Ved Rattan Mohan

1. 🥃 In 1954, Colonel Ved Rattan Mohan launched Old Monk, a vatted Indian dark rum aged 7 years in oak vats, inspired by European Benedictine monks and aimed to rival the Hercules rum favored by the armed forces. 2. After inheriting Mohan Meakin in 1969 following his father Narendra Nath Mohan's death, Ved Rattan Mohan expanded the company by adding three distilleries and two breweries, diversifying into breakfast foods, juices, glass manufacturing, vinegars, and cold storage. 3. 🌆 As mayor of Lucknow for two terms and a Rajya Sabha member, Ved Rattan Mohan bridged business with politics, drawing support from elder statesman Nirmal Chandra Chaturvedi to initiate civic projects. 4. Under his leadership, Mohan Meakin introduced two popular liquor brands—Solan No. 1 and Golden Eagle—alongside Old Monk, solidifying the company's footprint in India's liquor market during the post-independence era. 5. 🏅 Ved Rattan Mohan received the Padma Shri in 1967 and the Padma Bhushan in 1971, rare civilian honors acknowledging his industrial and civic contributions before his untimely death at age 45 in 1973. 6. 🎉 Known for lavish parties mixing Bollywood stars and politicians, Ved Rattan Mohan was a flamboyant figure yet had little time to shape Mohan Meakin’s future before his sudden death curtailed his plans. 7. ❓ How did Ved Rattan Mohan’s brief but bold tenure transform Mohan Meakin’s identity from a colonial legacy company into a diversified Indian conglomerate with lasting cultural icons like Old Monk?