Arundeep Singla, Chairman, and Managing Director at Alcostar Group of Companies

Interview with Arundeep Singla, Chairman, and Managing Director at Alcostar Group of Companies

Arundeep Singla, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Alcostar Group of Companies is a youthful and vibrant entrepreneur who stormed into the market at the age of 30 and has always succeeded in his endeavors.

He is accountable for the effective leadership and administration of Alcostar Group of Companies, India’s top beverage manufacturing company.

Mr. Arundeep Singla launched Alcostar Group of Companies in the year 2020 with the intention of becoming the top-performing and most reputable Spirits Company in India.

The brand is committed to providing a consistent premium experience to customers and creating employment opportunities at the same time.

Under his dynamic leadership, the firm has developed a diverse portfolio of brands across numerous categories in the liquor industry.

He is armed with an engineering background and a professional accounting degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia. 

While hustling during his educational journey, he was introduced to the local breweries and the pub culture that left a moving impact on him.

By gaining an extensive understanding of the beverage industry in Australia, he got inspired to come up with his own breakthrough in the brewery market and the result was Alcostar Group of Companies.

Today, Alcostar Group is confident of taking a giant leap of faith and confidence in its world-class IMFL brands while offering products at a reasonable price with high quality and adhering to the philosophy ‘Hard Work Beats Lazy Talent’.

Prior to launching Alcostar, he also brought the brewpub culture to India in 2016 with the brand name ‘The Brew Estate’ introducing the concept of craft beer combined with food and music.

The Brew Estate was launched with a globally inspired vision to bring the craft beer experience. It was the first microbrewery in Chandigarh with the concept of Café by Day, Pub by Night.

As of 2022, the latest additions include – ‘Drinkyard’ in the food and beverage experience market and ‘The Liquor Estate’ an elite liquor boutique – converting the old regular liquor shopping experience to an elite class with all imported and Indian liquor brands under one roof.

He also refers to his accomplishments as milestones and believes that life is a journey in which we should focus on milestones rather than achievements.

“Humans should always work hard. No matter where you are now, you determine where you will be in the coming years of life.”

Arundeep embraces and operates by this slogan in his life. He strives constantly to advance his knowledge and envisions becoming a leading player in the industry.

Additionally, he strongly supports moderation in drinking and is enthusiastic about leading social activities with a highly synergistic team of young, dynamic, and experienced individuals.

Apart from that, he believes meditation to be a great exercise, and to start his day on a good note, he prefers meditating for a few minutes in the morning.

As he feels that meditation isolates him from the chatter of a busy mind and adds to his energy and productivity.

Mr. Arundeep Singla, is dedicated to corporate ethics and good corporate governance. He believes that high standards of decency and integrity in business form the cornerstone of any successful enterprise.

The company’s values focus on relationships with brands and customers, passion for dominating the market, and principles like honesty, responsibility, independence, modesty, and simplicity.

What inspired you to start Alco Beverage Company, and what have been some of the major milestones in your journey so far?

Arundeep Singla: While hustling during my educational journey, I was introduced to the local breweries and the pub culture that left a moving impact on him.

By gaining an extensive understanding of the beverage industry in Australia, I got inspired to come up with his own breakthrough in the brewery market and the result was Alcostar Group of Companies.

Today, Alcostar Group is confident of taking a giant leap of faith and confidence in its world-class IMFL brands while offering products at a reasonable price with high quality and adhering to the philosophy ‘Hard Work Beats Lazy Talent’.

Prior to launching Alcostar, I also brought the brewpub culture to India in 2016 with the brand name ‘The Brew Estate’ introducing the concept of craft beer combined with food and music.

The Brew Estate was launched with a globally inspired vision to bring the craft beer experience. It was the first microbrewery in Chandigarh with the concept of Café by Day, Pub by Night.

As of 2022, the latest additions include – ‘Drinkyard’ in the food and beverage experience market and ‘The Liquor Estate’ an elite liquor boutique – converting the old regular liquor shopping experience to an elite class with all imported and Indian liquor brands under one roof.

I refer to my accomplishments as milestones and believe that life is a journey in which we should focus on milestones rather than achievements.

My greatest achievement, nevertheless, is the establishment of Alcostar. The brand today has successfully established its place in the market with a wide range of products including Whisky, Rum, Vodka, and Gin segments launched by the firm under the brand names Sherry Platinum, KIEV, Royal General, Old Chief, and Gravity in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttarakhand. The brand’s versatile array of products earned itself the award of Spiritz Selections in 2021.

How has Alcostar Group of Companies evolved over the years, and what challenges have you faced in building and expanding your business?

Arundeep Singla: Alcostar Group of Companies recorded a turnover of 500 crores in its first financial year, and it increased its liquor portfolio and hospitality business, recording a turnover of 800 crores.

We have achieved a turnover of 1200cr in FY 2023 after three successful years in the liquor and hospitality business.

Our future goals are to continue to expand our portfolio, innovate our products and services, and provide the best customer experience possible.

The journey had many challenges. One of his main pubs, The Brew Estate located in sector 26 in Chandigarh, was shut in 2018 when the Supreme Court banned hotels and restaurants along the highways from serving alcohol. “We had plans of expanding to other parts of India, but that got delayed because of COVID,”

The company has plans of expanding to the western and eastern parts of India in the coming years, adding that vendors, landlords, and team supported the business during the pandemic.

Excise laws in India have also been one of the challenges for the company as they are not uniform. It is good that the government is now supporting microbreweries because of low alcohol drinks.

