French spirits maker Pernod Ricard has seen at least 200 exits over the past two years, reducing its total headcount in India to 1,400 as part of a major operational restructuring. The company has asked at least 50 mid-to-senior management employees to leave between January and July 2026, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, with another 20 to 30 expected to exit between December 2026 and March 2027. These cuts affect senior executives across several departments, including the heads of operations, marketing, human resources (HR), and supply chain.
The latest exits exclude roughly 100 employees who transferred to Tilaknagar Industries following its ₹4,150 crore acquisition of Imperial Blue, Pernod Ricard’s affordable Indian blended whisky brand, in December last year.
Additionally, about 50 of 100 employees left or were asked to resign in 2025 over an internal scandal dubbed ‘liquorgate’, in which staff members were found submitting incomplete or handwritten bills to claim their annual ₹14,000 alcohol allowance, a component of their compensation package.
Senior employees who spoke to Mint said the layoffs are likely linked in part to a global restructuring. Rather than a reaction to weak demand, the job cuts appear aimed at reshaping the business's composition and cost structure, eliminating roles while focusing resources on higher-return categories.
The restructuring comes during a global slowdown for the company. However, India remains a bright spot; it is Pernod’s second-largest market by sales, driven by rapid premiumisation. “We see an accelerated performance, underpinned by dynamic consumer demand, market share gains, further benefiting from the Imperial Blue disposal, which was less dynamic than the more premium segments,” Alexandre Ricard, Pernod Ricard’s chairman and CEO, said on the company’s earnings call last week.
Mint spoke to seven former senior executives, who said the company was forcing people out by assigning poor performance reviews out of the blue, even as the senior leadership suffered nonstop churn. In 2026, about 100 employees were placed on performance-improvement or remediation plans; 50 have since left and some others are on gardening leave, according to the employees Mint spoke to.
Mint could not independently verify the total number of employees on such performance improvement plans and how many left after being put on one.
One former executive said the company had undergone multiple reorganisations, replacing roles with lower-cost hires from the industry. "It appears they are finding various reasons to make people leave. In my case no apparent explanation was offered for the slump in my performance," this executive said.
Several employees alleged they were let go after being placed on performance improvement and remediation plans despite years of solid performance. Mint has seen one such email. "I haven’t received any adverse feedback during my entire time at the company. In 2026, no review exercise took place, which is against mandated global company policies and protocols. Bonuses have been held back, too," one former senior employee said.
Another former executive said, "My job was terminated on grounds of restructuring. On the other hand, the communication on record says clearly I have demonstrated strong performance over the years.” As a result, many departing employees felt forced to accept the severance packages, fearing that outright termination would leave them without relieving letters or experience certificates, this executive added.
A marketing employee said the department had not had performance reviews but around 20 people had left or been asked to leave.
Pernod Ricard’s leadership has seen rapid changes over the past few years. Thibault Cuny served as managing director and CEO from 2019 before he passed away in 2022. He was replaced with French executive Paul-Robert Bouhier in January 2023, but he resigned three months later, citing personal reasons. Jean Touboul, the current CEO, took over in June 2023.
People familiar with the leadership structure said the executive committee's composition had changed only once in about two decades. But several top level executives have left in the past five years, including the chief marketing officer, who quit last year, and the chief communication officer and chief commercial officer, who both quit this year.
Exit arrangements have varied: one employee who left in July 2025 said system access was cut immediately after notification and they had to return company assets during notice. Another senior employee said they stayed on gardening leave while continuing to draw a salary. At least two former employees cited above have considered or initiated legal action over their exits; Mint has seen one legal notice sent to the company alleging unfair termination.
Pernod Ricard's international arm did not respond to Mint’s queries. Pernod Ricard India said the company was committed to India, a serious growth market.
