Bacardi’s Shake Your Future Programme Trains 57 Aspiring Hospitality Professionals in India in 2026

Bacardi’s Shake Your Future India programme has completed its third cohort of 2026, with the latest group finishing its training in Kolkata. The initiative has now trained 57 aspiring hospitality professionals across India this year, providing unemployed and underrepresented young adults with opportunities to develop careers in bartending and mixology.

The programme is part of Bacardi’s Good Spirited initiative, which reflects the company’s stated commitment to supporting people and the planet as part of its long-term business approach.

Ten-Day Bartending and Hospitality Training Programme

Bacardi organised the latest cohort in partnership with Bar Kala Academy. Participants completed an intensive ten-day training programme covering essential bartending skills and broader professional development.

The curriculum included:

• Beverage fundamentals and mixology.
• Flairing techniques.
• Personal branding and social media.
• Communication skills.
• Industry insights and professional development.

Following the classroom training, participants received three weeks of on-the-job industry exposure. Bacardi also connected graduates with potential employment opportunities through its network of hospitality industry contacts.

The programme aims to equip participants with practical skills and industry connections that can help them enter the hospitality sector.

Bacardi Highlights Growing Hospitality Career Opportunities in India

Commenting on the programme’s latest milestone, Radhika Tomar, HR Director (INDSEA) at Bacardi, highlighted the opportunities emerging from India’s expanding hospitality industry.

“India’s hospitality industry is growing rapidly, creating new opportunities for talented people to build rewarding careers,” said Tomar.

She added that Shake Your Future seeks to give aspiring professionals the skills, confidence and industry connections required to succeed. According to Tomar, the initiative also contributes to developing a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline for the hospitality sector.

She further emphasised that investing in people remains central to Bacardi’s organisational culture and that creating opportunities for emerging talent is one way the company puts its Good Spirited philosophy into practice.

Shake Your Future India Alumni Build Careers in India and Overseas

Since its introduction in India in 2024, the Shake Your Future programme has supported aspiring hospitality professionals from diverse backgrounds. Several graduates have subsequently secured positions at established bars and restaurants in India and international markets.

Bacardi highlighted three alumni whose careers illustrate the opportunities that have emerged from the initiative:

• Deepika Shukla: Now a bartender at Japonico in Gurugram, Shukla has represented India internationally after achieving success in national bartending competitions.
• Rupali Gaddoo: She has developed her professional career in Dubai after winning Grey Goose House of Change India.
• Pallabi Nath: She currently heads the bar programme at Sidecar, one of India’s most acclaimed cocktail bars.

These examples demonstrate how the programme’s training and industry connections can help participants pursue opportunities across the hospitality sector.

Bacardi Plans Dedicated All-Women Cohort in Delhi in 2027

Bacardi sees Shake Your Future as more than a technical training initiative, positioning it as a platform for developing long-term hospitality careers.

Pearl Fernandes, Head of Advocacy, India, at Bacardi, said the programme had evolved into a launchpad for aspiring professionals. She pointed to the achievements of graduates working at leading bars and restaurants in India and overseas as evidence of its long-term value.

Fernandes also announced plans to introduce a dedicated all-women cohort in Delhi early next year, referring to 2027.

The proposed cohort is intended to expand opportunities for women seeking careers in hospitality and contribute to greater representation within the industry.

With 57 participants trained in India during 2026 and another specialised cohort planned for next year, Bacardi intends to continue using Shake Your Future to develop emerging talent for the country’s hospitality sector.