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Revolutionising the Indian beverage industry, Nao Spirits has played a pivotal role in craft spirits. Being a pioneer behind the rather popular brands, Greater Than and Hapusa gins, Nao Spirits has announced that it will join Diageo India (United Spirits Limited). The whapping ₹130 crore deal is not just a business transaction, the merger marks a brighter future for India’s craft spirits.
Recognising the transformative impact of Nao Spirits, Diageo India has taken a 97.07% stake in the company. The partnership is designed to scale Nao Spirits’ brands while preserving their creative vision and commitment to authenticity. With an already established market presence in both India and across borders, Diageo aims to amplify the reach and enable the Nao Spirits’ products.
New Era For Indian Craft Spirits
Back in 2017, when Nao Spirits was founded by Anand Virmani, Aparajita Ninan, and Vaibhav Singh, the Indian craft gin scene barely existed. Starting from a small distillery in Goa, the company gave Indian beverages a new identity. With their first gin, Greater Than, to Hapusa, the Himalayan Dry Gin, Nao Spirits filled more than just glasses.
“We started with a copper still named Agotha and a dream to make India proud. Today, we're humbled and energised with Diageo India stepping in as a full partner and investor. Along the way, we realised that gin isn’t just about what goes into the bottle. It’s about the culture you build around it,” says Anand Virmani, Co-Founder & CEO, Nao Spirits & Beverages.
Apart from product innovation, Diageo India will also be committed to strengthening Nao Spirits' community initiatives like Bar Wars, the Forager’s Championship, and the MTW experimental gin bar in Goa. Also, ahead of the merger, one of the recent collaborations, like the exclusive Bitters and Infusions Masterclass celebrating International Gin Day, held at The Good Craft Company (TGCC), Bengaluru, was a total hit. With the celebrated mixologist Neil Alexander, the event was all about experimenting with different herbs, citrus bitters, edible flowers, dehydrated fruits, and much more. The crowd-pleasing workshop was one of the exemplary testaments to the strong partnership between Diageo India and Nao Spirits.
“From day one, we’ve been deeply focused on nurturing a community of bartenders, servers, and craft champions who could carry the story of Indian spirits forward in ways we never imagined. We’re proud that many of the original hands and hearts that built Nao Spirits are still with us today, and this next chapter gives us a chance to grow the culture we’ve helped shape with even greater reach and purpose,” Anand Virmani addresses the clientele of Nao Spirits. “This isn’t the end of a journey, but the beginning of a new chapter; powered by the same people, the same purpose, and the same belief — that modern Indian spirits deserve their place on the world stage."
