In conversation with Samrat Reddy, Founder, and Managing Director, Drunken Monkey -
About Drunken Monkey:
Drunken Monkey offers over 200 types of Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls made from specially blended combinations of fruits like fresh tropical watermelon to exotic dragon fruits, from healthy green spinach to juicy kiwis, from dry fruits like figs, dates to nuts like cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. These smoothies are further enhanced with healthy seasonings like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia and basil seeds. All the monkey blends are completely natural and fresh with zero addition of any artificial flavors or sugar or preservatives or any kind of concentrates.
The monkey believes that nature has a lot to offer to us and strives in creating unique and delicious smoothie blends that are both functional and fun-ranging from detox to meal replacements, from hydrators to protein smoothies, and from healthy veggie smoothies to hangover warriors. Every single smoothie at drunken monkey is specially crafted with precision and love, delivering you a perfectly blended smoothie which is delicious, yummy and of great nutritional value. Every sip leaves you feeling light, happy and ' naturally high' , and the only secret to it is simple and straightforward - embrace life, embrace nature and 'stay naturally high’.
With so much competition in the health supplement industry, where is Drunken Monkey headed?
Drunken Monkey's vision since inception has been focused on health and wellness through being naturally high.
Over the last 5 years there has been a steep increase in business catering to a healthier lifestyle including the beverage industry. But what the pandemic has done is, it has accelerated the growth by leaps and bounds and made healthy foods a necessity now. The Indian market is positioned to grow 10 fold in this domain and there is a huge market gap to be delivered to help India become a fitter and healthier nation. Drunken monkey aims to push the same cause though its tagine is naturally high.
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What are your views about the growing trend around smoothies in India?
Market-trend-based strategies for the food and beverages market will include shifting to natural ingredients, introducing functional beverages, collaborating with e-commerce platforms to increase sales. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, are in higher demand as consumers recognise the need of leading cleaner and healthier lifestyles. The food and beverage market will welcome more products featuring these components in 2022. COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst to boost the demand for healthy products. This year we expect to gain momentum to what we call a smoothie revolution. We expect that through our efforts smoothies become a part of every Indian's lifestyle and daily diet.
Do you think pandemic has played a role in the growing consciousness about smoothies amongst millennials?
After everything what's happened with the pandemic, this new year is a year where all of us would agree that health and wellness is the most important wealth one can possess. Drunken monkey aims to be a torch bearer for the same and promote our vision of a naturally high lifestyle.
What are the expansion plans of the brand?
By April 2023 Drunken Monkey plans to have outlets all across India, covering even the 2 tier and 3 tier cities and towns, amounting to about 250 to 300 outlets. In the 2022 - 23 financial year, Drunken monkey would be starting a subscription model which helps customers choose smoothies which assist in various health related functions. Drunken monkey also is looking at expanding into the overseas markets which include the middle east, south east asia and the USA. However the speed and order of expansion would be defined by who the pandemic pans out.
