Pernod Ricard India pours AI into growth mix
New Delhi: With India emerging as
Pernod Ricard
's second-largest market globally by value and the largest by volume, the French liquor major is placing bold bets on technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth, sharpen premiumization, and strengthen operational efficiency, a company's official said.
'AI is helping us move from mass marketing to high-touch, curated experiences that build stronger consumer connections,' said
Simon de Beauregard
, chief transformation officer at
Pernod Ricard India
, in an interview with ETRetail. He added that the company has built fully in-house AI capabilities to retain end-to-end control and competitive advantage.
Over the last four years, the company has implemented multiple digital platforms under its Key Digital Programs (KDPs), including Maestria, which maps consumption occasions to portfolio strategy; Matrix, which links marketing spends to ROI; and D-Star, which offers outlet-level retail intelligence.
Personalization, Premiumization and Predictive Tech
Beauregard emphasized that tech innovation is central to Pernod Ricard India's
premiumization strategy
. "Tools like Maestria draw insights from 18,000 consumer interviews to match SKUs with premium consumption moments," Beauregard said.
"In India, we used D-Star to adjust bottle formats according to local preferences, leading to a conversion rate to 46%, compared to the usual 10-20%. This shows how AI helps us personalize our offerings to meet the specific expectations of each market," he shared.
The company is also leveraging
generative AI
(GenAI) to scale personalization in campaigns, he added.
From supply chain planning to demand forecasting, the company is deploying AI tools to improve market responsiveness in India's complex regulatory landscape. "In a market as diverse as India, precision in forecasting is critical,' Beauregard noted. 'Data helps us fine-tune everything from portfolio strategy to store-level execution."
While Pernod Ricard India's January–March (Q3 FY25) performance was softer, reporting only 1% YoY sales growth in the quarter, it was attributed to what the company termed as 'phasing technicalities' including new customs clearance procedures impacting imported spirits and a temporary production interruption in Telangana, both of which have since been resolved. Its year-to-date (April–March 2025) sales were up 5%.
In its last earnings report released in April, the company said it expect a strong recovery in Q4 with catch-up sales, supported by continued demand and premiumization trends. Strong performance in brands like Jameson, Ballantine's, and Royal Stag underlined consumer appetite, particularly in the premium segment.
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