Diageo has launched the Don Julio tequila brand in the Indian market to align with the growing trend of premiumization. Currently accessible in cities such as Haryana, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, and Goa, the company aims to expand its availability nationwide by the next quarter, as stated by Shweta Jain, Chief Business Officer – Luxury, Reserve & Craft, India & South Asia at Diageo.
The corporation intends to introduce the complete range of the tequila brand in India. Don Julio Blanco and Don Julio Reposado are currently accessible in Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, and Goa, with Anejo and 1942 set to be released starting December 18.
“India has seen a massive surge in desire for luxury consumption in recent years with the rise of a new class of luxury explorers who appreciate exceptional quality, and the arrival of Don Julio to India is a testimony to this,” she stated.
The company has no intentions of establishing a manufacturing facility for the brand in India. Production and bottling will take place in Mexico.
“Don Julio is geotagged and anything made outside of a region in Mexico cannot be called tequila,” she said.
In 2014, Diageo obtained ownership of the Don Julio brand from Casa Cuervo. This acquisition played a pivotal role in enhancing the brand’s worldwide footprint and expanding its audience.
“We have plans to expand our portfolio of tequila going ahead and we will be getting Casamigos, the other tequila brand, in India soon. We are not depriving the Indian consumer of any variety of choices that they would get to make from the Diageo portfolio anywhere else in the world,” she stated.
“We are also working with the cocktail bars across the country, big and small equally, to add a distinct flavour to margaritas and palomas with Don Julio at the heart of them,” she further added.
Currently, Diageo is engaged in the production, sale, and distribution of a premium brand portfolio that includes names such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, and Godawan—an artisanal single malt whisky from India.