The Maestro Mindset: How ABD Composing its Super-premium Future

In an industry where heritage often dictates hierarchy, ABD Maestro is rewriting the rules. Born from Allied Blenders & Distillers Ltd. yet operating with startup agility, this subsidiary isn’t just launching premium brands, it’s incubating a new mindset. At the helm of this new playbook is its Managing Director BIKRAM Basu who is redefining how Indian alcobev brands are created, scaled and experienced. With an uncompromising focus on quality, design and authentic storytelling, he sees ABD Maestro evolving as a globally ambitious brand incubator which is patiently built, creatively led and deeply aligned with how India’s next generation chooses to drink better. Bikram outlines a future-focused vision rooted in clarity, craft and cultural relevance while speaking with SHALINI Kumar.

How does ABD Maestro differentiate itself from traditional alcobev companies – strategically, organisationally and culturally? What makes this company operating DNA unique?

ABD Maestro’s structure itself is distinctive. While many companies create a premium or luxury vertical within an existing organisation, ABD chose to set up a separate subsidiary. This allowed us to move away from a mass-market mindset, where ABD is extremely successful, and create a sharper, more focused approach to super-premium and luxury brands.

A defining element has been the involvement of Ranveer Singh (Bollywood Actor) as Co-founder and Creative Partner. He brings energy, cultural insight and creative instinct, which align naturally with the brands we are building.

Culturally, and I’m glad you used that word, super-premium and luxury brands require a certain way of thinking. It needs different marketing approaches, supply chains and production capabilities, and differentiated distribution networks. The people at ABD Maestro are specifically wired for this mindset, which is what truly differentiates our operating DNA.

With the launch of RANGEELA Vodka and YELLO Designer Whisky, you are strengthening your position in the super premium space. What key consumer or category insights guided this decision?

When we planned RANGEELA and YELLO, we recognised that today’s young consumer looks at brands differently. What differentiates a brand now is its consistent quality, story, authenticity and ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

Beyond that, a brand has to stand out and have an authentic story. Consumers today have far more information, and are constantly exploring and discovering across categories, not just spirits.

When we innovate, we have to be new across many aspects – naming, product, packaging and communication. That’s exactly what we tried to do with RANGEELA and YELLO. These are products designed to stand out. Not every product in our portfolio needs to do that, but for these two, we deliberately chose that route. We also need to be careful with how loosely we use the word ‘innovation’.

ARTHAUS stands out for its design language. What inspired this creative direction and how do you see a design forward mindset influencing other brands within the ABD Maestro portfolio?

I am personally close to ARTHAUS as a brand. I often call the super-premium segments the “test cricket” of spirits in India. Great products, relatively expensive, but needs patience to build. The thinking with ARTHAUS is similar. A brilliant blend of five single malts from Speyside and Highlands. It has lineage and has been curated with a lot of love

From a branding perspective, we drew inspiration from the Bauhaus design movement of Germany from early to mid 20th century, which introduced minimalism and geometric design to the global visual language. The clean lines, the sense of design and aesthetic simplicity you see in today’s contemporary styling originate from Bauhaus.

The word “Haus” comes from there. We felt that if we worked with art on a broader canvas, we could build something powerful in the world of creative and performing arts, including photography, multimedia, visual jockeying, AI and tech, installations, interiors and spaces. In food and beverage, plating, curating and making cocktails is an art

The core idea was that blending itself is art. Give five great single malts to a master blender, and something beautiful emerges. ARTHAUS celebrates this idea while collaborating across creative disciplines, visual arts, installations, multimedia, technology, interiors, and even food and cocktail culture

A design-forward mindset will always remain at ARTHAUS’ core, with a focus on working with young and emerging, and established artists; locally, nationally and globally

While ABD Maestro is backed by a large corporate structure, the brand feels agile and entrepreneurial. How have you designed your marketing approach to combine scale with start-up style execution?

Yes, while ABD Maestro is a subsidiary of Allied Blenders & Distillers, we operate like a start-up. We have defined funding to build a portfolio and then take it to consumers, and work towards a successful business plan. An agile, experimental and entrepreneurial mindset across the team is essential for us.

Our first investment has always been in product quality. In F&B product, you rarely get a second chance to correct it. Once quality is right, packaging becomes critical, especially in a cluttered market. When strong liquid meets distinctive packaging, it generates curiosity, advocacy and acceptance among consumers and trade. We have started seeing this and are quite happy. However, we don’t want to be ahead for expectations.

