DeVANS names Vikas Bhatia chief operating officer

NEW DELHI: Sixty-five years on, DeVANS Modern Breweries is shifting gears. The company has appointed Vikas Bhatia as chief operating officer (COO), bringing in a beverage veteran with over 30 years of experience across sales, marketing, commercial leadership and market expansion. His brief is clear: sharpen commercial muscle, speed up market development, drive operational excellence and unlock fresh growth.

Bhatia arrives with a blue-chip CV. He has held leadership roles at global organisations including Red Bull, SABMiller, Diageo, Radico and Kraft Heinz. That is a deep bench of experience across beer, spirits and packaged consumer goods, which is exactly the mix DeVANS is now playing in.

The timing makes sense. Founded in 1961, DeVANS has travelled from its roots in liquor bottling to a diversified beverage business spanning beer and premium spirits. Under chairman and managing director Prem Dewan, it has grown from one manufacturing unit to four. The ambition now is to build on that legacy while becoming a more competitive, contemporary and growth-oriented business. A bigger footprint needs a sharper operating engine, and the COO’s seat is where the two meet.

Dewan is upbeat. “DeVANS has a legacy spanning more than six decades, and our ambition is to build on that foundation as we take the company into its next phase of growth,” he said. “Vikas brings extensive experience across leading beverage and FMCG businesses, along with a strong understanding of commercial development and market expansion. We look forward to working with him to strengthen our capabilities, develop our business and to further strengthen DeVANS into one of the premier beverage companies in India.”

Bhatia is equally keen. “I am delighted to join DeVANS at an important stage in its journey,” he said. “The company’s legacy, evolving portfolio and ambition to build stronger brands present an exciting opportunity. I look forward to working with the team to strengthen commercial execution, explore new market opportunities and create a platform for sustainable, long-term growth.”

The raw material for that growth is already in the cellar. DeVANS is increasingly focused on building brands that resonate with younger legal-age consumers through product innovation, cultural relevance and experiential storytelling. Its portfolio spans Six Fields beers, including Brute, Cult, Blanche and Pilsner; Godfather beer; GianChand, an award-winning Indian single malt whisky portfolio rooted in Jammu’s whisky-making heritage; and Gingalalahu gin.

The trophy cabinet backs up the pitch. Six Fields Brute won gold and was named country winner at the World Beer Awards, UK, with further accolades for Six Fields and GianChand. The wider company has also bagged the Star Award for Quality in the gold category at the International Quality Convention, and medals at the Brussels Beer Challenge.

Brand-building is getting a cultural push too. The #CheersForMore campaign for Six Fields, featuring international cricket umpire Anil Chaudhary, celebrates the shared experiences around cricket. It reflects the company’s focus on distinctive brand narratives and stronger consumer connections.

The analysis is simple. DeVANS has the assets: an established manufacturing base, a diversified portfolio and an evolving approach to brand-building. What it needs is the commercial and operational firepower to turn them into sustained business growth. That is the job Bhatia has been hired to do. If he delivers, a company that began with a 5-acre distillery unit in Jammu in 1961 could well stake its claim among India’s premier beverage companies.