Ginglani Distillers, one of the leading whiskey startups in India has raised Rs. 6.6 crores (~USD 0.9 million) in its Pre-Series-A round led by Supermorpheus, Eagle10 Ventures (via LV Angel Fund) & Grand Anicut Angel Fund.
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Shivam Ginglani, Founder and CEO, Ginglani Distillers
The round saw participation from a diverse set of investors including startup founders Nitin Kaushal & Chakradhar Gade (Country Delight), Rohan Mirchandani & Epigamia Founding Team, Prashant Pansare (Business Head India & MEA, Airmeet), Mohit Srivastava (Ex-MD Airbnb India) & Sameer Guglani (Co-founder, Supermorpheus), among others.
With the funds infusion, Ginglani Distillers has launched their brands in the Delhi market, plans to strengthen their core team and ramp up their marketing initiatives both in-retail and on social media. The whiskey startup aims to kickstart the homegrown whiskey movement by making honest, authentic and accessible brands, moving away from the old & serious connotations of whiskey and make the category a lot more fun and exciting for the younger consumers of India.
Shivam Ginglani, the Founder & young 30-year-old 1st generation whiskey entrepreneur said, "When one thinks of whiskey, the usual names that come to mind are Scotch, Bourbon or even Japanese. Considering Indians are actually the largest consumers of whiskey in the world, it is surprising that there is no noteworthy Indian whiskey category in India or globally. The only existing Indian category is IMFL or Indian Made Foreign Liquor which is confusing and inaccurate to say the least. It is this gap and under-representation of Indian whiskies that led to the birth of Black Bow - India's 1st Himalayan Whiskey."
Nitin Kaushal and Chakradhar Gade, Founders, Country Delight said, "We have been interacting with Ginglani Distilleries for over six months and are really impressed with the way they are building Black Bow Himalayan Whiskey and Woodsmen. The unique product portfolio has helped them penetrate in an evolving alco-bev space and stand out as brands uniquely positioned for the millennials."
Delhi-based Ginglani Distillers' flagship brand 'Black Bow' is crafted slowly amidst the mountains by expert blenders and the dedicated efforts of the local Himachali women and men in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Made with 100% Pure Himalayan Water and 5-Year-Old Malts, the whiskey truly encapsulates the flavours, spirit and the beauty of the Himalayas. In the ~USD 52.5 billion Indian whiskey industry (ICRIER, July-21), currently dominated by age-old players launched in the early 90's, Black Bow's vision is to establish 'Himalayan Whiskey' as a new category of Indian Whiskies based on origin & authenticity (with direct communication of 'how the whiskey is made' and 'how it tastes' on the primary packaging).
The startup also entered the high-frequency semi-premium segment (~7 out of 10 consumers of India fall in this segment) with their second brand 'Woodsmen', in efforts to premiumise a segment which hasn't seen much innovation since the early 90's. With malts aged in American and Ex-Bourbon casks, Woodsmen is an extra smooth whisky with impeccable packaging - true democratisation in every sense for the modern day, high frequency Indian consumer.
With the ecosystem primed for innovative homegrown brands to disrupt the narrative, Ginglani Distillers will drive innovation through new flavours and explore easy-to-drink formats in the near future staying focused on the needs and changing preferences of India's youth.
Ginglani Distillers has already created a substantial impact in the state of Himachal Pradesh and the brands are available at over 200 retail stores within a month of launch in Delhi. They aim to close March 2022 with a USD 3 million ARR and plan to enter Chandigarh and Mumbai markets soon.
