White Rhino Beer Brewing it Differently

FOUNDED IN October 2016, White Rhino Brewery Co, is eyeing for a strong revenue growth over 200 percent in the year 2018. With the existing premium craft beer, White Rhino Munich Lager and Belgian Wheat Beer, the brewery has recently launched its third variant, India Pale Ale (IPA) available in Gurugram. The company also plans to enter the Chandigarh and Goa market this year and expects to have them available in Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune in 2018.

Ishaan Puri, the founder and director of White Rhino Brewing Co, spoke to us about his vision with the company and its uniqueness.  With a keen interest towards brewing and its technology, Puri left his job at asset management firm BlackRock Inc. New York and conceived the idea of setting up his own brewing company.

“I moved back to India at a time when the F&B landscape was changing rapidly and I was completely undaunted in spite all the warnings I received on how challenging it was to enter the alcoholic beverage space,” recalls Puri. Proving it wrong, he positioned up his niche brand that places a huge emphasis on brewing world class beers which can stand up even in overseas markets.

The White Rhino beers are now being exported to markets such as UK where the company has retained the premium pricing. “We're very happy with our strategy to price at least 30-40 percent above mass market brands. It allows us to distinguish our product and compete in a segment that is going to witness very strong growth,” stated Puri. He feels that in midst of the new entrants who are targeting a more price sensitive segment, the white Rhino’s pricing strategy allows the company to invest in a quality product and target discerning consumers.

At present the company has setup its brewery in Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh brewing small batches of 20 hectolitres (2000 litres) and does not plan to setup another facility in the near future. “We have a lot of land for expansion at our current location, and moreover it's a very strategic location that's close to several markets we cater to. While it wasn't our first choice for setting up the brewery, in hindsight it has turned out to be probably the best choice,” Puri told us.

Rather than focusing on age groups, the company focuses on outlets/venues and collaborations with like-minded brands. It is a strategy that has been immensely successful in establishing the correct positioning for White Rhino according to Puri. “Since younger audiences (below 24-25 years of age) can be quite price sensitive, any strategy exclusively targeting them would involve discounted pricing which goes against what we stand for as a brand,” he pointed out.