Vijay Mallya has been credited for revolutionizing the beer market of India. At a time when beer was still not an aspirational drink across the country, United Breweries led by him made it popular everywhere. Today, India consumes almost 45 crore beer cases per year. This is due to Mallya’s strategy to surpass his competitors and nearly gain a monopoly in the market. However, he had one competitor where he lost; that was Northeast, but to a Bollywood star rather than another tycoon, Danny Denzongpa.
Building a Beer Empire
Born in Sikkim in 1948, Tshering Phintso Denzongpa popularized Danny. He started his acting career in 1971, after having made his film debut in Zaroorat. The years went by as he featured in several iconic Bollywood hits, including Love Story, Ghatak, Agneepath, Khuda Gawah, and China Gate. In 1987, Danny joined the brewing business, forming Yuksom Breweries in Sikkim. It was named after his hometown in 2005, when he diversified operations into Odisha by forming Denzong Breweries and, in 2009, Assam’s Rhino Agencies.
Yuksom Breweries now stands as India’s third-largest beer producer, with an annual production capacity of 6.8 lakh HL. It trails only Kingfisher and Kimaya among Indian brands, with larger competitors like Hogaarden, Budweiser, and Carlsberg being foreign entities.
Defeating Vijay Mallya in the Northeast
During India’s beer market boom in 2009, the Northeast emerged as a key untapped region. Vijay Mallya’s United Breweries dominated most of the country but did not have a foot in the seven northeastern states. Mallya set his eyes on Assam’s Rhino Agencies to penetrate the region. Danny was informed of this, and he shrewdly bought Rhino Agencies for himself, which kept Yuksom at the helm of the market. According to reports from MSN, Mallya’s United Breweries could not make any production unit in the Northeast, and thus Danny emerged victorious in the region.
Economic Impact of Yuksom Breweries
Danny’s breweries do a lot to boost the Northeast’s economy. Yuksom Breweries work with a local workforce that has been mainly drawn from the regions. In 2022, the Sikkim Express stated that Yuksom Breweries contribute ₹100 crore to the regional economy and offer employment to 250 people every year.
Balancing Business and Acting
Although Danny is concentrating on his brewing business, he does appear in selective films. Recently, he appeared in superhits like Baby and its spin-off Naam Shabana. He also appeared in a cameo role in Uunchai, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, and Boman Irani in 2022.
From Bollywood star to successful entrepreneur, Danny Denzongpa has built an empire that combines cinematic fame with economic impact, cementing his legacy both on and off the screen.
