Introducing Van Sharma, a third culture kid, fifth generation entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Rupee Beer, Named Best Beer For World Food. Van, a one time former aspirant diplomat came up with the concept to start Rupee Beer with his brother because he was passionate about bringing attention to a rising India and reimagining how the world enjoys beer and international cuisine and flavors.
With Rupee Beer, Van Sharma is on a mission to showcase Indian heritage via beer to a global community of drinkers. In this insightful interview, Van speaks about the idea that inspired him to launch Rupee Beer, how he embraces the latest trends and technologies, and how he sets Rupee Beer apart from other global competition.
Milestones Shaping The Current Position
We started the interview by asking, “Could you describe your career journey and the pivotal experiences that shaped your path to becoming a leader in your industry?
Van Sharma shared, “Rupee is more than just a brand of beer. Our lifelong upbringing as brothers in the Indian restaurant industry has shaped Rupee’s vision as a leader within our category. There is no shortage of beer brands around the world, and our mission remains simple: to reimagine the way the world enjoys beer with international food and also help raise the visibility of a rising India.
We grew up in an international family, with our family history spread across four different continents. Every day, we get up wanting to showcase India in the best possible light, but also do our part to educate more of mainstream America on Indian culture via the lens of craft beer.”
Adapting Amidst Challenges
Every business comes across certain inevitable challenges. To understand how Van Sharma adapts his business to all these transformations, we asked, “As your company has grown and faced various challenges, how has your original vision evolved to meet these changes?”
He shared, “Challenges and setbacks are part of the process in business. From our inception, we both left living in London & Australia to return to the United States during Covid-19. Little did we know this life re-gig would set the stage for discovering a massive problem in the global supply chain of Indian beers available in the U.S. market, which we went on to solve with Rupee Beer.”
Embracing The Latest Trends
We further asked, “Looking at the horizon, which emerging trend do you believe is undervalued but will significantly impact your industry in the next few years?”
Van enthusiastically responds, “Beer and alcohol are older than both of us combined. Regardless of where you are in the world and the local customs you abide by, alcohol has become the most liberal it has ever been across numerous societies. For us, beer is something we both enjoy, but we also view the Rupee as a means to bridge the craft beer community with culture and global cuisine.
We feel more and more places around the world, including the Middle East, will slowly start to embrace craft beer more and the story Rupee is conveying with each can someone consumes.”
Spark Behind Rupee
We were curious to learn more about the factors that influenced Van Sharma to come up with the idea of his business and execute it. So, we inquired, “Was there a specific moment when you identified an unmet need in the market that inspired you to start your venture? How did you turn that idea into reality?”
He shared, “Yes, upon returning to the United States after years living overseas, we noticed a void in Indian and Asian beers not being readily available in our region of America, which was the Northeastern most state of Maine to serve at our family’s long running Indian restaurant. Life-long customers who have been loyal customers of three generations would constantly ask during COVID-19 if we had any of those iconic Indian brands such as Kingfisher or Taj Mahal in stock.
With the supply chain not shipping into the U.S. market during the pandemic, it got us thinking of why not solve this ongoing issue, which also happened many times over the years, and start producing fresher locally crafted and strategically designed beer for Indian and spicy food locally in the United States. We knew we didn’t come from a brewing background. Thus, we aligned with a best-in-class master brewing legend responsible for launching over 100 global breweries.”
Assessing The Operations
“In the transforming environment of your industry, how do you assess when it’s time to pivot your strategy versus when to stay the course?”
He passionately responds, “The beer industry, both within craft and imports, is rapidly changing, and we have a first-hand seat to the show with Rupee. We launched during COVID-19 when it was very difficult to find someone to say yes to producing our brand, to know where loads of breweries continue to consolidate their operation. We are grateful Rupee is growing and scaling our reach more and more, and stay up to date with what the industry trends are and changing consumer preferences are.”
Setting Rupee Beer Apart
Amidst the tough competition, it is paramount for businesses to offer unique services and experiences to customers to set a strong brand presence. To understand the perspective of Van Sharma on this aspect, we questioned, “With so many players in your field, how does your service offering distinguish itself? Could you share the inspiration behind one of your key services?”
He passionately asserts, “Rupee is specially crafted to pair with Indian, spicy, and world flavors. Our recipes are all designed to be non-offensive and easy to drink in all settings when paired with food to drink alone on a hot summer day. Our drinkers are diverse and range from both female and male drinkers who want light and smooth beer.
India inspires all of our SKUs with our flagship Basmati Rice Lager, India Pale Ale, and Mango Wheat Ale. We were named Best Beer For World Food last year which has allowed us to now see Rupee on numerous Thai, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, African, and countless other global restaurants outside the South Asian food category.”
Scaling The Business
Every industry is feeling the effects of the current world’s rapid digital transition. So, we asked, “How is technology playing a role in helping your company move forward?”
He shared, “Technology is playing a vital role in helping scale our operation and also deliver seamless end-to-end operations as we scale our operation.”
Flourishing In The Global Space
We ended the interview by asking, “As we look into the future, faced with both opportunities and uncertainties, how are you positioning your company to not just survive but flourish?”
Van responded, “Rupee is in its growth phase, and as we scale and introduce more international markets, our mission will remain the same, which is to always produce the finest craft beer alongside reimagining the way the world pairs beer with international food while helping to enhance the visibility of a rising India, a country which remains a huge part of our upbringing and cultural identity as fifth generation entrepreneurs.”
Follow Van Sharma on LinkedIn.
Find Rupee Beer on LinkedIn and visit their website http://rupeebeer.com/.
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