Tejvir Singh

Tilaknagar Industries Ltd., best known for its leading Mansion House brandy, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Imperial Blue whisky business from Pernod Ricard India for an enterprise value of ₹4,150 crore ($500 million), marking one of India's largest ever liquor-sector deals. The all-cash transaction, expected to close within the next six months, includes a deferred payment of ₹282 crore payable four years following completion. It marks Tilaknagar’s strategic entry into India’s high-volume whisky market, which constitutes nearly two-thirds of the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sector. Pernod Ricard, the world’s second-largest spirits maker, said the sale lets it sharpen its focus on premium brands like Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, and Jameson and is expected to meaningfully improve its operating margins and net sales growth. The popular Imperial Blue, launched in 1997 and currently India’s third-best-selling IMFL whisky, sold 22.8 million nine-litre cases in 2023. Tilaknagar—returning to profitability after debt restructuring—has been raising up to $500 million through debt and equity to finance the acquisition. Its board approved the fund-raising plan earlier this month . Chairman & MD Amit Dahanukar said the acquisition supports Tilaknagar’s “vision 2030” strategy of expanding its non-brandy footprint—from 6% to around 20% over the medium term. By adding Imperial Blue to its portfolio, it becomes a significant player across both brandy and whisky categories. Tilaknagar’s shares have rallied nearly 30% over the past month as investors welcomed the bold move. Analyst reports suggest this deal could give the company a national IMFL footprint and introduce economies of scale in distribution and marketing.

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The attached article, titled “Gupta is Highest Paid FMCG CEO”, highlights the sharp rise in executive compensation across India's FMCG sector in FY25, With Marico’s Saugata Gupta leading as the highest-paid CEO, driven largely by stock option gains. The article also covers modest hikes for CEOs at HUL, ITC, and Nestlé India, reflecting broader market challenges such as urban slowdown and rising competition from D2C and regional brands. I was quoted in the piece sharing a broader perspective on these trends: “The domestic FMCG sector has had to deal with both slowdown concerns as well as growing competition... Market leaders were not immune to these pressures, which reflected in CEO compensation.” Viveat Pinto thanks for covering my views 👍 #FMCG #Leadership #ExecutiveCompensation #upGradRekrut #MarketTrends #CEOInsights #TalentStrategy

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The Theobroma story: Sisters behind ₹3,500 crore bakery eye India’s largest cash exit. Bakery chain Theobroma is reportedly in the final stages of being acquired at a staggering valuation of ₹3,500 crore. If Theobroma’s proposed deal achieves its target valuation, it could surpass previous records and potentially set a new benchmark for cash exits by founders in India. Theobroma, today a bakery chain with 225 outlets across India, started as a one-room enterprise by sisters Kainaz Messman Harchandrai and Tina Messman Wykes 20 years ago. In her 2020 book “The Theobroma Story: Baking a Dream,” Kainaz revealed that the idea of starting her own bakery came after she sustained a back injury while working as a pastry chef at the Oberoi Udaivilas. Kainaz had the necessary experience for the ‘kitchen’ part of her bakery - she trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London before joining the Oberoi. Moreover, the two sisters had also grown up helping their mother in her small, home-run baking business. The necessary capital of ₹1 crore to launch the business was provided by their father. “The four of us thought starting a cafe would be more of the same, on a slightly bigger scale but not much different from what we were already doing from home. We didn’t have a business growth plan or any real plan,” Kainaz revealed in her book. Their first outlet opened on Dussehra 2004 in Mumbai’s Colaba area. The name “Theobroma” was suggested by a friend after the two sisters struggled to name their business. Theobroma is derived from the Greek words ‘theos’ (god) and ‘broma’ (food). It translates to ‘food of the gods’. #theobroma #bakery #business #businessgrowthtips #father #investment #bakerylife #BakeryLove #greekfood #kainaz #food #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #booknow #success #successstory #CaseStudy #fblifestyle #businessowner #businesssuccess #businessopportunity

