Dec 07: Kiran Patil is one of the primary driving forces behind growth of Vintage Wines Pvt. Ltd –a company formed with the primary objective of producing quality wines and is our choice of one of the Top Ten WOWs for sheer grit and determination she has been conducting the wine producing and marketing business of Vintage Wines
A management graduate, she has worked with Companies like K. Raheja Constructions (4 years) and Mahindra Gesco (the real estate division of Mahindras) for another 4 years, both in the Marketing Department, and thus, possesses a significant corporate background. This experience has only held her in a good stead in the current scenario. It really taught the essence and the finer nuances of marketing, i.e. “The product being a given, the key really lies in linking it to the basic need of the consumer.”
Getting into the alcoholic beverage sector really complemented her husband, Yatin Patil’s decision of starting a winery. Kiran had no qualms about turning an entrepreneur; once she dittoed husband’s idea, she kept solidly supporting her husband in building a brand and handling entire marketing & sales operation.
Both Yatin and Kiran left their corporate jobs to pursue their entrepreneurial dream and the vision to evolve the family’s agriculture heritage (approx. 200 acres) into a brand.
At that point, the wine industry was a sunrise industry. With only a few players there was a gap in the market with respect to quality, finesse and consistency – critical parameters in the case of wine. This is exactly where the Patil’s thought of bridging the gap and went on to form Vintage Wines and create the Reveilo label, which was launched in 2006.
It only proved to be a prudent decision, as they synergize in managing the entire set-up, wherein Yatin overlooks the entire operations and handles the company from a macro perspective, whilst Kiran handles the entire sales and marketing function and is responsible for the micro management. This really includes formulating marketing and sales strategies, handling the operations on a day-to-day basis, advertisement and promotion plan for creating brand equity, accelerating growth and ultimately achieving desired sales goals for the brand – ‘Reveilo’ in the market.
Kiran is totally hands-on, and her forte lies in a systematic and meticulous approach to any particular facet. ‘Consistency’ and ‘Persistence’ are her driving force, and the cornerstone of her performance. She is absolutely passionate about making “Reveilo” one of the premium wine brands in the global market.
Along the journey, Reveilo wines have received critical acclaim and won awards and accolades. Reveilo Wines over the years have almost attained a pan India presence and are steadily increasing their international footprint. We were aware that the untraveled path that Reveilo had chosen was not going to easy and the path would be strewn with obstacles like perception of wine (or alcohol in general for that matter) in the Indian society, inter-state taxation, inconvenient licensing and label registration procedures, accounts receivables etc. On the marketing front also, this sector offers a lot of challenges (direct advertising being banned). Combating those challenges and creating opportunities proves to be a great stimulus.
‘The way ahead for Reveilo is to further increase the share of throat in the Indian market and to increase its global presence. Last year Reveilo wines reached the mark of 10,000 cases in the domestic market and our focus this year would be to increase it substantially. One would like to influence the course of the industry towards quality production, as well as increased confidence in locally manufactured products,’ she says.
Here is a woman who not only motivates other women to emulate her, but being a Marathi, is also a good wine ambassador for middle class women to imbibe wine. We congratulate Kiran Patil for being in the List of Top Ten WOWs in India, once again.
Subhash Arora
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