Kapil Mohan, Man Behind Success of Old Monk Rum Passes Away at 88
Kapil Mohan, the former MD of Old Monk was responsible for driving the business of the dark rum from the 18th century.
The chairman and MD of Mohan Meakin Ltd. Mr. Kapil Mohan passed away of cardiac arrest on January 6. He was the man behind the iconic rum Old Monk which has been one of the largest selling alcohol beverages around the world. Mohan suffered a chronic cardiac arrest at his residence in Ghaziabad.
Old Monk was launched in 1954 and consistently stayed the biggest Indian Made Foreign Liquor brand for years. After Mohan took over the leadership the company developed three distilleries, two breweries and some other new franchises within the country. The company Mohan Meakin has since then expanded into various businesses like glass factories, breakfast food, fruit products and juices, malt extract factories, and cold storages. The company today has this multi-faceted business with a turnover above Rs. 400 crores. Kapil Mohan was even awarded the Padma Shri in 2010.
Kapil Mohan did the diversification of the company after he took over the reins of Edward Dyer’s brewery. Another brewery was helmed by HG Meakin who partnered with Dyers’ later. After Mohan took over, the company was changed to Mohan Mohan Meakin Breweries Ltd in 1966 and to Mohan Meakin Ltd in the 1980s. The dark rum Old Monk has been a product much loved and among the best selling liquors.
A thing to note about this brand is they haven’t advertised themselves widely but been successful on word-of-mouth and loyalty. Old Monk became popular because it offered quality in cheaper price. The affordable pricing worked effectively for them. The rum is sold in Russia, United States, UK, Germany, Japan, UAE, Estonia, Finland, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon.
Mohan not only led the business well but truly carried forward the legacy of his family.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2018 07:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).