Know how Manu Sharma aka Siddhartha Sharma planned his upcoming big project with the Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL) with the company being the owner of the award winning Indian whiskey Indri
A notorious Indian murderer, Manu Sharma, who gained infamy for shooting a celebrity barmaid, Jessica Lal, over a drink refusal, is now reportedly seeking to make a fortune in the Scotch whisky industry. Reports suggested that Sharma, the wealthy son of a powerful politician, is involved in a major whisky development project in Scotland. Sharma was sentenced to life for the tragic murder of model Jessica Lal at a high-profile party in 1999.
Who is Manu Sharma aka Siddhartha Sharma founder of Piccadily Agro Industries Limited which is the owner of Indian Indri Whiskey and what is his net worth
On 22 April 2015, Sharma married his friend Preity Sharma a Mumbai based model but the marriage was delayed due to conviction.
Piccadily Distilleries was founded in 1953, before formally registering in 1967. Located in the Indri region, four hours outside Delhi, the sugar mill and distillery were purchased by the Sharma family in 1994, and since then they have continued to refine and evolve their offerings.
Siddhartha Sharma is the owner, founder and promoter of Piccadily Agro Industries Ltd and the distillery and in September 2024, PAIL raised ₹262 crore through a preferential allotment from investors, with an additional ₹50 crore invested by the company’s promoters.
Manu Sharma, born Siddharth Vashishth, now goes by Siddharatha Sharma and is the promoter of Piccadily Agro/Distelleries, after he was released in 2020 for “good behaviour”.
Piccadily own brands like Indri (whiskey) and Camikara (rum)… both of which I refuse to indulge with. pic.twitter.com/WZvljKs6S9
— Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) January 10, 2025
The case shocked India, and Sharma was only brought to justice after a seven-year manhunt, fueled by mass public outcry and significant social media activism. Today, Sharma is reportedly making strides in Scotland’s lucrative whisky market, as part of a new distillery project in Argyll and Bute. The HMRC has approved a license for Portavadie Distillers and Blenders to establish a state-of-the-art distillery at the site of Polphail, a ghost village originally built for oil workers but never inhabited.
What is the objective of Manu Sharma and PAIL?
An investigation by The Sunday Post has revealed that Sharma’s family-owned company, Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL), has made a substantial investment in the Portavadie project, reportedly worth around £15 million. Manu Sharma, who now goes by Siddharth Sharma, is a major shareholder in PAIL and a key player in the company’s global expansion into the whisky industry.
Manu Sharma (born 1977), born Siddharth Vashisht and now known as Siddharth Sharma was convicted in 2006 to serve life imprisonment for the 1999 murder of Jessica Lal. He was released in June 2020 on grounds of good behaviour and is the son of the former Indian National Congress leader, Venod Sharma, and the brother of media baron, Kartikeya Sharma.
Did you know? Manu Sharma – Jessica Lal’s killer – owns the Major Liquor brands (Indri and CamiKara)
In 1999, Manu Sharma shot Jessica Lal for refusing to serve him a drink in a bar.
A murder that shocked India.
He was initially acquitted of the crime but was re-tried… pic.twitter.com/siiXRvNheF
— Ankit Uttam (@ankituttam) January 10, 2025
Piccadily, originally known for its sugar manufacturing, is a prominent producer of popular Indian whiskies, including the award-winning Indri. The conglomerate also has interests in hotels, print, digital, and television media. Under his new name, Sharma is recognized as the founder of Piccadily Distilleries, the largest independent manufacturer and seller of malt spirits in India.
Despite his criminal past, Sharma’s ambition to open a distillery in Scotland has come to fruition. He has long expressed his dream of establishing a global presence for Indian whisky, and the Portavadie project is presented as part of this vision. Promotional materials suggest that the distillery aims to reshape the perception of Indian alcoholic beverages worldwide.
However, Sharma’s involvement has raised concerns within the local whisky community. Several producers and industry figures have expressed their unease about his past and called for a thorough investigation into the sources of funding and the nature of the businesses backing the project. Members of the Scottish Parliament have also voiced concerns, urging the HMRC to scrutinize the project carefully.
A posh house in Chandigarh’s Sector 9 is the official residence of Manu Sharma’s father, Venod Sharma and others assets, worth between Rs.1,000-2,000 crores, include four hotels, a cinema, and three sugar mills.
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