Beam Suntory India Stands Up for the Indian Food & Beverage Community

03 April 2020

Beam Suntory India Stands Up for the Indian Food & Beverage Community

3rd April, 2020: Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, has come forward to support the food and beverage community in India at this time of social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This initiative represents the spirit of Beam Suntory’s corporate social responsibility efforts, whose mission of ‘Growing for Good’ includes sustainability and supporting local communities.

With the lockdown of restaurants and bars across India to maintain social distancing, several thousand members of the hospitality community have been affected financially. Beam Suntory India is partnering with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the largest restaurant body in the country, to pledge a support of ~150,000 USD which will be used to provide relief to thousands of staff of member restaurants and their families at this period of the lockdown.

As a world leader in premium spirits, on-premise outlets play an important role in Beam Suntory’s business in India. The company is committed to supporting bartenders and other frontline members of the F&B community in this difficult time.

Beam Suntory is also utilizing The Blend, its global bartender engagement program, to directly reach out and support the bartender community in India. The company has launched a ‘learn and earn’ program to encourage bartenders to utilize their time at home effectively by taking up online training modules. Reading material and virtual engagement modules have been made available online, where bartenders can continue to be safe at home and enhance their knowledge and skills. To make the learning experience rewarding, The Blend will host online programs every day, spread across 50 sessions, with prizes for the participants.

Talking about the initiative, Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director, Beam Suntory India, said, “The global pandemic has threatened the survival of many businesses, especially the F&B industry, at a time when it was emerging strongly in India. Although we are confident that the industry will rebuild and continue to thrive after this crisis, the current economic anxiety is spilling over to thousands of dedicated professionals who have passionately supported the industry with their talent. Through these initiatives, we want to give back to our partners in the F&B community. They are our greatest champions and we want to support them in these difficult times. These initiatives are central to our business and fundamental to our ‘Growing for Good’ values.”

Anurag Katriar, President – NRAI; CEO & Executive Director – deGustibus Hospitality Pvt Ltd., said, “At the outset, a big Thank You to Beam Suntory India for their thoughtful gesture towards our Industry when we are going through some very trying times. It is extremely reassuring and encouraging to receive support from your partners in these difficult times. This gesture will further cement the relationship between the F&B Fraternity and Beam Suntory. This corpus will enable NRAI to extend helping hand to its members and their employees in times of such unprecedented crisis. I truly appreciate this kind gesture by Beam Suntory India.”

About National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI)

National Restaurant Association of India is the voice of the Indian Restaurant Industry. Founded in 1982, it represents the interests of 500000+ restaurants, an industry valued INR 4,23,865 crores. Being the leading association of the Indian restaurant industry, NRAI aspires to promote and strengthen the Indian Food Service Sector. The association in its 37th year has a pan India presence with members comprising of restaurants and suppliers.

NRAI is governed by a committee of members and led by a President and Office Bearers. The committee consists of over 35 Restaurant CEOs/ Owners representing various national and international brands from the F&B sector. The association works closely with a network of State and City chapter partners in Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi and Noida and will open new chapters in others cities soon.

The Chapter activities include:

Ground work and action pertaining to government issues and representations
Facilitate the exchange of knowledge & experience
Provide support in the overall development of the association

About Beam Suntory

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all around the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world-renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and Midori liqueur.

The Blend is a Global Bartender engagement program from Beam Suntory, where emerging, professional and master bartenders join together for interactive workshops, masterclasses, access to industry trends & mentors & brand immersion events. https://www.theblend.world.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit https://www.beamsuntory.com and https://www.drinksmart.com.