Spreading The Spirit Of Sharing

Pernod Ricard’s Guillaume GirardReydet says the French firm is in the business of ensuring quality moments of ‘sharing’ a good drink— with family, with friends, with colleagues. He thinks India needs more places where people can do that.

- Arnika Thakur

PERNOD RICARD’S GUILL AUME Girard-Reydet was heading the French spirits giant’s Polish unit when he was asked whether he would like to move to India. The former rugby player had some notion about the cricket-crazy country. He was friends with some Indians who would come to play cricket on the grounds where he volunteered as an assistant coach to train a rugby team. He says he took up the offer, arriving at the decision in less than 12 hours. This was in 2015. Reydet, managing director of Pernod Ricard India, told Fortune India in an interview the world’s No. 2 spirits company is focussing on premiumisation as it sees demand for premium brands rising not just in metro cities, but in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, too. Edited excerpts:

How do you see the Indian market at the moment? Do you think it is evolving fast?

I think it is evolving fast. I want to say that in our business we are not selling spirits, we are selling sharings. If anyone is able to share a nice drink, alcohol or non-alcohol, the quality of the sharings and the quality of the moment with either your family, or your friend, or your colleague, is something most important for us. This is evolving very fast, meaning that people now have less time, they are working very hard, and they have so many things to do. So when you want a good moment of pleasure, you want a premium moment. That means that you might want to share a good whisky, not a low-end brand. Premiumisation is there: Everyone is seeking premium moments. We initially thought it is only in metros and minimetros, but even in tier 2, tier 3 towns, people are seeking premium brands and premium moments.

Which are the faster-growing segments in India?