For more than three decades, INOXCVA has stood at the intersection of engineering precision, industrial innovation, and national service. The company’s legacy spans far beyond the cryogenic tanks it is known for - it extends into space exploration, clean-energy transitions, healthcare lifelines, and now, increasingly, into the global beverage-packaging ecosystem as well.
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Amid this vast spectrum of capabilities, one product category is emerging as a dynamic growth frontier, stainless-steel beverage kegs. Manufactured at the company’s Savli plant in Gujarat, the keg line has already secured approvals from global giants such as Heineken and AB InBev, signalling both quality and ambition. By applying the same precision, material science expertise, and global compliance frameworks used in cryogenic manufacturing, INOXCVA is positioning itself as a serious contender in the international keg market, a category ripe for disruption, especially as sustainability becomes central to beverage operations.
Leading this evolution is CEO Deepak Acharya, whose leadership blends legacy stewardship with forward-looking strategy. In this exclusive conversation, he speaks about the company’s journey, the transformation of Indian engineering, the fast-growing keg business, and what the next decade holds for INOXCVA.
Q1. Your organisation has been part of India’s industrial growth story for decades. When you look at the broader engineering and manufacturing landscape today, how do you feel the industry has evolved compared to when you first entered it?
When I look back, the industry I walked into and the industry I lead in today feel like two entirely different environments. Two decades ago, Indian engineering was often considered an extension of global supply chains, supportive, not strategic. Today, we’ve reached a point where world-class, globally certified cryogenic and stainless-steel systems can be designed, engineered and manufactured entirely in India.
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That evolution was reinforced during COVID-19, when Indian manufacturing stepped up in unprecedented ways. For INOXCVA, it meant rapidly supplying oxygen tanks, ISO containers and cryogenic equipment under severe pressure, proof that Indian engineering is globally competitive even during crises. The ecosystem has matured, expectations are sophisticated, and the opportunities are far more global than when we started.
Q2. What initially drew you to this industry? Was it a technology, a mentor, or the sheer impact of engineering across sectors like energy, healthcare and beverages?
What drew me in was the immense real-world impact. Cryogenic engineering influences everything, from the oxygen hospitals rely on, to the LNG that powers cleaner energy, to the kegs that safeguard beverage quality. That cross-sector relevance fascinated me because the work is technical but deeply human in its outcomes.
During the pandemic, that purpose became even clearer. We weren’t just building tanks; we were enabling life-saving oxygen delivery across India. And similarly, when we entered the keg segment, I saw that we could bring the same discipline and reliability into the beverage world, a sector that values precision as much as healthcare and energy do.
Q3. INOXCVA carries a strong legacy in cryogenic engineering and manufacturing. How do you personally connect with this legacy, especially as you steer new businesses like kegs?
INOXCVA’s legacy is built on precision, reliability, and courage, the willingness to take on challenges other manufacturers would avoid. Long before ‘Make in India’ became a movement, INOXCVA was exporting complex cryogenic systems to more than 100 countries. That legacy gives us both confidence and responsibility.
Expanding into kegs is not a departure from our DNA; it’s a continuation of it. The same weld integrity, hygiene expertise and stainless-steel handling that define our cryogenic tanks translate perfectly into premium beverage kegs. My job is to uphold that legacy while opening new chapters that keep us relevant and future-ready.
Q4. What major shifts or trends have surprised you the most in recent years, especially in relation to the beverage-packaging and keg industry?
The biggest shift is how quickly sustainability has moved from aspiration to obligation. The beverage industry, in particular, is adopting returnable stainless-steel kegs to reduce plastic waste and improve lifecycle economics.
Another trend is the globalisation of supply chains. Major breweries now look to India not just for cost efficiency, but for quality and reliability. And of course, the growing craft beer and RTD culture has created a surge in demand for specialised keg formats, something we are strongly positioned to serve.
Q5. With energy costs rising, breweries are rethinking their cooling systems. How can cryogenic-influenced solutions support brewing efficiency and the keg ecosystem?
Breweries operate within tight thermal tolerances, and cryogenic technologies, whether LN₂, CO₂ or nitrogen inerting, can significantly improve temperature stability during wort cooling and fermentation. They help reduce load on mechanical chillers, optimise energy use and maintain product consistency.
On the keg side, our engineering ensures that every keg we produce preserves that quality throughout distribution. Our kegs maintain carbonation, prevent contamination and withstand repeated logistics cycles. So while the cooling system protects the beer during production, the keg protects it from the brewery to the taproom.
Q6. The beverage-grade keg market demands hygiene, traceability and durability. How does INOXCVA ensure global-grade quality and what benchmarks should breweries adopt?
