Rising to the very pinnacle of any industry is no simple feat. But the odds get tougher when a women wants to conquer a largely male dominated industry. However, Rojita Tiwari believes that once you have shown your grit and proved your mettle, things get easier. Rojita speaks from experience as she has today crafted a niche for herself in the global drinks industry. In 2014 she founded Drinks & Destinations LLP, a company that not only is a learning platform but also organises training, events and offers consultancy to several beverage brands.

However, Rojita’s career in the drinks industry started circa 2006 when there were very few women involved in the business and even less in the field of writing about alcohol. Unperturbed by the odds stacked against her, Rojitahas been contributing to several international & Indian publications and websites. She also runs the award-winning Beverage Blogsite and hosts India’s first podcast on drinks and travel called ‘The Drinks and Destinations Podcast’.

As an educator, she regularly teaches and trains hotel and bar staff as well as students at bartending institutes. As a drinks judge, Rojita has been a juror at several international wine and spirits competitions such as Spirits Selection, ConcoursMondial de Bruxelles wine competition, Sake Selection, International Sugarcane Spirits Awards and has been on the jury of cocktails competitions such as Beluga Cocktail Masters India, Campari Bartender Competition Asia etc. Rojitawas awarded as the Most Influential Food & Beverage Industry Professional Award 2020, Indian Achievers 'Top 40 under 40' Award 2020.

Rojita talks about her interesting entrepreneurial journey and the many facets of being a women leader in a male dominated industry in an interview with the Women Entrepreneur Team. Here are some snippets from the conversation.

Tell us about the various roles and responsibilities that you currently shoulder at Drinks & Destination. As a leader who wears various hats, what is your guiding leadership philosophy?

Drinks & Destinations is still a growing venture and I do have to wear many hats from time to time. Some projects are handled by the company and sometimes I take on roles in an individual capacity as well. For example, I was the Brand Ambassador for a new Chinese spirit launched in the Indian market, currently I am a Senior Specialist at the forum of International Drinks Specialist, UK and also the Mentor of the Global Wines, spirits & Cigars Committee by Della Leader’s Club. I am also a certified judge at several international wines & spirits competitions. All these are individual roles, while as the Founder & Director of Drinks& Destinations, we curate many tasting events, generate content for the website and podcast, offer consultancy to brands, importers, and firms. The biggest guiding philosophy is to remember that “passion led you here”. Your goals should be rightly aligned with passion.

What have been some of the most critical business challenges that you have had to face as an entrepreneur in the beverages sector? How do you successfully overcome these challenges and drive growth within the organisation?

As an entrepreneur there are always challenges, however, as a female entrepreneur in the beverage sector, the challenges are many folds. I began my journey in the drinks industry when there were only a handful of women involved in the business and even less in the field of writing about alcohol. Coming from a small town in a lesser-known state in the country and the drive to succeed in every field always fuelled my ambitions. Hence, I moved forward ignoring social stigmas surrounding liquor. Being a woman in a predominantly male-centric industry has its own biases but once you have shown your grit and proved your mettle, it gets easier. But then women have been fighting for equal rights for ages, so that can’t be an excuse. What works is integrity and staying true to passion.

“Being a woman in a predominantly male-centric industry has its own biases but once you have shown your grit and proved your mettle, it gets easier”

Tell us about some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved over the years. What has been the driving force behind your successful journey as an entrepreneur and business leader?

Besides the recognition, awards and accolades received over the years for my sincere work, my greatest satisfaction lies in the fact that I am one of the few women, not just in India but also in the world, who are trying to break the taboo around alcohol. The sense of achievement is in educating people about how not to abuse liquor, convincing them that anything in moderation is truly enjoyable. But, above all, I am happy to be able to lead the way, inspiring other women to follow suit.

In a world where change is the only constant, how do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring in the industry and the technology domain?

In the life of an entrepreneur, no two days are the same. One doesn’t live paycheck-to-paycheck, it’s much more than that. In the pre-pandemic time, we were not working much in the social-media space. However, during the pandemic, we consciously shifted focus towards the online platforms and our overseas consultancy projects that helped us sail through the difficult times during lockdown. Adaptability, innovation, goodwill earned over the years, and lots of patience is what is required to remain sturdy in this field.

As a successful business leader, what would your advice be to young women aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Speaking from experience, I can only say that the world is changing rapidly around us, so is the business of liquor. If you want to learn, learn from the most reliable sources, if you want to follow, follow your instincts, if you want to choose, choose passion over anything else. Stay focused, adapt and upskill. Remember, you have got to be in it to win it.

Rojita Tiwari, Founder & Director, Drinks & Destinations

An award-winning drinks professional who is also a beverage writer, educator, trainer, consultant and juror at several international wine & spirits competitions.