The Maestro Mindset: How ABD Composing its Super-premium Future

We aspire to be a brand incubator with global ambitions. Our ambition goes beyond India, and our portfolio is structured to travel and compete internationally, says Bikram Basu Managing Director, ABD Maestro.

In an industry where heritage often dictates hierarchy, ABD Maestro is rewriting the rules. Born from Allied Blenders & Distillers Ltd. yet operating with startup agility, this subsidiary isn’t just launching premium brands, it’s incubating a new mindset. At the helm of this new playbook is its Managing Director BIKRAM Basu who is redefining how Indian alcobev brands are created, scaled and experienced. With an uncompromising focus on quality, design and authentic storytelling, he sees ABD Maestro evolving as a globally ambitious brand incubator which is patiently built, creatively led and deeply aligned with how India’s next generation chooses to drink better. Bikram outlines a future-focused vision rooted in clarity, craft and cultural relevance while speaking with SHALINI Kumar.

How does ABD Maestro differentiate itself from traditional alcobev companies – strategically, organisationally and culturally? What makes this company operating DNA unique?

ABD Maestro’s structure itself is distinctive. While many companies create a premium or luxury vertical within an existing organisation, ABD chose to set up a separate subsidiary. This allowed us to move away from a mass-market mindset, where ABD is extremely successful, and create a sharper, more focused approach to super-premium and luxury brands.

A defining element has been the involvement of Ranveer Singh (Bollywood Actor) as Co-founder and Creative Partner. He brings energy, cultural insight and creative instinct, which align naturally with the brands we are building. Culturally, and I’m glad you used that word, super-premium and luxury brands require a certain way of thinking. It needs different marketing approaches, supply chains and production capabilities, and differentiated distribution networks. The people at ABD Maestro are specifically wired for this mindset, which is what truly differentiates our operating DNA.

With the launch of RANGEELA Vodka and YELLO Designer Whisky, you are strengthening your position in the super premium space. What key consumer or category insights guided this decision?

When we planned RANGEELA and YELLO, we recognised that today’s young consumer looks at brands differently. What differentiates a brand now is its consistent quality, story, authenticity and ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Beyond that, a brand has to stand out and have an authentic story. Consumers today have far more information, and are constantly exploring and discovering across categories, not just spirits. When we innovate, we have to be new across many aspects – naming, product, packaging and communication. That’s exactly what we tried to do with RANGEELA and YELLO. These are products designed to stand out. Not every product in our portfolio needs to do that, but for these two, we deliberately chose that route. We also need to be careful with how loosely we use the word ‘innovation’.

ARTHAUS stands out for its design language. What inspired this creative direction and how do you see a design forward mindset influencing other brands within the ABD Maestro portfolio?

I am personally close to ARTHAUS as a brand. I often call the super-premium segments the “test cricket” of spirits in India. Great products, relatively expensive, but needs patience to build. The thinking with ARTHAUS is similar. A brilliant blend of five single malts from Speyside and Highlands. It has lineage and has been curated with a lot of love From a branding perspective, we drew inspiration from the Bauhaus design movement of Germany from early to mid 20th century, which introduced minimalism and geometric design to the global visual language. The clean lines, the sense of design and aesthetic simplicity you see in today’s contemporary styling originate from Bauhaus. The word “Haus” comes from there. We felt that if we worked with art on a broader canvas, we could build something powerful in the world of creative and performing arts, including photography, multimedia, visual jockeying, AI and tech, installations, interiors and spaces. In food and beverage, plating, curating and making cocktails is an art The core idea was that blending itself is art. Give five great single malts to a master blender, and something beautiful emerges. ARTHAUS celebrates this idea while collaborating across creative disciplines, visual arts, installations, multimedia, technology, interiors, and even food and cocktail culture A design-forward mindset will always remain at ARTHAUS’ core, with a focus on working with young and emerging, and established artists; locally, nationally and globally

While ABD Maestro is backed by a large corporate structure, the brand feels agile and entrepreneurial. How have you designed your marketing approach to combine scale with start-up style execution?

Yes, while ABD Maestro is a subsidiary of Allied Blenders & Distillers, we operate like a start-up. We have defined funding to build a portfolio and then take it to consumers, and work towards a successful business plan. An agile, experimental and entrepreneurial mindset across the team is essential for us. Our first investment has always been in product quality. In F&B product, you rarely get a second chance to correct it. Once quality is right, packaging becomes critical, especially in a cluttered market. When strong liquid meets distinctive packaging, it generates curiosity, advocacy and acceptance among consumers and trade. We have started seeing this and are quite happy. However, we don’t want to be ahead for expectations. Operationally, we began in April 2025, moved from ABDL’s into our own office of ABD Maestro in July, and built a 10-brand portfolio within nine months with more launches on the horizon. Interestingly, when we started, I was the only team member over 45 years of age.

Incubated for Global Scale

We aspire to be a brand incubator with global ambitions. Our ambition goes beyond India, and our portfolio is structured to travel and compete internationally Scale matters, but so do margins, credibility and consistency. We aim to grow with healthy margins, deliver consistently excellent products, and curate a strong, credible portfolio. The focus remains on super-premium and luxury segments, where we see significant opportunities. Several indicators point to a promising future. India’s economy is performing well, consumer purchase behaviour is evolving, and 11-12 million young adults are entering legal drinking age each year. Over the next decade, the consumption landscape in India will be different, and we aim to be well-positioned to capture more than our fair share. We are currently present in 9-10 cities and will expand gradually. The priority is to perfect execution first, build strong foundations, and then scale with confidence.