I have never thought of myself as someone fighting for space. I have learnt to become someone who chooses to create it.
This distinction matters because the moment you frame your story as a struggle against something, you hand that something the power to define you.
The Indian alcobev industry has long been a boys' club—not merely in metaphor, but in documented, structural fact. Until as recently as the mid-2000s, it was illegal under colonial-era legislation for women to sell alcohol or work behind a bar in India. The trade relationships that built market access, the distribution networks that decided which brands survived, and the leadership forums that shaped the industry's culture were almost entirely male.
I never viewed my own entry into this space as a fight against that architecture. I saw it as an opportunity to contribute a different perspective to an industry in the midst of change.
What stands out today is not simply that more women are entering the industry, but that they are increasingly shaping its future—leading brands, influencing consumer culture, driving innovation, and redefining what leadership in this sector looks like.
I chanced upon an article, where I read that Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon had trained as a brew master and was amongst the first women in India to enter the brewing profession. This little nugget of information lingered.
For me, it began with something simpler. A deep, restless curiosity about what India could place on a shelf, shoulder to shoulder with the best spirits in the world. And why there weren't more of us doing it.
During Covid-19, over an evening drink of some exceptional rum from overseas with my husband, Samrath, we questioned why we didn’t yet have an Indian rum of repute in the prestige segment. What started as an innocent question led me to a discovery that culminated in this journey.
Trying to understand the category better, I read many Rum books, undertook extensive research, which eventually led me to a reference in the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian text. It spoke of a drink made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses, consumed for pleasure.
Long before rum became synonymous with the Caribbean, India had its own documented tradition of the spirit! Reading that felt electric. Here was a forgotten story waiting to be brought back into the conversation. That discovery eventually became IDAAYA.
The honest truth about building in this sector is that it rewards those who refuse to wait for permission. For women specifically, the challenge is often less about capability and more about visibility. Many of the industry's decision-making spaces have historically been shaped by familiar voices and established networks.
That is changing, but access and opportunity still need to reach a wider range of entrepreneurs and innovators. What I have learnt is that entrepreneurship is less about moments of validation and more about the discipline of showing up every day, adapting, learning, and continuing to build.
This is also an especially exciting time to be building here. Indian consumers are more curious and discerning than ever, with a growing appreciation for provenance, craftsmanship, and authenticity. That shift has created genuine space for independent brands and distinctly Indian stories to thrive.
What I believe still needs to change, not just for women but for every independent voice entering this industry, is the culture of access. Distribution remains complex, emerging brands have to work significantly harder to be discovered, and the events, panels, and forums that shape this industry's culture should reflect the full diversity of people who are drinking, creating, and innovating within it.
The shift I seek is simple: judge the liquid, not the label.
I did not ask for a seat at this table. I decided to help build a new one and invite others to come sit, sip, and keep seeking.
The author is founder & CEO of Those Good Distillerss, an alco-bev startup based in Delhi.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
