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What is the story about?
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is back in India, but this time it's not cricket that has brought him here. Pietersen is in the country to expand his premium whisky business, which has been operational in India for the past year and is now present across eight states.
"Normally it's cricket that brings me to India. Last week it was a photo shoot and this week I'm here for my whisky brand," Pietersen said, adding that the business has been in the works for nearly two years, with sales in India picking up over the last 12 months.
Pietersen's whisky brand Dram Bell operates under parent company, Ardent.
The former cricketer said that major groundwork went into building the brand, from sourcing liquor in Scotland to finalising packaging, colours and branding. The whisky is bottled in Scotland and imported into India, positioning itself competitively against domestic spirits.
"We're very competitive against local Indian prices. For a foreign liquor, our pricing is comparable to Indian liquor, and that gives people the aspiration to drink a foreign whisky at Indian prices," Pietersen said, underlining what he believes is the key differentiator for the brand.
Read here: India-UK FTA expected to double trade, deepen investment and healthcare ties, say industry experts
India remains central to the company's growth plans, he said.
Dram Bell is currently available in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Jaipur, Goa and several northern markets, with Karnataka being the most recent addition.
The launch in Karnataka holds personal significance for Pietersen, who played his first IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore and has been visiting the city since 2003.
"I've spent more than two decades coming to Bangalore. It holds a very special place in my heart, so launching in Karnataka is great for us as a business," he said.
Beyond expansion, Pietersen said that repeat customers have been a key validation of the brand so far. "At the start, it's about understanding the market and loving the liquid, but the real test is whether someone will drink it again. We've been lucky to see repeat customers already."
On entering the business world, Pietersen said investing comes with experience and discipline. Like many former athletes, he has explored multiple ventures, with mixed outcomes.
"I've had some good wins and some poor investments," he said. "Now there's a simple set of criteria. I need to understand the market, know I can add real value and time to it, and trust that the people running the business know what they’re doing day to day."
Pietersen clarified that he does not deal with regulatory or tax matters, instead focusing on brand building and growth. "My role is to help the business grow from a brand point of view and create value."
India, he believes, offers a long runway for investors. "I see India as a tremendous market over the next five to ten years. It’s going from strength to strength."
Asked whether leadership lessons from his cricketing career influence his business decisions, Pietersen said maturity plays a bigger role. "I've won some and lost some. That helps you manage both success and failure, and that wisdom definitely feeds into decision-making."
While business dominated the conversation, cricket was never far away.
On whether the ODI format needs a revamp, Pietersen said constant debate is part of the game's ecosystem. "People talk about ODIs, Tests and T20s all the time. As long as people are talking about cricket, it's in a healthy space."
Looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Pietersen said fans want to see the best players on the biggest stage. "You want Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Joe Root, the best players from around the world playing. And South Africa in 2027 is a great place to play cricket."
"Normally it's cricket that brings me to India. Last week it was a photo shoot and this week I'm here for my whisky brand," Pietersen said, adding that the business has been in the works for nearly two years, with sales in India picking up over the last 12 months.
Pietersen's whisky brand Dram Bell operates under parent company, Ardent.
The former cricketer said that major groundwork went into building the brand, from sourcing liquor in Scotland to finalising packaging, colours and branding. The whisky is bottled in Scotland and imported into India, positioning itself competitively against domestic spirits.
"We're very competitive against local Indian prices. For a foreign liquor, our pricing is comparable to Indian liquor, and that gives people the aspiration to drink a foreign whisky at Indian prices," Pietersen said, underlining what he believes is the key differentiator for the brand.
Read here: India-UK FTA expected to double trade, deepen investment and healthcare ties, say industry experts
India remains central to the company's growth plans, he said.
Dram Bell is currently available in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Jaipur, Goa and several northern markets, with Karnataka being the most recent addition.
The launch in Karnataka holds personal significance for Pietersen, who played his first IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore and has been visiting the city since 2003.
"I've spent more than two decades coming to Bangalore. It holds a very special place in my heart, so launching in Karnataka is great for us as a business," he said.
Beyond expansion, Pietersen said that repeat customers have been a key validation of the brand so far. "At the start, it's about understanding the market and loving the liquid, but the real test is whether someone will drink it again. We've been lucky to see repeat customers already."
On entering the business world, Pietersen said investing comes with experience and discipline. Like many former athletes, he has explored multiple ventures, with mixed outcomes.
"I've had some good wins and some poor investments," he said. "Now there's a simple set of criteria. I need to understand the market, know I can add real value and time to it, and trust that the people running the business know what they’re doing day to day."
Pietersen clarified that he does not deal with regulatory or tax matters, instead focusing on brand building and growth. "My role is to help the business grow from a brand point of view and create value."
India, he believes, offers a long runway for investors. "I see India as a tremendous market over the next five to ten years. It’s going from strength to strength."
Asked whether leadership lessons from his cricketing career influence his business decisions, Pietersen said maturity plays a bigger role. "I've won some and lost some. That helps you manage both success and failure, and that wisdom definitely feeds into decision-making."
While business dominated the conversation, cricket was never far away.
On whether the ODI format needs a revamp, Pietersen said constant debate is part of the game's ecosystem. "People talk about ODIs, Tests and T20s all the time. As long as people are talking about cricket, it's in a healthy space."
Looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Pietersen said fans want to see the best players on the biggest stage. "You want Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Joe Root, the best players from around the world playing. And South Africa in 2027 is a great place to play cricket."
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