Passion is one of the biggest forces that motivate a person to work hard and achieve something big in life and Ajay Shetty’s passion of becoming an entrepreneur made him quit his high-paying job of a banker in order to make his dreams come true.
Ajay Shetty completed his graduation from the Christ College, Bengaluru, and then he got his Master’s degree from New York Institute of Technology and New Jersey Institute of Technology. He worked in Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch and showed his expertise in the Equity Markets while being posted in New York and Hong Kong. However, a lucrative job was not something Ajay Shetty was looking for, instead he was interested in setting up his own business and as a result, Myra Vineyards came into existence which Ajay Shetty later sold to Grover Zampa Vineyards in the year December 2019.
Ajay Shetty’s latest venture is Salud Beverages and if you are unable to understand the meaning of Salud, let us tell you that it is a Spanish word which means “cheers to health”. Ajay Shetty was pretty much interested in the Alcobev segment and his focus is on the gin which comes under a niche category. Though it is sold less nowadays in comparison to rum, vodka and other alcoholic drinks, there is no denying the fact that its demand is increasing in a steady manner and in the future, it will grow at a fast pace.
Bengaluru-based Salud Beverages which is India’s first gin & tonic brand aims to change the manner in which people unwind, celebrate, party and consume alcohol. Ajay Shetty wants to introduce people to the concept of Life 2.0, which is a new way to celebrate life by using clean and easy drinking and music. The drinks offered by Salud Beverages whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic have a universal appeal and they are also modern as far as their style and taste are concerned. Ajay Shetty entered this market after doing a lot of research and as the Indian Gin market is showing the growth of 9 percent every year, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity of being the first mover in this market. Salud Beverages made its presence felt in the market immediately after it launched G&T 2.0 and the consumers were provided with the option of having three alcoholic beverages of three different flavors – original, cucumber and lavender.
Ajay Shetty wants to bring a revolution not just in the alcobev segment but also in the lives of people, especially because we all have been through the worst times in the past couple of years and now they should get a chance to celebrate in a new and classy manner. What makes Ajay Shetty a fearless entrepreneur is the fact that he founded Salud Beverages in September 2020, the time when COVID-19 was at its peak and even good business organizations were finding it difficult to survive and bear the losses incurred due to the pandemic. Though he and his team had to make quite a few changes in their business model in order to combat the tough situations that they faced on account of the pandemic, it also made them learn many new things which they might not have learnt in normal circumstances. Ajay Shetty and his team deserve to be applauded as Salud Beverages not only survived but also grew in this period and this ultimately speaks quite highly of Shetty’s skills as a leader, entrepreneur and good manager.
Music and merchandise are also among the areas of focus of Salud Beverages and the team has come up with a new concept called Salud Sessions in which local and new talented artists and musicians perform at selected venues for Salud Beverages.
The business idea and concept of Salud Beverages was loved by many investors including the actor and serial entrepreneur Rana Daggubati who invested in Ajay Shetty’s business in January this year. Ajay Shetty dreams of establishing Salud Beverages as global beverage and lifestyle brand and he will certainly launch many new products for his consumers to give them a delightful experience.
