Indian alcohol company relaunches vodka brand in recycled PET bottle

Great Galleon, an India-based bottle and bottling company, has relaunched its own vodka brand, V21, with fully recycled PET (rPET), said to be the first Indian beverage brand to do so. 

Utsav Kedia, vice president of Business Growth at Great Galleon, says: ‘This isn’t a one-off. We asked ourselves — what if the future of beverages wasn’t just about better liquid, but smarter choices? That question closely aligns with how today’s consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, think.”

Kedia highlights that 62% of Indian consumers prefer brands with clear sustainability commitments.

“The goal isn’t to retrofit sustainability onto a product. It’s to design for it from the beginning. And we’re excited to lead that shift.”

The 180 mL flask is lightweight and shatterproof, “designed for modern lifestyles,” says Great Galleon. According to the company, every production cycle of V21 in rPET bottles saves over 5.7 million liters of water and prevents 138.7 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

The company says the shift to rPET highlights its commitment to circular packaging.

According to Great Galleon, India generates approximately 3.4 million metric tons of plastic waste every year, of which less than 30% is effectively recycled.

Recently, Packaging Insights reported on research by the Environmental Investigation Agency that found India’s informal recycling sector remains a key player in handling much of the country’s plastic waste. Yet, it lacks formal recognition, hindering integration with the country’s EPR system.