Jean Touboul has been appointed as Pernod Ricard India's new managing director, effective May 1, 2023. Touboul previously served as the managing director of Pernod Ricard South-East Asia, based in Singapore. He will continue to report to Philippe Guettat, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia, and will be a member of the Executive Committee of Pernod Ricard Asia.

"What I am most excited about in my new role is driving our many strategic priorities and the vast opportunities in India, which is a culturally diverse market." "We have made significant progress in this market by establishing sustainable, industry-first operations that are consistent with our focus on innovation and transformation," Touboul said.

Paul-Robert Bouhier, Pernod Ricard's managing director for India, resigned recently after taking the position in January of this year.

The distiller, which sells Royal Salute, Glenlivet, and Absolut, considers India to be one of three "must-win" markets in the world, along with the United States and China. The country has a growing middle class of about 150 million people who can afford premium-and-above beverages, and nearly 17 million people will be added each year for the next three to five years as they reach the legal drinking age.

Last week, the world's second largest spirits company announced that it will have to renew its licence in the coming months after the Delhi government rejected its application. The move came after the company was named by investigating agencies in a case of alleged corruption and cartelization linked to Delhi's now-cancelled excise policy.