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*Executive Assistant to the Founder* Be a force multiplier for the founder p.s. I have taken more than 4 hours to write this note. Every word here is meant to convey important information to those who are keen. *What’s in it for you?* This is the fastest way to expedite your learning curve and become a rare professional with 360-degree business exposure to drive outcomes. *What should you expect?* 1. You will work directly with the founder and witness how to build a foundationally strong business that is growing fast, and contribute to the same. 2. You will work with other leaders in the business and conduct meaningful and powerful conversations with them [Examples at the end] 3. You will gain solid exposure to operations, finance, supply chain, brand building, engineering, and design, amongst other groups. 4. You will be groomed to cause outcomes and not just be a coordinator. What should you not expect? 1. This is not a strategy role. Like good businesses, this role requires 10% of its time on strategy and 90% on execution. 2. Chill. Because I work 60 hours a week. If you are smart, you can guesstimate your workload. *What are you expected to bring to the table?* Before anything else, you are expected to bring a drive to learn, grow, iterate, and not give up when the situation demands it. 1. First principle thinking to understand the problem at hand and find possible solutions via self or other stakeholders 2. High-quality listening - listen well to communicate well 3. Be reliable - Do what you are expected to do, on time and to a high standard. Do not cut corners. 4. Bias for outcomes - Move decisively, close loops, and measure impact and expected outcomes 5. Prioritisation - Ability to judge, and keep learning, to become better at effective prioritisation of multiple matters at hand 6. Decision making - to eliminate bottlenecks and enable growth in ambiguous situations 7. Growth mindset - become efficient with the given responsibilities and continuously take on more. 8. Time management - You won't just need to manage your time; you will need to manage my time too. 9. Discretion - Handle sensitive information and stakeholder dynamics with smart judgment 10. Problem-solving - Tenacity and curiosity to find solutions to problems 11. Judgement - Continuous learning to judge the importance of a piece of information or action To know more and apply, check out the google doc below. https://lnkd.in/gAFr_KNE

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Entering the giant that is the Indian FMCG market can feel like trying to break into a locked treasure chest. But what if I tell you the key is right in your hand? The secret sauce? Understanding and planning. 🌍 The Landscape of Opportunity: The diversity in India is both a challenge and an opportunity. It's like a cricket team with players from all over the country, each bringing their unique flair. Success lies in forming a cohesive strategy while respecting each player's (or consumer’s) strengths. 🔍 Smart Segmentation: Don’t view the market as one homogenous entity. Segmentation is critical—urban vs. rural, tier one vs. tier two cities, and so on. You’re not just selling products; you’re offering solutions to varied lifestyles. 🏆 The Winning Strategy: Take cues from successful companies that have customized their approaches. Remember how some global brands tailored their existing offerings to fit the local context? Think of introducing staple-friendly products just like how tech companies tailored their apps for local languages. Practical Steps to Implement: - Study Competitors: Analyze local competitors; what works for them can inform your strategy. - Innovative Route Planning: Experiment with alternative distribution methods. How about using local pop-up stores? Imagine the surprise on consumers’ faces seeing your international brand in a local fair! - Customer Engagement: Foster customer loyalty programs through mobile apps specific to the Indian audience. Gather feedback and refine your offerings accordingly. 🎯 Focus Areas: - Cultural Alignment: Understand and respect cultural nuances. Collaborations with local influencers can bridge the gap between international offerings and local tastes. - Sustainable Practices: Emphasize sustainability as it resonates strongly with the modern consumer. The potential for growth is huge, but so are the nuances. Are you ready to align and shine? I’m eager to learn from you—what’s been your most valuable lesson when tapping into new markets? #FMCGInsights #IndianMarket #BusinessStrategy #EmergingTrends #ConsumerEngagement

