Now Reading: Tequila giant Becle makes direct India push, hires ex-Diageo executive
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Tequila giant Becle makes direct India push, hires ex-Diageo executive
Tequila giant Becle makes direct India push, hires ex-Diageo executive
Becle, the world's largest tequila maker and owner of Jose Cuervo, is entering India directly through its spirits unit Proximo. It has appointed former Diageo executive Shweta Jain as managing director for…
The Story in Brief
Becle, the world's largest tequila maker and owner of Jose Cuervo, is entering India directly through its spirits unit Proximo. It has appointed former Diageo executive Shweta Jain as managing director for India and South Asia, according to a report in Economic Times. The move ends Proximo's reliance on distributor Monika Alcobev and gives it greater control over pricing and brand building.
India's tequila volumes tripled between 2022 and 2025, with ultra-premium tequila surging 13-fold from a small base. The broader spirits market grew 4% in FY26. Proximo, which also sells Bushmills Irish Whiskey and Kraken Rum, will compete with Diageo's Don Julio and Bacardi's Patron. The shift towards at-home consumption and premium retail is helping tequila shed its nightclub image.
The Indian Opinion
The excitement around India's tequila boom risks overstating the market's size. Volumes tripled from a very low base, and ultra-premium growth is 13-fold but still tiny. The real test will be whether Proximo can build a mainstream premium segment beyond the top bars, where Diageo and Pernod already dominate. One number to watch: the share of tequila in India's total spirits volume, currently under 1%.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
