Latest news with #JohnXavier
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
UK-made Indian arrack, Manavatty, wins global spirit awards
UK-based Malayali entrepreneur John Xavier remembers the code word the men in his family used for alcohol. It would be whispered in hushed tones, well out of earshot of the womenfolk. 'And that word was Manavatty,' he says laughingly over a call from Northampton. 'Back in the eighties and nineties, in Kochi, any alcoholic beverage was known by the code word 'Manavatty',' says John, who, years after his childhood in the city, founded an Indian arrack brand of the same name in the UK. In May this year, Manavatty won a bronze medal at the London Spirits Competition 2025, an event organised by the Beverage Trade Network and was chosen for the Spirit Bronze 2025 title at the International Wine and Spirit Competition Annual Awards Ceremony. The awards come as a sweet addition to the superlative reviews John has been getting for the drink after it was launched at the duty paid store at the Cochin International Airport in March 2025. The bottles flew off the shelves and in less than a week it was sold out. 'Getting that sort of reception from home feels great,' he adds. While locally distilled country alcohol is banned in Kerala, interest in the traditionally brewed alcohol outside India has been growing. Launched in small batches at John's toddy-shop modelled restaurant Kallu Shappu at Northampton in 2019, Manavatty grew to be a favourite. By 2023, he scaled up production and by 2025, it became a popular drink in the UK, available in over 250 off-license shops. While it could be interpreted in any way by arrack lovers, John says he picked the name because it draws from the words 'Mana', which means primal energy and 'vatty', the art of traditional vatting. Arrack is the common word for naturally distilled alcohol and the flavours are governed by various factors including the ageing process, and the ingredients that go into it. In Kerala, traditionally, everything from pineapple to paddy, toddy and fruits go into the potent drink, known as vaatu. However, in the UK, John makes use of the locally-available rae grain that is known for the smoothness it can lend to the drink, pure coconut water and a mild infusion of herbs. Matured in heritage vats, the drink with 'peppery notes and a balanced sweetness', is an ode to Kerala's vaatu. 'Every country has its own naturally distilled alcohol and they are proud of their drinks. Manavatty is a tribute to Kerala's traditional vatting, the technique passed down through generations,' says John. Crafted by his own company, London Baron Ltd, all the raw materials are sourced locally. This no-preservative, no added-colour drink, certified as zero carb, fat, and sugar, is best had neat or if you must pair it with something, coconut water works best, advises John. Since it has no taste of its own, it would lend itself 'wonderfully well' to cocktails too, he adds. It contains 44 % alcohol. John is planning to introduce another version of Manavatty with a higher alcohol percentage soon. 'That would not be for the faint-hearted,' he adds. Manavatty is available in all Gray Mackenzie & Partners stores in the UAE and CIAL Cochin Duty Free Shop.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Panellists discuss the far-reaching influence of AI in the modern world
At The Hindu Huddle on Campus held on Tuesday, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras' oratory club, students engaged in a panel discussion on the topic 'Why does Understanding AI Matter to the World we Live in?' The session was moderated by John Xavier, Technology Editor, The Hindu, who explored the growing reliance on large language models (LLMs), open weights, copyright infringement, and the role of creativity in the age of generative artificial intelligence (AI). When Mr. Xavier asked how AI is shaping individual lives and society, Ashish Srivastava said a lot of their day-to-day interactions were largely from social media, where AI had been integral part of every domain. Leelakrishna Ruthvik Chivukula, another panellist, spoke on the use of LLMs in their academic work and preparations. 'The human element is not completely eliminated but tools, such as Perplexity, have strengthened our subject knowledge even before we get to preparation,' he said. Sumedh Chatterjee pointed out AI's far-reaching influence across student life, but raised concern about its energy footprint. 'We are a country that is now discussing climate change, yet these LLMs consume significant energy, which is a massive part of everyday life now,' he said. Rajagopal C. Subramaniam observed that LLMs were here to stay owing to their ability to reduce redundancy and cut down on time while moving more towards goals. 'Recently, what I observed is that there is a lot of funding going into AI research. It is because the commercialisation of AI — the potential of attracting either new customers or building better products is so high, that everybody from governments to huge Corporate companies want to get into this,' he said. The panel also tackled questions on AI-generated content versus copyright. Ashish Srivastava said copyright law was largely subjective. 'What counts as fair use is up to interpretation and, more specifically, up to domain level interpretation.' On the question of creativity, the panel members spoke for and against AI in the creative space. 'When we talk about creativity, we realise these LLMs have been trained over massive data, so uniqueness will not be an aspect of AI-generated content, as they tend to follow patterns,' said Mr. Chivukula.
