Bacardi’s regional managing director talks adventures, portfolios and purpose

[This story originally appeared in Koktail Magazine issue 2.]

Vikas Mittal has an extraordinary track record of success. Hailing originally from Delhi, India, his 25-year career inside the halls of Bacardi has seen Vikas move 12 times to territories across three continents. Even after visiting 72 countries, he’s far from the end of his journey, and— thanks to the Bacardi brand’s global culture—is never far from a new adventure.

“We’re a global company but at the same time, the brand has been family-owned for seven generations. We’ve been in business for 160 years.” Mittal says he has stuck around because the company supports its people to be entrepreneurial and gives him the freedom to do what he thinks is right for the business. “I think no other company values diversity like Bacardi does. The fact that we operate in 170 countries—imagine how many nationalities, genders, races and age groups there are. And at the end of the day, it still feels like I’m managing my own business.”

Looking to Southeast Asia, the brand is focusing on studying consumer trends and preferences in order to map the future. Although Mittal is only six weeks into his tenure in the Southeast Asian market, he is already framing a short- to medium-term strategy of what needs to be worked on. “The idea is: how do we premiumise our portfolio? How do we become relevant to the local consumer? How do we make our business risk proof?” Another aspect he believes is essential to fathom is how millennials are consuming brands. “It’s more about the experience. They are looking for new experiences that combine enjoyment and relaxation. This opens up a huge opportunity for low alcoholic beverages. For Bacardi, it resonates with responsible drinking and making every moment matter.”

While on the topic of drinks, we were curious to know Mittal’s favourite drink from the Bacardi stable. He unhesitantly replied, “There are many! It depends more on the occasion. Over the weekend or a nice afternoon, I would go for a Martini tonic—it’s refreshing, and you can add a twist of lime to it. For the evenings, I love my Bombay tonic, especially when the atmosphere is at ease. When I’m with my friends, my selection would be an Aberfeldy on the rocks.” Apart from this diversity of appealing choices, his all-time favourite is a Bacardi mojito. Mittal concludes, despite the countless types of drinks, that it depends more on your frame of mind or who you’re with. On that note, he adds, “That’s the great thing about Bacardi: you have a drink to match any moment in life.”

More recently, the beverage entrepreneur has been focusing on holistic fitness and discovering his ikigai. “I think people spend their entire lifetimes trying to figure out what their purpose is in life.” For Mittal, his ikigai is ultimately how he pays it forward. He is immensely grateful for what his life holds, both professionally and personally. He wishes to share his bountiful experiences and unleash the potential of his team in order to “eventually get them to where they deserve to be” and “to combine purpose, primos (‘cousins’ or ‘family’ in Spanish) and profits for shared prosperity and destiny.”