Operationally, we began in April 2025, moved from ABDL’s into our own office of ABD Maestro in July, and built a 10-brand portfolio within nine months with more launches on the horizon. Interestingly, when we started, I was the only team member over 45 years of age.

When you are launching and scaling multiple premium brands simultaneously, what is the first strategic question your team asks before deciding where to invest resources and market energy?

The first strategic question we ask is, ‘Where do we have a credible right to win?’ Super-premium segments are capitalintensive and highly competitive, so selectivity is critical.

Our journey began with Zoya Gin, followed by ARTHAUS and the acquisition of Woodburns. We also partnered with Russian Standard Vodka, which gives us a credible international presence in the vodka segment, both in the domestic retail and India Travel Retail.

Alongside this, we have PUMORI, RANGEELA and now with YELLO, we have a distinctive blend that brings together the best of Scotch and Indian malts. AODH Irish Whiskey, launched on December 24, 2025, rounds up our current portfolio in a fast-growing segment.

Though we entered the gin category late, we focused on product quality rather than loud marketing. Zoya was created as a clean, balanced, easy-to-drink gin that works equally well in bars and at home, earning strong acceptance, especially among bartenders, without being positioned as niche.

We take a disciplined approach; building strength category by category, market by market while closely tracking emerging trends like tequila.

How do your brands teams deal with consumers since their target audience is all the more same?

Most of our brand managers belong to the same age cohort as our consumers. This creates a natural alignment in tone, cultural references and digital behaviour, and works to our advantage. They are relatively young, enthusiastic and extremely hardworking, and this helps natural meeting of mindsets, preferences and communication style.

At the same time, strategic direction and long-term brand vision come from experienced leadership. The balance between youthful creativity and industry experience ensures ideas are fresh yet grounded.

How do you build early momentum for new brands while maintaining the ability in a crowded premium market and hunger of a star-up company?

Building early momentum for a new brand in a crowded and fast-moving premium alcobev market starts with winning the confidence of your own team and trade. Before consumers experience a brand, it must be accepted by our teams and trade partners, especially since ABD has historically been perceived as a massmarket player

We invested in dedicated on-trade and modern trade teams in key metro and highpotential centres. These teams are tasked solely with building our premium portfolio, ensuring sharp focus, better relationships and stronger execution. Execution and last-mile delivery matter more than presentations. Over time, trade has begun to view us as a credible super-premium player, which has helped us build momentum.

How is ABD Maestro re-shaping its goto-market and consumer engagement playbooks to match this evolution?

As a start-up with limited budgets and a broad portfolio, focus is essential. Our approach centres on three pillars: uncompromising product quality, differentiated packaging and experiential marketing that builds advocacy, particularly through digital and social platforms.

Trade support remains crucial in a regulated industry like ours. Honest feedback from partners reassures us that we are building something meaningful, and it reflects as they join us in our journey.

Leaders often struggle to accept inputs or suggestions. Why do you believe staying open to suggestions is critical?

It’s human nature to develop a certain level of ego, especially when success and experience are involved. Experience can create ego, but the biggest mistake leaders make is stop listening. Some of the most valuable insights come from promoters, bartenders, retail staff and casual conversations in the market, not boardrooms.

The people who interact with consumers every single day have a deep, intuitive understanding of buying behaviour, preferences and objections. Their observations often reveal things that data or internal discussions cannot. Staying curious and grounded leads to better decisions and more relevant brands.

How central is bartenders and on-trade community to your brand-building philosophy?

Bartenders and the broader bar ecosystem are absolutely central to our brand-building philosophy. What excites me is how these bartenders are now gaining recognition similar to chefs 15 years ago. Bar takeovers, personal followings and direct consumer engagement have turned bars into cultural hubs.

This ecosystem is creating new opportunities, from ownership to education and entrepreneurship, and we actively invest in immersive experiences that support this community. India has always been strong in hospitality, but the rise of the bartender community is transforming bars from simple service points into hubs of culture, innovation and opportunity.

Why Better, not Bigger, will Win in India

In India, the consumer is increasingly drinking better, which means the biggest opportunities for sustainable and meaningful growth lies in better-quality products. Premiumisation is not just a trend; it’s a reflection of evolving consumer expectations. To maintain high quality, products need to be priced appropriately, and today’s consumers understand and are willing to pay a little extra for a superior experience.

