Radico Khaitan COO Amar Sinha exits after almost a decade as spirits maker shuffles leadership
Amar Sinha, Radico Khaitan’s chief operating officer, has resigned as part of a leadership change at the company, ending his almost decade-long tenure at the spirits maker.
Changes: In line with its strategic priorities such as premiumization, global brand building and preparation for the futureRadico Khaitan said in a filing to the exchanges on Friday.
The company has appointed long-time executive Sudhir Upadhyay as sales manager and Kunal Madan as marketing manager. Both spent more than a decade at the company; This reflects Radico’s focus on developing the next generation of leadership.
The core leadership team, under managing director Abhishek Khaitan, now includes chief financial officer Dilip Banthiya and head of international business Sanjeev Banga. The company said it will be supported by finance and strategy chief Upadhyay, Madan and Saket Somani.
Radico Khaitan says Sinha has resignedIt is part of the company’s ongoing leadership development and role transitions. He said Sinha had played a key role in many growth phases and brand initiatives during his tenure.
Radico also highlighted new additions such as Ajay Kakkar, who joined last year to lead the commercial premium vertical, aiming to strengthen distribution and accelerate premium growth. The company said the leadership changes are aimed at ensuring continuity while sharpening execution for the next phase of expansion.
sharper focus
Sinha confirms his resignation Mint in the early hours of the day.
Sinha’s departure follows a period in which Radico moved away from its previous volume-first approach by focusing on premium brands and marketing-led growth. When Sinha joined the company, India’s alcoholic beverages market was largely dependent on scale and distribution.
Radico Khaitan is among India’s largest domestic alcoholic beverage companies with a market capitalization of over 200,000. ₹37,075 crore (as of February 12) and a portfolio spanning mass and premium spirits.
Over the past few years, the company has increasingly focused on higher-value brands as part of a broader premiumization drive. The company has repositioned itself towards higher value offerings by making premiumization central to its strategy.
Sinha said he will share details of his next professional move in due course and is currently evaluating opportunities.
“I will make a decision in the next few days about what my next steps will be,” he said.
Mint He wrote to Radico Khaitan seeking comment on Sinha’s resignation but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Premium push
People familiar with the matter said the move was planned. Sinha’s main mandate when he joined was to strengthen branding and push for better quality spirits. He helped Radico reshape its portfolio and place greater emphasis on marketing, innovation and brand positioning.
Sinha has over three decades of experience in the alcohol and consumer industries. He began his career as a management trainee at distillery manufacturer Shaw Wallace Distillery in 1983 and later served as general manager and chief executive officer. He has held senior roles at Whyte & Mackay India, Zee Group’s Playwin Gaming, Golden Tobacco, SmithKline Beecham and UB Group’s Herbertsons.
Radico has not yet announced succession plans or interim leadership arrangements. India’s spirits industry continues to gain strong momentum, led by premiumization and evolving consumer aspirations, managing director Abhishek Khaitan said in the latest third quarter results.
“We translated these structural headwinds into our highest quarterly performance ever, with case volume of 9.75 million and net revenue of 200 million. ₹1,547 crore and EBITDA ₹265 crore.