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Arundeep Singla: My journey as an entrepreneur started with the launch of The Brew Estate in 2016, which brought the brewpub culture to India.

I always had a passion for the hospitality industry, and The Brew Estate was launched with a globally inspired vision to bring the craft beer experience to India.

With the success of The Brew Estate, I saw an opportunity to expand my company’s product portfolio to include premium alco-beverages, and that’s how Alcostar Group of Companies came into existence in 2020.

Kindly brief us about your company & its specialization

Arundeep Singla: Alcostar Group of Companies’ primary businesses include alcoholic drinks and hospitality. Even as a new liquor industry player, the company has made it to one of India’s fastest-growing Alco Beverage Companies.

The brand serves Indian Made Liquor, and Foreign Liquor. Apart from this, it also has a liquor portfolio of Imported Wine, Vodka & Gin that the company imports from Spain, Poland, France, and South Africa.

Corporate ethics and good corporate governance are very important to the company’s founder, and the entire group.

We contend that high standards of decency and integrity in business are the cornerstone of any successful enterprise.

What are some of the unique features of Alco Beverage Company’s products and how do you ensure their quality and consistency?

Alcostar manufactures and imports liquor from different parts of the world. We began with Indian brands, but we were quick to learn that people preferred imported foreign liquor, so we decided to launch another vertical for foreign liquor distribution.

Our brand has a really strong presentation. You get a taste of luxury,” he adds. Sherry Platinum, Kiev, Royal General, and Old Chief Rum are some of Alcostar’s brands.

The company’s portfolio also includes a wide range of imported brands from several countries, including Radio Boka and Gran Pasas from Spain, Ovation Spumante and Shortwood from South Africa, Stock from Poland, Le Paradou and Monsieur De Bordeaux from France, and Barrister from Russia, across different categories like wine, vodka, gin, and rum.

What steps does Alcostar Group of Companies take to maintain sustainability and ensure ethical business practices?

Arundeep Singla: Alcostar Group of Companies is focused on providing high-quality products and services, innovating our portfolio to meet the evolving customer needs, and providing the best customer experience possible.

We also have a diverse portfolio of premium alco-beverages and a strong presence in the hospitality industry, which sets us apart from other players in the industry.

What is your vision for the future of Alcostar Group of Companies, and how do you plan to achieve it?

Arundeep Singla: The company’s mission is to become the premier spirits company in the liquor industry devoted to innovation, brand development, and to build the best-performing, most dependable, and most admired business in the Indian alco-beverage sector.

We import Wine, Vodka & Gin from France, South Africa, Poland, and Spain. With the great demand in the North, we have occupied a great market in the north region of India with our portfolio of imported wines, Vodka.

We had a very positive response from the trade as well as from consumers. We have launched Wine in different segments such as Rose, White-wine, Red-wine, and Viognier from countries like South Africa and France.

We already have a presence in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttarakhand. During the consumer survey, we got an amazing response from the consumers.

They really appreciated the rich taste of our products. We are glad to say that we are one of the fastest-moving Alco- beverage brands and are gaining popularity in the country.

 Coming to hospitality, The Brew Estate is North India’s largest Micro Brewery Chain and Chandigarh’s first Microbrewery.

Our hospitality business has earned widespread acceptance and appreciation from our valued customers.

We have the largest variety of beers which is hard to find in other places. Also, we are going to expand our foots internationally by launching our outlets in Surrey, Canada. It’d be the first Indian microbrewery overseas.

What role do you think innovation and technology play in the beverage industry, and how is Alcostar Group of Companies leveraging these trends?

Arundeep Singla: The company has made investments in transformational digital and data capabilities to constantly deliver a customer-first approach.

They succeed with customers when the proper product is offered at the ideal time, location, and price. Overall, Alcostar Group of Companies is a prime example of a company that values ethics and integrity while offering an impressive portfolio of premium brands in the liquor industry.

What are some of the major trends and challenges in the beverage industry, and how is Alco Beverage Company adapting to these changes?

There has been a significant shift in consumer sentiments towards the Alco Bev industry in India. The industry has witnessed a marked increase in consumer interest and demand for new and unique products, especially in the premium segment.

The younger generation in India has shown an increased interest in exploring and experimenting with different types of alcoholic beverages.

Another noticeable change in consumer sentiments is the increasing preference for health and wellness.

Consumers are now more health-conscious and are looking for alcoholic beverages with lower alcohol content, fewer calories, and natural ingredients. This shift has led to an increase in demand for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks.

In summary, the Alco Bev industry in India has witnessed a shift in consumer sentiments towards premium and unique products, health and wellness, and sustainable practices.

What is your leadership style, and how do you foster a culture of excellence and innovation within your organization?

Arundeep Singla: To surpass our category and compete with the biggest consumer products companies around the world, we put a lot of effort into outperforming and exceeding our competitors.

We are recognized for creating brands that are relevant right now and cherished forever as the proud custodians of extraordinary brands, from ancient names to newcomers.

The company’s footprints enable us to deliver remarkable brands that people trust. Although we have high aspirations, we are always aware of our environment. We’re more than simply bottles, breweries, and boardrooms, for that reason

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the beverage industry, or any other industry for that matter?

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs in the liquor and hospitality industry would be to focus on providing high-quality products and services, innovate their portfolio to meet the evolving customer needs, and provide the best customer experience possible.

It is also essential to have a strong team, be adaptable to changes in the industry, and have a long-term vision for your business.

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