Why India’s Bars Are Shutting Down and Why Gen Z Drinks Less? Madira Vogue Explores the Changing Face of Consumer Culture
In the latest episode of Madira Vogue's podcast, entrepreneur Sanket Shrikanth shares insights on India's startup ecosystem, hospitality industry, changing consumer behavior, and why Gen Z is redefining nightlife culture.
In the first episode of Getting Drunk with Madira Vogue Season 3, hosted by Priyanka Arora, Scandalous Foods founder Sanket Shrikanth shared some very uncomfortable but important insights about India's startup ecosystem, hospitality industry, consumer behaviour and the future of Indian sweet brands.
From building a scalable mithai business to decoding why modern bars struggle to survive, the conversation moved far beyond desserts and fundraising into a larger commentary on modern Indian consumption culture.
India Didn’t Need More Sweet Shops - One of the sharpest moments from the podcast came early in the conversation when Sanket explained the thinking behind Scandalous Foods. India needed more sweet shops, but the restaurant industry didn’t need one more mithai shop. It needed a mithai operating partner.
Rather than opening another traditional sweet store, Scandalous Foods identified a much larger opportunity solving distribution, shelf-life, packaging, and accessibility challenges for Indian desserts in the restaurant ecosystem.
The startup’s approach is simple but disruptive: making traditional milk-based Indian mithai available in convenient single-serve formats with longer shelf life for restaurants, cafés, and hospitality businesses.
The Problem with India’s Startup Obsession -The conversation also touched upon India’s growing startup culture and the glamorization of fundraising. Sanket pointed out how media narratives today often celebrate valuation headlines more than sustainable businesses. 364 days are grind. One day is fundraising.
He further added: Fundraising is a means to an end, not the end. The founder stressed that many young entrepreneurs today begin businesses chasing visibility, exits, and investor attention rather than solving real consumer problems. According to him, the discipline required after raising money is often underestimated.
Why Most Cocktail Bars Fail In India - One of the most relatable segments of the podcast explored the nightlife and hospitality industry.
As bars and restaurants continue opening and shutting rapidly across metro cities, Sanket shared a powerful insight into why many hospitality concepts fail despite heavy investments in aesthetics and social media marketing. “Indians talk about newness, but consume familiarity.”
He explained that while consumers may enjoy experimental experiences online, their actual ordering behavior remains deeply rooted in comfort and familiarity.
From whiskey sours and old fashioneds to classic finger foods, consumers repeatedly return to known flavors and formats.
According to him, many bars today focus excessively on becoming “Instagrammable” instead of understanding customer psychology and repeat consumption patterns.
Bars are becoming studios for Instagram. The discussion also highlighted how hospitality businesses sometimes confuse virality with loyalty, resulting in expensive concepts that fail to build long-term customer retention.
Why Gen Z Drinks Less - The podcast also explored changing drinking patterns among younger audiences. According to Sanket, Gen Z’s relationship with nightlife and alcohol differs significantly from millennials. While millennials associated bars and drinking with socializing and experiences, Gen Z often approaches nightlife through the lens of digital identity and social media performance. People are going out for Instagram, not for conversations anymore.
He suggested that overexposure to social media and changing wellness trends are influencing consumption habits, while performative behavior increasingly shapes nightlife experiences.
Beyond An Alcohol Podcast
What makes Getting Drunk with Madira Vogue stand out is its ability to move beyond surface-level conversations around alcohol and nightlife.
About Madira Vogue
Madira Vogue is a digital lifestyle and culture platform focused on conversations around hospitality, nightlife, food, luxury, entrepreneurship, and evolving consumer trends. Founded by Priyanka Arora, the platform brings together entrepreneurs, creators, industry leaders, and innovators through podcasts, interviews, and exclusive conversations exploring modern lifestyle and hospitality culture in India.
Shivam Madaan
Shivam Madaan is an Indian digital media entrepreneur and journalist from Punjab, India. He is the founder of multiple digital media ventures under Bytes Internet Media Network, including Hindustan Metro, Filmi Bytes, and NewsWaala. Known for his digital-first vision and media innovation, Shivam Madaan has worked towards building modern online news and entertainment platforms focused on fast, engaging, and accessible journalism.
