Athleisure, music, NFTs: Ajay Shetty of Salud Beverages takes an off-beat path to promote his alcobev brand

Bengaluru-based ready-to-drink and craft spirits brand Salud isn’t ready to be yet another alcobev brand on the block. As a startup that positions itself as an ‘urban lifestyle brand’ for the young, being cool is very much part of its DNA. 

For Ajay Shetty, its founder, Salud is an extension of his own personality. You see this right from the brand’s logo that leaves a distinct mark on you well before you’ve even had a sip from one of his alcobev offerings. 

A cusp inspired by Shetty's zodiac sign graces all of Salud's range of products—a key symbol to establish the brand’s ethos of having multiple facets akin to the diversity in people's personalities. 

To cement its dedication to all things cool, it has launched a multitude of touchpoints from beverage offerings, fashion, music IP, and non-fungible tokens or NFTs—a feat that’s unique for brands in this sector. 

Manufacturing cool 

Long before it even designed its first bottle, Shetty and his team decided to create a merchandise line. “The launch (of beverages) happened much later (in July) but we knew lifestyle was the ethos of the brand,” says Shetty. 

As a lover of Nike’s Jordans, he would often evaluate the materials used in its making, hoping to create something similar for Salud.

At first, Shetty and his creative director experimented with a variety of prints and walked around town to get some feedback. They have recently hired a team of merchandisers to create gender-agnostic designs that promote inclusivity. 

Since then, the brand has built upon its first merchandise line in January 2021. Salud's collection now has co-ord sets, crop tops, and shorts for men and women, that are available on its website and is priced between Rs 449-1499. 

Setting down on Salud

Before Salud, Shetty was at the helm of Myra Vineyards, a homegrown wine brand, which was eventually sold to a French-Singaporean fund in 2018. 

Building upon his learnings from the previous startup and his experience as a banker, Shetty was confident about what the market needed–a strong brand that accounted for India’s diversity and varied consumption patterns. So in July 2021, he set out to make the brand himself.

“We have naturally clear or coloured drinks that are convenient and easy to carry. We didn’t want to be sugary and artificial, but non-conformist with different touchpoints,” says Shetty.

Currently, Salud’s repertoire of ready-to-drink or RTD beverages includes gin refreshers: G&T 2.0 available in original, lavender, cucumber, and watermelon and mint variants; Salud Sonic – a classic Japanese mix with soda and tonic, which is the highlight of this low-calorie refresher; and Salud Strong – a gin with hints of citrus and a higher alcohol content than the rest of the variants. Currently, the drink is available in Goa, Karnataka, Delhi, Chandigarh, Telangana, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. There’s also a small batch available in the UK. 

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Shetty reveals that some new flavours including cranberry and orange are also in the pipeline. However, these beverages will have a different spirit base. This is a strategic move to become a multi-spirit company to capture a larger share of the market. 

Betting on the next generation of drinkers 

Of late, low-ABV beverages have been making quite the noise, particularly as an interest in health-conscious decision making grows. To Shetty, the young are the real decision-makers in the low-ABV segment, which is why the two-time entrepreneur decided to target the age group up to 27 years. 

In fact, the low-ABV beverages segment is growing and is predicted to reach $2.36 billion by 2033. The trend always catches on in Tier-I cities in India, eventually trickling down to other centres, informs Shetty.

“It’s all about the coolness factor and how you are able to touch upon that. This age group is not loyal to any drink–it could be beer today and Salud tomorrow,” affirms Shetty. “But we decided to go ahead with gin keeping in mind the market economics and adaptability of the spirit. We also realised that the drink must be convenient to carry. In Tier-II and Tier-III cities, it is all about being fun and aspirational. The drinkers want to be a part of the party,” he explains. 

Keeping up with technological advancements

Salud beverages ventured into NFTs in October 2022. “I think it’s an interesting space and I want the realm of Salud to be much more than a regular world,” says Shetty.

Salud’s NFT owners get 5% of the proceeds earned from clothing and merchandise sales. Apart from this benefit, the NFT holders also get access to Salud Sessions–the music IP of the brand, which holds exclusive tracks by a range of homegrown and international artists. 

“Music is an integral part of my life and it has translated to Salud. We focus on deep house music, which is all about transporting the listener to a place like Ibiza. We started creating the music way back in January 2021 and put it out on leading music streaming platforms. Unlike other brands, we own the music,” adds Shetty.

Salud is still on the hunt for new artists in tune with its vibe of an urban lifestyle. The brand has pushed out international tracks in collaboration with SECR3T KEY, an artist from Brooklyn. “Our focus is on experimental artists in the realm of deep house music. Finally, we have event professionals onboard who will be identifying breakout artists and working towards the creation of more events and activities,” Shetty shares. 

Salud Sessions are currently available on leading music streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and more, as volumes or single tracks. 

While its physical parties have only happened in Bengaluru until now, Shetty has plans to expand the concept pan-India. Salud's NFT holders can enjoy benefits up to $100 including free alcohol, and get access to the VIP table at events throughout the year. Shetty believes that these are real-life utilities they can use, instead of it being yet another piece of digital art to own. 

A total of 11 Salud cusp NFT-based merchandise has already been released. Phase two of the NFT collection will be out in October.