‘I believe our business is ready to shift gears'

With premiumisation being the mantra for many alcobev manufacturers, NV Distilleries not only looking at pushing its domestic market, but also making tremendous efforts in the export market as well. Varun Jain, CEO, NV Group feels that the company is now ready to shift its gears as he speaks to Bhavya Desai on its roadmap.

- Bhavya Desai

Given the current scenario of the industry, how is NV looking at its roadmap for the current year?

In my opinion all companies have had to face losses in their business as the market was either completely or partially closed. For example, Mumbai allowed only door delivery from the retail outlet before opening the markets. Number of State Government announced lockdown on weekends as well which also adversely affected liquor sales. The liquor industry registered more than 50% drop in its volume during March and April due to the pandemic.

However, most of the market have substantially recovered their volumes now, except states like Goa and Daman due to the reduced influx of tourists. NV is bridging the gap by putting in place a robust production blueprint which will ensure immediate supply to those states where stock is being currently imported from neighbouring states.

We are also strengthening the distribution base at all levels and focussing on Retail and Modern trade outlets. We at NV have also talented marketing professionals to take care of the consumer off take from retail and on-premise outlets.

What plans did the company put in place to mitigate any challenges that came from the pandemic?

There are challenges at all levels during the ongoing pandemic. We had to work from home, keep everything sanitized (people/place/documents/vehicles/plant and machinery, etc.) and yet produce the best possible results. The greatest challenges were faced by our work force in the field and manufacturing units.