Shilpi Madan
10-Aug-2026
Pervez Bapuna of Chambal Gin powers the growth of Bapuna Alcobrew, rooted in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
He’s the third-gen in the family business, and raising the bar with his business acumen, seasoned palate and legal expertise. Pervez Bapuna, COO, Bapuna Alcobrew recently unveiled the second edition of the prized Chambal Gin, with the Banjara Trail series: The Banjara Trail - Traveller's Edition. Deepening hold in the growing gin segment in India.
Chambal Gin and Daku Rum – the craft alcoholic pours from the house of Bapuna Alcobrew - draw heavily on the folklore, rugged terrain, and rebellious history of the notorious Chambal Valley in Central India - a region that was historically abundant in dakus or dacoits. Netting in accolades in India and abroad for Chambal Gin and Daku Rum, the brand now moves adroitly into the variant space.
Excerpts from a conversation:
The flavours of your latest genie in a bottle travel through different regions. Comment.
We’re proud to be a homegrown brand, and are sourcing the juniper from the Himalayas. The name Banjara itself draws on India's original nomads, and the spirit of exploration and discovery they represent. We have been distilling since 1987 across three generations, and have holdings in Nagpur and Gwalior (where our production facility is headquartered), and that brings in the combination of ingredients - orange, hibiscus and kokum notes - in the rani complexion of this gin – the first premium gin to be produced in Madhya Pradesh.
With Chambal Indian Dry Gin, we invited consumers to discover a spirit rooted in the very heart of the country. But India is vast and diverse, and we have many more stories to tell. Inspired by original explorers, our Banjara Edition sets out to discover new corners of the nation through unique regional botanicals and flavors. The Western Ghats Edition marks the second stop on this journey—and there is still so much more of India left to bottle.
India hasn’t been a gin-drinking market, traditionally. What’s the market shift that you observe today?
Millennials are still drinking more than GenZ! The younger consumer though is choosy, yet experimental, more mature, and open-minded. The Indian market is different from its counterpart in the West – where alcohol consumption is on the ebb. We have a larger population, younger, and the growing economy in the alcohol segment is a marker of the money the people are willing to pay for premiumisation, unlike a decade ago.
Your focus is on the elixir, over riding the design. Share your thoughts.
It’s a robust, raw design. The original Chambal bottle was amber, much like the ones we grew up with in school laboratories. Functional and fit. Where will a Daku (dacoit) get a bottle with finesse? (laughs). The bottle has a strong neck and an untamed flavour. What’s inside the bottle is best consumed with ice and water.
Has the popularity of Chambal Gin taken you by surprise?
Not really (laughs). But the popularity of Chambal Gin in Rajasthan has been especially heartwarming. Owing probably to the geography of the Chambal ravines, and its link to the desert state. The royal spin on the maharani pink complexion of the variant pour also adds to its glamour and warmth.
Where do you want to take the brand-legacy?
We are available in seven states in the country including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The idea is to go deeper into the verticals before expanding pan India. We want people to think of Chambal gin, when they think of a good gin. Our brand is completely India-focussed right now.
