Diageo announces Rs 75 cr for bars revival & recovery program
New Delhi: Liquor giant Diageo has again shown its commitment and social/business responsibility by announcing a Rs 75-crore program in India’Raising the Bar’ for next two years to support the qualifying bars, pubs, and restaurants that serve alcohol in order to help them recover from the current financial crisis created by COVID-19 pandemic.
Globally Diageo is spending $100 million on a similar program. This huge amount of funding will be used to support various bars in cities like New York, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, São Paulo, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nairobi, Shanghai, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Mexico City, Sydney, and beyond.
This program will not focus on cash support but it will include physical equipment needed for outlets to re-open like ‘hygiene kits’ with high-quality permanent sanitizer dispensers, medically approved hand sanitizers and a range of personal protection equipment (such as masks and gloves); it will help bars, pubs, and restaurants which are serving alcohol to establish partnerships with online reservations, mobile bars & cashless systems.
Bar owners can register their interest in Raising the Bar program online at www.diageobaracademy.com.
Commenting on the launch, Anand Kripalu, Managing Director & CEO, Diageo India said,
“The Indian Hospitality and F&B industry have witnessed an unprecedented loss of revenues. This has impacted many start-ups and MSMEs as well as the livelihood of millions of people. Pubs, Bars, and Restaurants are an integral part of our communities, bringing people together to socialize and celebrate – something we have all missed during the lockdown. Diageo has always had strong linkages with the Hospitality and F&B industry, jointly curating unique experiences for consumers. The revival of this sector is vital to the economy and to the success of our business. ‘’Raising the Bar’’ is our commitment to qualifying Pubs, Bars & Restaurants that serve alcohol. This support extends to providing enhanced safety measures when they resume operations so that their business and employment can revive, enabling our consumers to feel confident once again to socialize and lead normal lives.’’
Ivan Menezes, chief executive of Diageo, said: “Pubs and bars sit at the heart of every community. We have launched Raising the Bar as so many outlets have been impacted by this crisis and badly need help to open their doors again.
“We are calling on governments around the world to provide long-term recovery packages to help the hospitality sector. These businesses play an essential role in bringing people together to socialize and celebrate – something that we have all missed so much during this terrible crisis – and sustain hundreds of millions of jobs, which provide the first foot on the employment ladder for young people.”
A recent study done by Pahle India Foundation says that the Indian restaurant industry is the third-largest in the service segment, contributing over 2.1 percent to the GDP.
