Zero Hour Conversations is Kalaari Capital's thought leadership series featuring candid discussions with industry leaders and members of the Kalaari team, capturing their entrepreneurial journeys and business insights. This edition features Narayan Manepally, CEO and Co-founder of Geist Brewing Co.

Manepally spoke about how his started in Portland, when he brewed his first perfect batch of beer. Returning to India and finding only Kingfisher available everywhere convinced him that India deserved better craft beer, and he decided to make that happen himself.

Geist has established itself as India's first distribution craft brewery, revolutionizing how restaurants can offer premium beer experiences without major investments. Now producing 115,000L monthly across 450 outlets, they've captured 10% of Karnataka's super-premium beer market.

Dwelling on innovating within a heavily regulated industry, Manepally said Geist became India's first distribution craft brewery, helping restaurants offer microbrewery experiences without heavy investment. Rather than competing with microbreweries, the company enabled them. This approach has helped Geist capture a 10% market share in Karnataka's super-premium beer category.

COVID transformed the business, he said, describing how the shutdown forced a pivot to open-air spaces. What began as a survival tactic became a strength, a strategic advantage, as the team discovered that people craved connecting with nature while enjoying craft beer. Outdoor venues were packed from day one post-lockdown – because “luck sometimes coming disguised as crisis.”

Asked about his biggest rookie mistake as a beer entrepreneur, he shared that in the early days the team was so focused on selling that they didn't realize they were losing 50 rupees on every bottle, since finance wasn't his strong suit. Those early lessons shaped the company. Today, Geist produces 115,000 liters monthly across 450 outlets, a result he attributes to never quitting despite the setbacks.

Finally, on the secret to building a successful brand, Manepally offered three principles: first, don't chase money, let it be the outcome of passion; second, remember that success happens despite you, not because of you; and third, stay humble, noting that even today the industry understands less than 20% of yeast's metabolism, and the rest is just unrelenting effort.

We had the pleasure of hosting Narayan Manepally, CEO & Co-founder of Geist Brewing Co., for our #ZeroHourConversations.