Brands
Ajay Devgn-backed Scotch wins top taste honour in Brussels
MUMBAI: From film sets to fine spirits, Ajay Devgn’s latest success story is unfolding in a whisky glass. The GlenJourneys, the premium Scotch brand co-founded by the Bollywood star and Cartel Bros., has earned a major global nod, with its 21-Year-Old Pioneer Edition winning the prestigious Superior Taste Award in Brussels.
The accolade, presented by the International Taste Institute, is no small feat. The whisky was judged through a blind tasting by more than 200 Michelin-starred chefs and world-renowned sommeliers, where branding, backstories and celebrity names were left firmly at the door. Only what was in the glass mattered.
And it impressed.
The GlenJourneys clocked an overall score of over 92 per cent, placing it among an elite group of high-performing Scotch whiskies worldwide. Judges praised its immediate appeal, polished appearance and aromatic clarity, while its flavour balance and long, smooth finish sealed the deal.
For Living Liquidz and Mansionz’s founder, and Cartel Bros. co-founder, Mokksh Sani, the award strikes at the heart of what the brand stands for. He noted that the recognition is entirely product-led, adding that it proves a Scotch crafted with the Indian palate in mind can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.
The win caps a standout year for The GlenJourneys, which has quickly emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing premium single malt labels. The 21-Year-Old Pioneer Edition itself is a rare catch, with just 600 bottles released globally, making it a prized collector’s item.
Behind the scenes, the brand’s founding team, including Jitin Merani, Rohan Nihalani, Manish Sani and chief business officer Vishal Rajan, is pushing ahead with expansion plans. Its Cask Series, featuring Bourbon, Rum and Sherry finishes, is being rolled out across key Indian cities in early 2026.
Ajay Devgn called the award especially meaningful, saying it validates the passion and precision behind the whisky when judged purely on taste, aroma and finish. He added that it strengthens the brand’s ambition to build a world-class Scotch with a strong Indian identity.
With global recognition now in hand and bold growth targets ahead, Cartel Bros. is eyeing a 20 per cent share of India’s luxury single malt market by 2027. More importantly, The GlenJourneys is proving that when it comes to whisky, India is no longer just a consumer but a serious contender on the world stage.
Brands
Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
