India's Only Liquor Baroness----International Womens' Day-I

 India’s only Liquor Baroness

I Brands Beverages is an international manufacturer and distributor of alcoholic beverages from the U.K. The company was started and headed up by young, dynamic  Lisa Srao,along with an international advisory board of some of the top names in the industry, known to have launched some of the most successful global brands in existence, including the well known Double Dutch Beer, that has enjoyed over 10 years of success in the U.K. Lisa started out with just a dream and a broken glass bottle. Some heady answers from the chic lady who elegantly sports Hermes handbags, sky-high Christian Louboutin heels,  Tom Ford sunglasses, Prada shoes and Diane von Furstenberg Tees  and is completely in charge in the boardroom too!

 Just a dream and a broken glass bottle.....can you elaborate on this?

We identified a gap in the market for affordable luxury whiskies. Determined to launch we tried to gain leverage with the trade by showing them Demi mocked prototypes. We had a vision, but as initial productions costs were high (running just one round of production of dummy bottles, ran into lakhs), we started out with just   4 dummy bottles, some broke during our rounds of presentations, pitches etc. But I was passionate and determined to succeed. We pitched to many who initially did not want to work with us, felt we would fail. Day in and day out we skirted the market looking for distributors for our products........the rest is history I would say, with over 3000 points of sale, today our products are available across 8 states in the country.

What prompted you to venture into the liquor industry?

My family was in the liquor business and I moved to India from the U.K, following my marriage. .Initially I wanted to launch my father's products, but with two years of extensive R&D invested in the Indian market, I realized that each state is quite like a separate country, the palate was different from that of the U.K market, and the liquor industry as a whole was far more complex in India, so I realized that launching U.K -adapted products in this market would not work. I went into extensive development of a fresh and new product created specifically for the Indian market. I knew I could create awe inspiring products at international world class quality standards, and that is exactly what I went about doing.

What were the hurdles you faced as a woman in this male-dominated arena?

No one took me seriously at first, especially being a woman in a male- dominated industry. Many a time, the trade and distributors shut the door in our faces. But my drive and passion, combined with a team of innovative and young individuals spurred me on. With a strong emphasis on quality we powered on, despite the setbacks. Over a period of time, we found consumers picking up our products off the shelf, and coming back for more, a testament to great packaging and a fabulous blend.

Your experiences in Media & Marketing must have been a huge help..?

Yes I feel I was born to be in the liquor business and my past media experiences have definitely aided me on getting our brands into the market successfully. ( Lisa  has worked with Viacom, Vivendi Universal and News Corporation in UK) .We did make errors in some areas, and succeeded in others, but this taught me a lot and helped me a great deal while I set up my company. Understanding consumer behavior and needs was imperative for me.

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 In the strategic planning of I Brands... do share your high points in setting and making it a success.

Being told that as a woman succeeding in this industry was not possible, having cheques presented to us that bounced was all quite challenging as experiences, but it taught me a great deal about the business, about the wrong and right type of business alliances and other key learnings. Now when I see our products flying off the shelves, to see consumers asking for our products,it  makes me proud and feel like it was all worth it! We constantly aim at producing a fabulous experience for our consumers, ensure that we are better than the competition in every segment that we are present in, honoring all promises and agreements made, and constantly monitoring that we are giving the youth of India (that is above the legal drinking age), a better quality, value for money product.

What is the company's turnover and what are future plans?

We have laid a solid foundation that would take any international player more than five years to achieve. Our turnover in the next five years is estimated at Rs.100 crores. In the next two years we will have a pan India presence, and two state- of- the- art bottling units.

As a jet-setting entrepreneur and a homemaker, what are the factors that have contributed most to your success?

To never believe you have the best product, to constantly work at adapting and making it better. We launched Granton whisky in the market, and found that it required further improving, and are in the process of relaunching the product with an incredible new design aesthetic, and a fabulous new blend. I have also managed my time efficiently, being able to delegate the right amount of time towards my family, and my work schedule. Often after my kids are in bed, I am on the phone, getting  work done. There is no set time off, you need to just keep going, and manage your time effectively. I am also a creative person -an artist at heart as I paint fantasy canvases, and this has contributed extensively to my efforts in product development. Our premium segment whisky - Three Royals Whisky is a beautiful and absolutely stunning product that I have spent a lot of my creativity on, having taken absolutely no shortcuts on it. I am driven by new ideas, and love surrounding myself with a young team that dares to challenge the norms, as this is the only way to succeed.

What would you advise young entrepreneurs -cum-homemakers?

Financial planning is  the  key. Never give up. Dream big. Believe in yourself. Be conscious in living and your thoughts. As Nike says just do it!