Amrut Distilleries has announced the promotion of Ashok Chokalingam to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Master Distiller, a newly created role aligned with the company’s growth strategy.

The position integrates international marketing with technical distillation leadership, reflecting the company’s focus on aligning brand strategy with production expertise.

Ashok will oversee operations across the value chain, while continuing to guide the distillery’s approach to product development, maturation, and blending.

Ashok has been associated with Amrut since 2004, when he joined as Territory Manager for European markets. Over the years, he led international sales and marketing, contributing to the global expansion of Indian single malts, before transitioning into technical leadership as Head of Distilling in 2019.

In that role, he assumed responsibility for the company’s premium portfolio, from distillation to bottling, and played a key role in developing expressions such as Amrut Spectrum and Amrut Naarangi.

His experience combines market insight with technical execution, shaped by years of engaging with global consumers, conducting tastings, and participating in international whisky forums. These insights have informed innovations in cask selection, maturation techniques, and flavour development at the distillery.

Commenting on the appointment, Rakshit N Jagdale, Managing Director, said,“Ashok’s elevation is deeply personal and immensely satisfying for me. He embodies the very best of home-grown talent — evolving with the company, challenging conventions and raising the bar for Indian single malt. Beyond technical brilliance, his global mandate makes this appointment special.

He has taken India’s whisky story to the world, absorbed international insights and applied them to strengthen our craft at home. He speaks both the language of our house style and the consumer. Formalizing this role gives me immense pride and joy as we continue building a proudly Indian, globally respected house of excellence.”

Chokalingam added,  “I am deeply grateful to our Chairman & Managing Director, Neelkanth Rao Jagdale, for his trust and belief in me. Amrut has never been a conventional company, and my journey here has been equally unconventional — from sales and international markets to the still house and maturation warehouses.

That freedom to experiment, question norms, and bridge the gap between the market and production has shaped me both as a professional and as a craftsman. Amrut gave me the platform to learn globally and create locally.

I accept this responsibility with humility and determination, committed to honoring our legacy while continuing to push the boundaries of Indian single malt.“