Karishma Manga Bedi on the art of building desire, from beauty to spirits

India’s premium spirits industry is transforming at the speed of light. Consumers are drinking less but better, swapping familiar labels for bottles with provenance, craftsmanship and stories worth savouring. As the country’s appetite for homegrown luxury grows, a new generation of founders is challenging long-held perceptions of what Indian spirits can look like. Among them is Karishma Manga Bedi, one of the few women founders in the country’s premium spirits space. After nearly two decades building luxury brands across beauty and retail, Bedi entered an industry traditionally dominated by men with an idea to create an Indian sipping rum that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest. What followed was IDAAYA, a Himalayan sipping rum inspired by India’s forgotten distilling heritage and crafted for a new generation of discerning drinkers.

In conversation with LuxeBook, Bedi reflects on building a brand from the ground up, redefining luxury for modern consumers, and why Indian spirits are finally beginning to tell their own story.

LuxeBook: You spent years building aspiration in beauty. How different is the challenge of creating desire around a premium sipping rum in India?

Karishma Manga Bedi: At its core, it isn’t all that different. Whether it’s beauty or spirits, people don’t simply buy products; they buy stories, emotions, and a sense of identity. The key difference is that premium spirits require aspiration to be accompanied by education. Appreciation for provenance, ageing, craftsmanship and flavour is built over time.

With IDAAYA, we were never trying to persuade people to drink rum. We wanted to invite them to rediscover it. To move beyond old perceptions and experience rum as a spirit capable of the same depth, elegance and complexity as any of the world’s finest spirits. Luxury isn’t created through marketing alone; it’s built through authenticity, craftsmanship and a story people genuinely believe in.

LuxeBook: When you launched IDAAYA, what gap did you feel existed in the Indian spirits landscape that nobody was addressing?

Karishma Manga Bedi: The gap wasn’t just the absence of a premium rum. It was the absence of an Indian interpretation of luxury within the category.

India has extraordinary ingredients, distilling traditions and craftsmanship, yet our premium spirits conversations have historically been shaped by imported narratives. When I came across references in the Arthashastra documenting India’s own rum-making heritage, I realised this wasn’t about creating something entirely new. It was about reclaiming a story we had forgotten. IDAAYA was born from that thought – not to create an Indian version of a global rum, but to create a world-class Indian rum that could stand confidently on its own merit.

LuxeBook: What shifts are you noticing in the way people approach premium spirits today?

Karishma Manga Bedi: Consumers today are far more intentional in the way they drink. They’re drinking less, but choosing better, which aligns closely with our own philosophy. What’s particularly encouraging is that people are becoming more curious. They’re asking where a spirit comes from, how it was matured, who crafted it and what makes it distinctive. Premium today is no longer defined by price alone; it’s defined by provenance, authenticity and the thought behind the bottle.

Consumers no longer want to be sold luxury, they want to discover it for themselves. That shift is creating space for brands built on genuine craftsmanship rather than convention.

LuxeBook: What defines a luxury drinker in 2026 compared to a decade ago?

Karishma Manga Bedi: A decade ago, luxury was often associated with exclusivity and recognisable labels. Today, it’s defined by discernment.

The modern luxury consumer is collecting experiences rather than possessions. They value authenticity over excess and are increasingly drawn to products with provenance, craftsmanship and meaning. The most coveted bottle is no longer necessarily the most expensive one; it’s the one with the most compelling story, exceptional quality, and a genuine sense of place.

Luxury today feels far more personal than performative.

LuxeBook: Have you had to navigate unique challenges as a woman founder in a conventionally male-dominated sector?

Karishma Manga Bedi: Like many women in this industry, there have certainly been moments where my technical knowledge or commercial judgement has been questioned more readily. Rather than allowing that to become a barrier, I chose to let preparation, consistency and performance speak for themselves.

At the same time, I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside many men who have been genuine collaborators and advocates. I believe the conversation today is less about proving that women belong and more about ensuring equal access to opportunity across every part of the value chain, from production and distilling to leadership and entrepreneurship.

Ultimately, I hope we reach a point where we judge the liquid, not the label or the person behind it.

LuxeBook: If you were to predict the next big shift in premium drinking culture in India, what would it be?

Karishma Manga Bedi: I believe the next decade will be defined by confidence. For a long time, premium drinking in India was shaped by what came from elsewhere. Today, consumers are increasingly embracing products rooted in Indian ingredients, heritage and craftsmanship; not out of nostalgia, but because they genuinely recognise their quality.

We’re also moving from category-led drinking to occasion-led drinking. Instead of asking whether the moment calls for whisky, gin or rum, people are asking what best complements the experience they’re creating.

That evolution gives beautifully crafted spirits, regardless of category, the opportunity to find their rightful place. More importantly, it signals that Indian luxury is beginning to define its own standards rather than borrowing them from elsewhere.

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