Booze behemoth ABD revamps top brass

MUMBAI; Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD), India’s prominent liquor company, has announced three significant management changes to strengthen its leadership team.

The company has re-appointed Resham Chhabria J Hemdev as vice chairperson for another three-year term. The Wharton-educated executive, who first joined as executive director in June 2021, brings her experience in consumer marketing to connect with younger consumers. As the daughter of chairman Kishore Chhabria and co-chairperson Bina K. Chhabria, she combines family business understanding with formal training from Harvard Business School and the University of Mumbai.

Simultaneously, master blender Arun Barik has been re-appointed as executive director for three more years. A veteran with 32 years in the spirits industry, Barik has crafted blends for numerous brands throughout his career at Shaw & Wallace, Seagram-Pernod Ricard and Mason and Summers before joining ABD in 2009. His technical expertise has been instrumental in product development and quality control.
 

Completing the leadership changes, Bikram Basu has stepped down as chief innovation and strategy officer to take up the managing director position at ABD Maestro Pvt Ltd—a subsidiary of the parent company—in what appears to be a strategic internal promotion.

Industry observers suggest these moves are part of ABD’s strategy to maintain competitiveness in India’s evolving alcohol market, where established brands compete with new entrants for market share in a country with growing premium spirits consumption.

All announcements were made on 31 March 2025, following approval from the company’s board of directors, with the executive appointments subject to shareholder approval.