Opening new career pathways for underrepresented young adults, Bacardi’s Shake Your Future programme has equipped 57 aspiring professionals with hospitality skills in India in 2026
Family-owned Bacardi continues to support the next generation of hospitality talent in India through its Shake Your Future initiative, which recently completed its fourth cohort of 2026 in Kolkata. With the latest batch graduating, the programme has trained 57 aspiring hospitality professionals this year, helping unemployed and underrepresented young adults develop the skills and industry connections needed to pursue careers in bartending and mixology.
Introduced in India in 2024, Shake Your Future forms part of Bacardi’s Good Spirited programme, which reflects the company’s commitment to supporting people and the planet.
Building Skills, Creating Opportunities
Organised in partnership with Bar Kala Academy, the initiative offers ten days of immersive training covering beverage fundamentals, mixology and flair bartending. Participants also develop complementary professional skills, including personal branding, social media and communication, alongside insights into the hospitality business. The classroom experience is followed by three weeks of on-the-job industry exposure, with Bacardi connecting graduates to potential employment opportunities through its hospitality network.
“India’s hospitality industry is growing rapidly, creating new opportunities for talented people to build rewarding careers,” said Radhika Tomar, HR Director India (INDSEA) & SEA, Bacardi. “Through Shake Your Future, we’re helping aspiring hospitality professionals develop the skills, confidence and industry connections needed to succeed, while supporting a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline for the industry. Investing in people has always been central to our culture and creating opportunities for the next generation is one of the ways we bring Good Spirited to life.”
From Aspiring Bartenders to Industry Professionals
Since its launch in India, Shake Your Future has helped participants from diverse backgrounds establish careers at leading bars and restaurants, both domestically and internationally. Several graduates have already made their mark in the industry.
Among them is Deepika Shukla, now a bartender at Japonico, Gurugram, who has represented India internationally following success at national bartending competitions. Rupali Gaddoo has built her career in Dubai after winning Grey Goose House of Change India, while Pallabi Nath currently leads the bar programme at Sidecar, one of India’s acclaimed cocktail bars.
“Over the years, Shake Your Future has become much more than a training programme,” said Pearl Fernandes, Head of Advocacy, India, Bacardi. “It has become a launchpad for hospitality careers. Seeing graduates build successful careers across leading bars and restaurants, both in India and internationally, demonstrates the long-term value and impact of the program. As we look ahead, we’re particularly excited to launch our next dedicated all-women cohort in Delhi early next year, helping create more opportunities for women to build successful careers within the hospitality industry.”
The upcoming all-women cohort, scheduled for Delhi in early 2027, will further extend the programme’s reach as Bacardi continues its efforts to develop hospitality talent and create more inclusive career pathways within the industry.
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