Cracking India's Beverage Market with Beer & Kombucha | Ishan Varshnei(Latambarcem Brewers)

Founder Thesis

"Craft does not define size... craft is defined by technique, innovation, and quality."

This insight from Ishan Varshnei challenges the common misconception that craft businesses can't scale. His scientific approach to brewing has proven that maintaining artisanal quality while achieving commercial scale is not just possible, but profitable.

Ishan Varshnei is the CEO of Latambarcem Brewers, housing craft beer brand Maka Di and functional beverage brand Borécha. He has built a dual-brand beverage empire generating ₹30 crores annual run rate, with 80 lakhs monthly revenue from kombucha alone and 400% projected growth this year. After bootstrapping with ₹25 crores family funding for 4 years, he raised ₹12.5 crores in Pre-Series A and is targeting ₹500 crores revenue within 5 years. Ishan holds advanced degrees in Nanoengineering from UC San Diego and Materials Science from Columbia University, and previously worked as a Business Analyst at a Blackstone portfolio fund.

Key Insights from the Conversation:

👉Product-First Philosophy: Spending only 10% on marketing vs competitors' 40-50%, focusing on product excellence over promotion

👉Regulatory Navigation: Successfully operating across multiple Indian states with varying alcohol policies and taxation structures

👉Scientific Innovation: Developing patented SCOBY technology for kombucha using metagenomics and 16S rRNA sequencing

👉Sustainable Growth: Building profitable unit economics before scaling with external capital

👉Distribution Mastery: Achieving 30% revenue from quick commerce and 30% from institutional sales within 6 months

👉Family Funding Dynamics: Leveraging family investment for patient capital and long-term vision alignment

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Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the speaker, not necessarily the channel.