Who is Diageo India CEO Praveen Someshwar? Know why his company wants to sell Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Reports from Diageo India investigating the sale of popular Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have caused ripples in the cricket and business world. At the center of this potential strategic shift is Diageo India Managing Director and CEO Praveen Someshwar. His leadership has seen the global drinks giant focus intently on its core drinks business, making RCB’s future a compelling case study in institutional asset management.

Who is Praveen Someshwar?

Praveen Someshwar, who took over as MD and CEO of Diageo India in March 2025, has over three decades of leadership experience in the FMCG and media sectors. Prior to joining Diageo, he served as CEO and Managing Director of HT Media Ltd, where he led the digital transformation of one of India’s oldest media organisations. 24 years at PepsiCo in various roles in India and Asia PacificFrom finance to general management, Someshwar is known for executing market-winning strategies and driving growth in complex markets.

Why doesn’t RCB fit into Diageo’s core strategy?

In a recent discussion with CNBCTV-18, Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Diageo India, emphasized that although RCB has significant scale and brand equity, it does not form part of the company’s core alcoholic beverages business.

“This is an exciting value. Cricket is the lifeblood of the nation and within cricket the IPL plays a significant role, which makes it undeniably exciting. But this has nothing to do with our core business.

Diageo focuses on spirits and RCB was once an extension of it and has since gained scale. While this is exciting, it does not represent the central aspect of our portfolio,” Someshwar said.

The potential sale of RCB fits perfectly with this perspective. Although RCB is a leading brand with a loyal fan base and significant recognition, it operates outside Diageo’s core business of producing and marketing spirits. Despite its visibility, owning an IPL team requires significant ongoing investment in team management, player recruitment and marketing; This may not directly improve the beverage company’s financial performance or long-term strategic objectives.

Reinvesting capital for underlying growth

For Diageo India, getting rid of a non-essential asset like RCB would free up a significant amount of money and management attention. They can then use that money to expand their liquor business, create new products, improve the way they distribute their products, and even give some of the money back to people who own shares in the company. This move shows that they plan to simplify their business and focus on what gives them the biggest advantage over their competitors.

It’s a good time to leave

The value of IPL teams has really increased recently, so it’s high time Diageo considers selling. There is a strong market for IPL assets as new teams join the league and media rights bring in a lot of money. If Diageo sold RCB they could make a lot of money which could give them a good return on their investment. This will also make Someshwar look good as a leader who cares about being efficient.

Although RCB fans are upset about the team changing ownership, Praveen Someshwar and Diageo India seem to be making a smart business decision. In a highly competitive market, they want to concentrate on their core business and improve their financial situation. People in the cricket world are watching closely to see who could be the new owner of one of the IPL’s most well-known teams.

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