India isn’t one market, it’s many. The top 1 percent of consumers are already spoilt for choice, enjoying a wide variety of premium options. The next 2–3 percent is rapidly emerging and is becoming a key focus for premium brands. Another 2–3 percent is on the way, gradually moving up in spending power and awareness. Beyond that, the remaining 90 percentplus of consumers will evolve with time, creating long-term potential for brands that can anticipate and cater to changing preferences.

It’s also important to recognise today that not every brand needs to be pan-India. Regional successes are both possible and valuable, provided the idea is strong and the execution is excellent. The market emerging is large, a sub-continent actually for premium products and can support multiple brands and players.

Consistency is one of the biggest challenges for smaller entrepreneurs as they try to scale. Creativity, innovative packaging or a strong initial product launch can generate excitement, but unless the quality and experience are maintained over time, consumer trust erodes.

Premium growth will come from regional success, disciplined scaling and consistent quality. In super-premium and luxury segment, credibility and reliability matter more than short-term excitement.

We increasingly see ABD Maestro investing in immersive consumer experiences. As a seasoned marketing leader how do you leverage these touchpoints to build deeper emotional connections with your consumers across your portfolio?

As a portfolio, we invest in many ways that are consistent with what leading global brands do. We engage consumers where they already choose to be, rather than forcing brand interactions in unfamiliar spaces. For brands like ARTHAUS, this means curated, invite-only experiences at top hotels and participation in cocktail weeks, spirits-focused events and award platforms.

Consumers today value experiences like travel, dining, music, culture and shared moments far more than earlier generations. Brands that integrate meaningfully into these experiences build stronger resonance.

The Indian consumer is clearly trading up. How do you see the next phase of premiumisation unfolding across categories?

The Indian consumer is clearly trading up, and premiumisation is unfolding at different speeds across categories. Whisky and gin have led premiumisation, driven by Indian entrepreneurship and credibility.

Gin momentum was followed by the Indian Single Malts and whisky story, which has been widely documented and celebrated. The progress in this space has generated a great sense of pride within the industry and has contributed meaningfully to the premiumisation of Indian spirits. These categories now enjoy strong consumer awareness, credibility and aspiration.

Vodka is now seeing renewed energy through innovation and strong packaging. Tequila is emerging, while rum still needs more competition to unlock its premium potential. RANGEELA in our portfolio is being infused with much-needed energy. RANGEELA is “hatke” in its personality, but not for the sake of being different. Its positioning reflects energy and vibrancy, supported by a highquality product that is triple-distilled, platinum and chill-filtered. Retaining quality and consumers are equally important. I do believe the cost of consumer retention will be equally expensive to the cost of acquisition in an experimentative, experience led market. Consumers with shorter attention spans will lead to shorter product cycles without well-timed interventions.

Across categories, success will depend on quality, storytelling and relevance to evolving consumer behavior.

Incubated for Global Scale

We aspire to be a brand incubator with global ambitions. Our ambition goes beyond India, and our portfolio is structured to travel and compete internationally

Scale matters, but so do margins, credibility and consistency. We aim to grow with healthy margins, deliver consistently excellent products, and curate a strong, credible portfolio. The focus remains on super-premium and luxury segments, where we see significant opportunities.

Several indicators point to a promising future. India’s economy is performing well, consumer purchase behaviour is evolving, and 11-12 million young adults are entering legal drinking age each year. Over the next decade, the consumption landscape in India will be different, and we aim to be well-positioned to capture more than our fair share.

We are currently present in 9-10 cities and will expand gradually. The priority is to perfect execution first, build strong foundations, and then scale with confidence.

What capabilities – data, innovation, talent or supply chain sophistication – will define ABD Maestro’s next chapter of competitive advantage?

ABD Maestro has gone through a significant learning journey to build specialised capabilities for small-batch, high-quality production. While we are part of a large organisation with extensive production resources, out of ABD’s 36 units, only three units engage with Maestro production.

Building these capabilities meant working differently, engaging with a new set of suppliers, experimenting with materials we had never used before, such as premium corks, sleeves, labels and creative bottle decorations. We ensured that products were not launched until every aspect of quality was perfected.

Over the last seven months, many of us have visited manufacturing plants, glass factories and decoration units to understand how we can enhance quality at every level. In cases where certain capabilities were not available in India, we imported materials to build global standards.

Our focus remains simple: deliver exceptional products. This commitment to quality, combined with innovation and supply-chain and production rigour, will define our competitive advantage.