For over five decades, the House of Kedias (now Great Galleon Ventures Limited), has played a foundational role in shaping the spirits landscape of Central India and uplifting the wider ecosystem of Madhya Pradesh. This includes leading product innovation in manufacturing and spearheading policy changes such as the privatisation of retailing in the region. Utsav obtained an MBA from INSEAD and worked in one of India’s fastest-growing alcohol brands, where he shaped global strategy and business development. His experience and success in these arenas made him confident that he could drive similar growth at Great Galleon. Currently, Utsav is overseeing the launch of V21, a premium vodka that will be the first in India to be packaged in certified 100% rPET.
Utsav Kedia tells us all about what went into making this bottle:
The idea for V21 in a fully recycled PET bottle really came from asking a simple question: if we’re building a brand today, why should it carry the baggage of yesterday’s packaging practices? It wasn’t easy. India doesn’t yet have an established ecosystem for certified 100% rPET in beverage alcohol, so a lot of the work was about building that supply chain, testing it rigorously, and proving that it could be both safe and premium. There were many rounds of certification, of pushing our partners and ourselves to get it right, because for us it wasn’t just about launching another vodka — it was about setting a precedent.
V21 represents that mindset. Yes, it’s a silver-filtered vodka made from 100% grain neutral spirit, crafted for purity and smoothness — but what makes it meaningful is the packaging. A bottle that is not only food-grade certified but also entirely recycled. It’s our way of showing that sustainability and desirability can coexist, and that Indian brands can lead in this space.
This is a first-of-its-kind move for a spirits brand at scale in India. It’s food-grade, fully safe, and a small but meaningful step towards addressing one of the biggest challenges in our industry: packaging waste. To me, this is where innovation lies — not only in creating a spirit that consumers enjoy, but in questioning how we bring it to them and what impact that leaves behind. The launch of V21 in rPET is one of the milestones I’m most proud of, because it proves that sustainability can be engineered into the everyday, without compromising on quality or accessibility. Beyond vodka, our portfolio is steadily growing. We’re working across whiskies, rums, beers, and even ready-to-drink cocktails. But with each of them, the lens remains the same: to balance heritage with innovation, and to build spirits that are modern, responsible, and distinctly Indian in their outlook.
Read the full story that first appeared in Global Indian here:
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