila and eventually rum—always focusing on imported products priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500. The idea is to make Ardent a one-stop solution for premium spirits in India.
In five years, we’re aiming for at least 10 per cent market share in the premium Indian spirits category.