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Scale - Short, simple word but not at all simple to achieve in business. But if you get it right, it can positively transform the business! Today I had the opportunity to see a business “scaling” up organically. Along with the resolute Manaswini Goel, I had the pleasure of visiting Mahindra’s Aero business in Bangalore. The business is on a path to 10X growth. It’s been painstaking work. Growing from 2-3 initial customers to 25 today. One work package at a time! Here’s what I learned from the team at Aero about scaling up A) Know your Customer : Understanding the customer, their pain points, being close to them, aligning your offering to their need - This team is as close to the customer as it gets. B) Credibility : The industry doesn’t get harder than this. Because of the stakes involved, the customer expects you to be right everytime. This means taking the time to get it right. The team has shown infinite patience as they were tested a 100 times before they were assigned larger work. They knew it was important to get it right every one of those 100 times! There was no shortcut. C) Capability Building : To be seen as credible, it is extremely important to build capability. Capability is a function of people, process, systems. The team at Aero was always strong on customer orientation. They have since added capability in application engineering, planning, manufacturing excellence, fulfilment and many such critical functions. They are running multiple initiatives to make their systems world class. And the process focus is intense. SOPs visible to all. Dashboards highlighting what needs to be fixed. Kaizen event follow up notes… all around the shop floor! D) Learning culture : Despite getting A, B and C right most times, there will be moments of failure. A learning culture allows you to move with purpose when faced with a failure - Because you see failure as a way to get better. A learning culture also fosters an environment of continuous improvement. If you think you did something well, you look for ways to do it even better the next time. E) Passion and Belief : This one is a softer aspect but very important part of scaling up. Everyone I met was buzzing with ideas. Teams need to be passionate about the scale up Vision. They need to believe they can do it. This will feed “D” above even more as whenever there is a failure, the passion and belief will keep them going. Another soft aspect - Having fun is important for teams who are scaling up. It keeps the passion going. Learning about every trick the team tried to scare away local monkeys was the funniest thing i have heard in a while. This includes dressing up as gorillas and putting a stuffed tiger on the floor. Needless to say, the monkeys didn’t fall for either! Lot of respect for the Aero team and what they have set out to do. I will be rooting for this scale up Vinod Sahay Arvind Mehra Karthik Krishnamurthy

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Rs 17,762 Crore Deal That Could Redefine Indian Sports Business Forever🚨 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) could soon become the subject of India’s largest-ever sports franchise transaction. UNITED SPIRITS LIMITED, owned by Diageo, is reportedly looking to sell the IPL team for a staggering Rs 17,762 crore. Leading the race is Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., making this one of the most consequential deals in Indian cricket history. ✅ The Valuation Story When RCB was first bought in 2008, the price tag was Rs 475 crore. Today, the ask is 38 times higher at Rs 17,762 crore. The economics also explain the steep number. RCB earns Rs 450–500 crore annually from central IPL revenues, adds another Rs 150–200 crore from sponsorships & merchandise, and up to Rs 80 crore from ticketing & hospitality. That puts its annual revenue in the Rs 650–780 crore range. When benchmarked globally, NFL teams trade at 8–12x revenues, NBA at 10–15x & Premier League clubs at 5–8x. At about 22-27x revenues, RCB’s valuation still appears conservative compared to international peers. ✅ Why Diageo May Exit 1. Diageo’s exit strategy reflects both financial opportunity and strategic realignment. Its core alcoholic beverage business is navigating increasing regulatory scrutiny in India, and sports franchise ownership falls outside its operating focus. 2. The timing couldn’t be more favourable. The IPL’s total value has reached Rs 1.34 lakh crore, and RCB’s brand has never been stronger. 3. For Diageo, it is a chance to unlock 18x on its original investment and redirect capital into its core markets before potential advertising restrictions on alcohol brands further complicate cricket sponsorships. ✅ The Poonawalla Factor Adar Poonawalla’s candidacy brings credibility & capacity. The strategic fit also makes sense. Linking healthcare’s fitness narrative with cricket, leveraging IPL’s hospitality opportunities for his global network & embedding his brand into India’s most followed sport would create long-term visibility. ✅ What This Means for the IPL 1. The deal could reset franchise valuations. Mumbai Indians & Chennai Super Kings may soon test valuations, while Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals could push too. 2. It would also amplify global investor interest in Indian sports. Proof of an exit creates confidence in long-term returns, attracting private equity, sovereign funds & global sports owners into India’s fast-maturing sports ecosystem. 3. Beyond cricket, the ripple effect will likely touch football, kabaddi, and emerging leagues. RCB’s potential sale is about India’s sports business graduating to a global scale. It signals that professionally run Indian franchises can deliver sustainable economics, institutional-grade governance & premium valuations. If the deal closes at or above Rs 17,762 crore, it will mark the single largest validation of Indian sports as an asset class. #cricket #india #finance #sports #business

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Curefoods secures Rs 160 crore from Binny Bansal's 3State Ventures ahead of IPO IPO-bound cloud kitchen startup Curefoods India Limited has raised Rs 160 crore in a pre-IPO placement from Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, the company said on September 26. It has allotted 1.28 crore equity shares at Rs 124 per share to 3State Ventures Pte. Ltd, Bansal's investment arm. https://lnkd.in/g2Y6YsmS

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