Salud Beverages Raises US$ 1.1 mn to Aid its Robust Expansion & Growth Plans

D2C Alcoholic beverages start-up or rather urban lifestyle brand Salud Beverages has raised funding worth US$ 1.1 million, as of March 2021. The VC fund, comprising actors and HNIs includes serial entrepreneur and leading actor Rana Daggubati, and former managing director of Microsoft India, Srinivas Koppolu, among others backed by Prasad Vanga’s Anthill Ventures.

The fund was primarily used to establish a formidable retail presence with flagship brand Salud G&T 2.0, a bottled gin and tonic cocktail, as well as to build a diverse product portfolio. This resulted in G&T 2.0 being available in over 500 retail outlets, with 2,50,000 bottles sold and a consumer base that is growing every passing day.

After successfully launching the brand in Karnataka, bringing out the country's first RTD gin and tonic in a bottle, Salud followed it up by introducing Salud Merch and Salud Sessions. Salud Merch offers an exclusive range of fashion and lifestyle merchandise and accessories. Salud Sessions, the music label, collaborates with leading DJs from around the country creating compilation volumes of electronic beats, accompanied by music videos.

Sharing his views on Salud’s journey so far, Ajay Shetty, Founder & Director, Salud Beverages, said, "We are a focussed brand striving to put India on the global map, alongside the best countries in the world, with some of the finest spirits including bottled cocktails, craft spirits, non-alcoholic beverages and more. And not to stop there, but continue to innovate with products and experiences that will lead to a loyal consumer base, on the way to our big-picture goal of becoming an aspirational global lifestyle brand."

Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are fast becoming the drink of choice – from millennials to connoisseurs alike.

Salud G&T 2.0 is currently available in three refreshing flavors - Original, Cucumber, and Lavender, all of which are distilled in Goa. These bottled cocktails are made of English Juniper, botanicals sourced from Europe, and the finest Indian tonic, giving consumers a premium quality experience with affordable pricing.

Going forward, the D2C brand will expand its footprint into other markets such as Goa and Odisha and additional domestic markets. It will also be adding new flavors to the G&T 2.0 range, as well as expanding with new offerings in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage segments. It expects to triple its current sales by the end of FY 2021-22. Entering international markets in the Middle East and Europe is also a part of the long-term strategic plan that the brand is planning to materialize by the end of the year.