We’ve brought an industrial-grade discipline to keg manufacturing. Our kegs are produced using high-grade 304/316 stainless steel, undergo 100% leak-testing and are processed through stringent pickling and passivation for hygiene. We adhere to global food-safety certifications such as FSSC 22000, positioning us at the same level as leading international suppliers.
For breweries, I believe global benchmarks like EIGA, ISBT and NSF certifications should be standard practice. Kegs are not containers, they are part of a quality-assurance system. The right keg protects flavour, carbonation, colour stability and brand credibility.
Q7. INOXCVA recently secured approvals from Heineken and AB InBev for your keg manufacturing. How significant is this for your global expansion?
It is a truly defining milestone. These approvals are not just quality endorsements; they are gateways to the global beverage ecosystem. When two of the world’s largest brewers validate your kegs, it signals to the entire industry that INOXCVA is now part of the premium global supplier base.
This validation directly supports our expansion into Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. It also pushes us to innovate further, introducing RFID-enabled kegs, lightweight designs, customised branding, and solutions for emerging beverage categories like craft beer and RTDs.
Q8. With export revenue exceeding 50% in several quarters, how do you maintain financial resilience while scaling internationally?
Financial resilience for us comes from balancing high-value cryogenic projects with high-volume products like kegs. Exports offer strong margins, but they also require stringent certification, long planning cycles and reliable logistics. Our spread across multiple industries, from hydrogen to beverages, helps us stay resilient. That discipline continues today, we invest in automation, maintain efficient capacity utilisation and ensure that our capex supports long-term rather than short-term growth.
Q9. What drives your expansion into product families like kegs, small-format tanks and LH₂ systems? How do you see the keg business fitting into your long-term vision?
Each of these expansions is rooted in market logic. Kegs and small-format tanks bring us into fast-growing, high-turnover categories. Hydrogen and LH₂ systems future-proof us against the global energy transition. Together, they create a diversified, balanced portfolio.
The keg business, specifically, allows us to engage the beverage industry in a meaningful way, a sector that values branding, consistency and sustainability. For us, kegs are not an accessory product; they are a long-term growth engine. They open doors to new geographies, new customer segments and a steady recurring demand cycle.
Q10. If you had to sum up INOXCVA’s brand promise today, especially with the addition of kegs, what would it be?
Our brand promise is simple: ‘Engineered in India. Trusted globally.’ Whether it’s a liquid hydrogen tank supporting clean mobility or a stainless-steel keg protecting a craft beer’s freshness, our commitment remains the same, reliability, safety and durability.
In the keg business especially, we want our partners to know they are not buying a container; they are investing in a product designed to safeguard their flavour & freshness, their brand and their consumer promise. That is the value INOXCVA brings.
As our conversation with Deepak Acharya draws to a close, one thing becomes unmistakably clear: INOXCVA today is not merely a manufacturing company, it is an engineering institution built on precision, resilience and a willingness to take on challenges that shape industries. Its journey spans some of India’s most crucial technological milestones: from supporting ISRO through advanced cryogenic systems essential to launch-vehicle success, to ensuring uninterrupted oxygen supply during the COVID-19 crisis when the country needed oxygen storage and transport infrastructure more than ever. These moments do not just reflect capability; they reflect character.
Against that backdrop of heavy-engineering excellence, the company’s foray into stainless-steel beverage kegs may seem like a surprising pivot, but Acharya makes it clear that it is a strategic extension, not a deviation. The same discipline that built liquid-hydrogen tanks for Europe and LNG systems for global energy clients is now building kegs trusted by Heineken and AB InBev. The same precision welding that enables space-grade cryogenics now ensures food-grade hygiene for breweries. And the same global mindset that helped INOXCVA enter over 100 countries is now powering its ambition to become a significant player in the global beverage-packaging ecosystem.
What stands out most is the company’s ability to evolve while staying anchored to its ethos. INOXCVA’s pandemic response showcased its humanity. Its expansion into kegs showcases its agility. Its international hydrogen and LNG projects reveal its long-term vision. And Acharya’s own leadership shows a rare blend of humility and strategic clarity, rooted in legacy, but firmly pointed toward the next decade of global engineering.
The keg business, as he emphasises, is not just another product line; it is a doorway to a fast-moving, consumer-driven segment where Indian manufacturing can finally compete at the highest levels. With global approvals secured, capacity expanding and innovation accelerating, the business stands on the cusp of becoming one of INOXCVA’s defining growth engines.
If the past two decades were about building competence, the next decade will be about building categories. From cryogenic tanks to beverage kegs, from national health infrastructure to global space programmes, INOXCVA is positioning itself not just to participate in the future, but to help shape it.
