Proost69

Proost (marketed as Proost69) is a beer brand operated by Delhi-headquartered Grano69 Beverages Pvt Ltd. The brand's stated aim is to give Indian consumers access to freshly brewed, quality beer at affordable prices, positioning on low bitterness, drinkability and consistent quality from raw material selection through packaging. The name was adopted from the Dutch word for "cheers", used in email sign-offs by the company's Dutch master brewer.

The portfolio consists of three main variants: Proost White Ale, a Belgian-style wheat beer with coriander and orange notes; Proost Lager, a mild, thin and crisp lager positioned as a pairing for spicy Indian food; and Proost Strong, a strong lager balancing hop character and higher alcohol, curated for Indian taste preferences. The White Ale and Mild Lager launched in 2018 and the Strong Beer in 2019, initially imported from Spain before domestic production began; a Domestic Strong Beer, brewed in Punjab, launched in July 2021. The company also markets a Domestic Super Lager. Reported pricing ranged from Rs 95 to Rs 140 across markets in 2022 reporting, with a later listing citing INR 170 per pint for White Ale, INR 125 per can for Mild Lager and INR 100 per can for Strong Lager, with variation driven by state excise policies.

Founding story

Grano69 Beverages was founded by Vijay P. Sharma and Tarun Bhargava, both from Delhi. Vijay Sharma previously served as CEO of Punj Lloyd Global Offshore Business with roughly 35 years of experience scaling companies, and left corporate employment at age 55 to become an entrepreneur; Tarun Bhargava had worked at IBM and AON and co-founded Faagio.com. The founders' premise was the absence of good-quality, affordable beer in India, with incumbents offering long-established brews. Their approach was to adapt European styles — Belgian white ale, German lager and Spanish strong pilsner — for Indian consumers. The company's own account dates the founding question to the summer of 2018, when the founders consulted brewers internationally and tested formulations before launching Proost.

Business model

Grano69 sells packaged beer under the Proost brand through retail liquor outlets in Indian states where it holds excise licences. Production runs on a contract manufacturing and lease model, with each variant produced at a different location: White Ale from Menen, Belgium; Lager from Valencia, Spain; and Strong from Punjab, India. The company operates leased factories in Punjab and Haryana. Ingredients for its Indian-brewed beers are sourced in India.

Revenue comes from sales of packaged beer at retail. Maximum retail price varies by state because of differing excise duties; in Delhi, on a can priced at Rs 100, Rs 45 is excise duty, Rs 33 is cost of goods sold and Rs 22 is gross profit. The company was described as loss-making due to fixed costs, with profitability tied to higher production volumes.

Traction

Cumulative sales of 70 lakh (7 million) units and availability in over 1,800 retail stores were reported in 2023. Revenue progression reported: Rs 76.7 lakh (FY18-19), Rs 3.25 crore and Rs 4.20 crore in the following two years, Rs 7.5 crore in FY21-22, and more than Rs 12 crore in the then-current year. The team comprised the two founders, five people in key operations, finance, accounts and sales roles, and a wider workforce of 16.

Latest developments

A seed round of $1.1M dated April 2023 is listed with Mumbai Angels, Hyderabad Angels, GetVantage and Speed Fund. The company reported plans for a further fundraising round of Rs 16 crore at a Rs 133 crore valuation, and a new factory in Telangana. The company website, dated 2025, markets Strong Beer, Mild Lager, White Ale, Domestic Strong Beer and Domestic Super Lager.