Tuesday, 17 June 2025
From gleaning nuanced consumer insights to orchestrating seamless sales execution, Pernod Ricard India deftly leverages artificial intelligence throughout its entire value chain, transcending the constraints of conventional role-based structures to drive agile and dynamic growth.
Pernod Ricard India, the leading name in premium spirits, announced the successful integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across its operations, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, consumer-centricity, and sustainable growth. This strategic digital transformation—five years in the making—has begun delivering significant results, including doubled sales conversion rates and a 50 per cent boost in key marketing performance metrics.
“In a highly dynamic and competitive market like India, AI and Generative AI are no longer futuristic concepts—they are core to our operational DNA,” said Simon de Beauregard, Chief Transformation Officer, Pernod Ricard. “From consumer insights to retail execution, AI empowers us to make smarter, faster, and more personalized decisions. We are ahead of the curve, and it’s showing in our results.”
Pernod Ricard’s flagship AI platforms—Maestria, Matrix, and D-Star—are now fully embedded across its Indian value chain. Maestria enables deep market intelligence through direct interactions with over 18,000 consumers, while social listening tools such as Radarly monitor evolving digital trends and flavor preferences. Matrix, developed specifically for the Indian market, links marketing spend to sales ROI, allowing the company to reallocate up to one-third of its media budget for improved impact across brands and touchpoints.
Meanwhile, D-Star, the company’s frontline sales AI platform, aggregates on-ground data including store formats, SKU preferences, and regional trends to offer intelligent, outlet-specific recommendations. In West Bengal, this has already led to significant success, with Pernod Ricard securing listings in half of 300 newly identified outlets for Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky. The tool is now being scaled nationwide and considered for replication globally.
These digital innovations have driven a 50 per cent improvement in marketing KPIs, including view-through and click-through rates, especially for hyper-personalized campaigns such as One Billion Films for One Billion Fans and Imperial Blue Superhit Nights featuring Harrdy Sandhu.
With India now ranking as Pernod Ricard’s second-largest market by revenue, the company is doubling down on its tech-driven, premiumisation-led strategy. Over 97 per cent of its Indian portfolio is manufactured domestically, and the company recently announced a Rs 100 crore investment in a new facility in Maharashtra. The Indian single malt Longitude 77, launched in 2022, now competes in the premium segment alongside 12-year-old imports—underscoring the growing sophistication and confidence of the Indian consumer.
“India is a must-win market for us—it’s a growth engine,” added de Beauregard. “We are not just using AI for efficiency; we are using it to reimagine how liquor brands can scale intelligently, connect personally, and win sustainably.”
As Pernod Ricard transitions from a traditional role-based to a skill-based organisational model, supported by intelligent systems and data-driven insights, it is clear that AI is no longer a supporting actor—it is the lead protagonist in the company’s success story in India.
