Nishant Sharma founder & CEO of Rutland Square Spirits on building a fast-growing premium spirits brand.

Feb 14, 2026

Nishant Sharma, founder and CEO of Rutland Square Spirits, blends his Assam tea and spice heritage with Scottish craftsmanship. He talks about creating a unique oolong white tea–infused chai-spice gin and rum. He shares the rollercoaster of rebuilding a business after near-bankruptcy and a health crisis. He discusses cracking India’s complex alcohol market, recipe R&D, branding and global expansion.

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ANECDOTE

Grandmother's Funeral Sparked A Spirits Comeback

Nishant left a finance career after his grandmother's death and discovered a family legacy in spirits from his great-grandfather.
That family history and 15 days with his grandfather in India sparked the purpose behind Rutland Square Spirits.

ANECDOTE

Ignorance Fueled Iteration And Near-Bankruptcy

Nishant had no industry experience and spent years iterating, using 200 tea variants before choosing oolong and growing his own supply.
He failed in 2021 and 2022, nearly went bankrupt twice, then sold bottles door-to-door across Edinburgh in 2023.

INSIGHT

Choose A Category That Matches Your Capital Reality

Gin was a pragmatic pivot because whiskey required far greater capital, aligning product choice with available resources.
That pivot let Nishant exploit a pre-COVID gin boom while still embedding his tea-spice heritage.

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The India–Scotland Entrepreneurial Journey! Today’s guest is Nishant Sharma. the Indian-born, Edinburgh-based entrepreneur whose company blends Indian heritage with Scottish craftsmanship. Nishant’s story is one of resilience, legacy and bold reinvention.

After leaving a successful career in financial services, he set out to build a brand with long-term meaning. Inspired by his late grandmother — and a family history that traces back to his great-grandfather becoming a whisky distiller during the British Raj — he brought his Assam roots into the heart of Scotland’s spirits industry.

The journey, however, was anything but smooth. At one point, the business had just £25 in the bank with major bills due. The stress led to a near-fatal heart attack at just 35. He survived. Rebuilt. And came back stronger. In this episode, we discuss building a global spirits brand against the odds. Operating in highly regulated markets; India's complicated relationship with alcohol, building a global brand. Great advice for first time founders. Why ignorance can be bliss; raising investment; and even how to drink it — ice or no ice? And finally… if India plays Scotland at cricket, who is he supporting?

We also talk about:

Growing up in India and moving to Scotland
First impressions of Scotland: cold, rainy… but kind people
Working as a waiter, dishwasher and cleaner in Glasgow
The family whisky connection during the British Raj
Why he chose spirits
Spending 4 years perfecting the recipe
Creating the world’s first oolong white tea infused chai-spice spirit
Why 2021 failed… and why 2022 failed again
building without industry experience
Building a global premium brand in a crowded market
Expanding into India — why it’s not for the faint-hearted
The aspirational Indian consumer market

Links

https://rutlandsquare.com/

Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2

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Music by Punch Deck.

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