India Embraces Ultra-premium Tequila

Komos is an ancient mythical figure of revelry, merrymaking and festivity. In fact, Komos parties were so legendary that thousands of years later historians and archaeologists continue to uncover relics of those revelry. Tequila Komos combines the highest craft of tequila-making, incorporating timeless winemaking techniques, to create an ultra-luxury tequila. Tequila Komos, like its namesake, has the potential to turn moments or event into a timeless expression of revelry. And now this very tequila is available in India.
“Tequila Komos entered the Indian market in December 2023 and we are selling the brand in New Delhi and Goa. The brand has performed fairly well as we have been aggressive in our placement strategy by using our relationship with premium outlets as well as leveraging the identity of the brand,” informs Prasan.
By the end of August it is expected to have a presence in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Haryana. In New Delhi, it is available at 20 premium outlets, four five-star hotels and a few corporation retail stores.
From among the many brands that the company makes for global consumption, there are three variants for sale in India – Komos Reposado Rosa (Rs 25,000), Komos Anejo Cristalino (Rs 28,000) and Komos Extra Anejo (Rs 80,000). The company will be introducing a new variant after the summer called Anejo Reserva, which is predicted to become highly popular since its aroma and tasting notes will go well with the Indian palate.

India Ready for Komos
According to Prasan the Indian market is ready for an ultra- premium luxury tequila brand like Komos. This has been proven by the success of brands like Clase Azul and Don Julio 1942, which are in the same category. “The discerning Indian consumer has become very brand and statusconscious and this has led to a lot of conspicuous consumption in all aspects of luxury, not just spirits. Komos is not just tequila but a lifestyle brand and we believe life is a special occasion and every day is worth celebrating,” Prasan adds.

The strategy to make Komos popular in India is to let its potential consumers experience its uniqueness. To do so, the company has carried out some studies and have priced the products in the same bracket as its competitors. Prasan feels that the duty on alcohol is very high in India which definitely poses a challenge but is confident that once the consumer experiences Komos, they won’t shy away from purchasing it and being part of the Komos revelry. The brand is already creating good visibility.”

Tequila Komos scored the highest ratings ever from The Tasting Panel magazine, including the first perfect 100-point score ever given to tequila. Prasan informs that it is also the fastest growing tequila in its category around the world (130 percent yearon-year growth). This has helped in creating perception and awareness about the brand. “Its USP is the fact that it has no additives or colour at all unlike the other brands which add sugar and yeast to their liquid while its ageing process gives each variant uniqueness as well as smoothness. All these attributes combined with the right marketing will help us achieve our goal in being the number one luxury tequila in India,” Prasan says.

Making it Attractive

The design of the Komos bottle is a very important aspect when it comes to the identity of the brand. Each of the beautiful opaque ceramic bottles is handmade by skilled artisans to preserve the aromas and flavours inside of it. All awardwinning Komos bottles are handmade and designed to be continually reused and upcycled. This approach reduces the carbon footprint of the company’s supply chain while fulfilling its mission to support local artisans in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the attraction factor includes the drive to make it popular where it matters. For example, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore are the main cities for the brand as of now. These cities obviously have the spending capacity and the company would naturally ride the luxury wave with them. Ask Prasan to define a Komos consumer and he says, “An individual who is global, sophisticated and understands the innovative techniques that have been mastered in order to produce a liquid like this. He or she is not someone who follows trends but is a trendsetter in his or her own right.” Its target consumers can also come from aspiration-driven middle-class in India.

The Evolving Trend
The trend the world over is shifting from brown spirits to clear or white spirits and Prasan is of the opinion that tequila is way more interesting than vodka and gin. At the moment, it is the most compelling drink on the planet and has an infinite canvas to make beautiful spirits, more so than wine.
“In India, whisky is no doubt still the dominating spirit as there is history, habit and a vast portfolio behind it. In my opinion, as an advocate for tequila, we need to educate the consumer on a pan-India level about what tequila is and how it has evolved from being a shot that didn’t go down too well to a smooth, sophisticated spirit which can lighten the mood,” he states.

The Road Ahead
As of now, the company is engaging with bartenders, bars, restaurants and retail stores to promote the brand in India. Industry opinion and support, Prasan feels, is very important and informs that post July consumers will see some special collaboration between the brand and certain key industry players.
Tequila in India is on its way to big time acceptance. To prove it through numbers, the tequila market by the end of 2024 in India is slated to reach Rs 2,500 crore. It is believed that this will grow between 15-20 percent YOY as more brands are eyeing India. For Komos tequila, the next five years are expected to be an upward spiral which is reflected by the confidence that Prasan has in the brand and its reach.

Sustainability Drive
Together with its manufacturing partner, Komos has created a new environmental stewardship project that will be the largest sustainability initiative in tequila, Mexico. This project will expand upon the best-use of tequila by-products to the benefit of the community-at-large. Currently, the Bagazo and Vinaza waste is turned into compost for use in agriculture.
Komos will also expand upon CEO Richard Betts’ work in Oaxaca, where he created a leading sustainable and environment-friendly mezcal company. This groundbreaking work turns mezcal waste products into adobe bricks used for civic projects and committed to making production more sustainable.