Paul John is a legendary whisky scion in India. He is the founder of Paul John, the whisky brand shifting perceptions of Indian alcohol across the world. Though often mistaken for being a British brand, Paul John is very much Indian with distilleries in Goa. Yes, the alcohol is named after the founder himself. John says his brand was inspired by the desire to put India on global whisky map.
In an interaction with The Free Press Journal, John walks is through his journey in the whisky industry.
What prompted you to name your whisky after yourself?
As an entrepreneur I wanted to name the brand Paul John after myself because I wanted this to be my legacy. I wanted to leave this product behind with my name in the world. As for my children, I have encouraged them to not join this business yet and explore other avenues as well. Whatever I have done has been out of passion and not out of the intent of running a business.
From a biscuit factory to making whisky, how did you make this bold shift in your entrepreneurial journey?
I started a biscuit factory first that wasn’t doing too well and we had to shut it down within two years. Then we started John Distilleries. For me, I was always passionate about whisky.
How did you develop expertise and confidence to start a whisky brand?
I always had a taste for good Scotch. During my travels I had tried scotch all over the world. I wanted to create an experience I knew people would like and that’s why I got into whisky. As for expertise, I connected with people across the world who had expertise in this field.
What urged you to go global in 2012 and launch in London?
I actually launched in London before I launched Paul John in India. I wanted to be taken seriously in the global market and create a product which is great by global standards first. Also, during those times there was the belief that good whisky only comes from Scotland and I have always wanted to change that belief. Now, people know good whisky also comes from India.
What are your other interests?
I am quite passionate about golf and I also enjoy travelling. I also love to fly and I have over 1000 flying hours. I am trying to take a back seat and ensure other employees manage the brand as well. I am also into hospitality and enjoy that. We have around six hotels across India and are looking to expand more. One of the heritage hotels is Kumarokam Lake Resort which is close to the backwaters of Kerala. To build this hotel we used logs and wood from around 170 abandoned heritage homes in Kumarokum. This property is special and you need to visit to know it.
What are your favourite places to travel to?
My favourite places to travel to include Bahamas and Maldives. I love how deeply blue the water is in these places. I keep going back to it. I wouldn’t say UK is my favourite place to travel to since I mostly go there for work.
What is your goal for Paul John for the next five years?
We have just expanded our production from 5000 litres to 10000 litres per day. We are also expecting to put up another plant by 2030. We want to start more production of the similar capacity. We would like to set up another plant in Karnataka but it’s not final yet. We are exploring with other states as well.
