How DevRaj Patel Turned Cultural Craving Into a Disruptive Beverage Brand

When DevRaj Patel couldn’t find a drink that truly reflected his cultural roots, he decided to build one. Blending Ayurvedic inspiration with modern mixology, he launched Jivati—a premium Indian-inspired RTD cocktail brand rooted in identity and intention. In this Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight, DevRaj shares how he moved from idea to execution by trusting his gut, defying the retail playbook, and proving that success follows clarity, not just culture. His journey is a masterclass in building with purpose—and in turning a personal void into a brand that resonates across weddings, events, and living rooms nationwide.

Hi, DevRaj Patel! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

Jivati started because I couldn’t find anything in the beverage aisle that felt like home to me. Indian food has been global for decades, but when it came to drinks, there was nothing for us. So I built what I was missing. It took me months to even find the right name. It couldn’t just sound trendy; it had to mean something. Jivati comes from Sanskrit, meaning “to live,” and it’s inspired by Ayurveda, India’s art of living well.

That mix of culture and intention is the heart of the brand. But it wasn’t as simple as putting flavors together. What works in India doesn’t always work here, so I had to gut-check everything: the formulation, the packaging, even the language. It all had to feel real to our roots, but also make sense for how we live today.

That’s how Jivati became a premium Indian-inspired RTD cocktail brand. It’s not just another drink; it’s about building something with cultural roots, better ingredients, and a story people actually connect with.

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

For me, the shift wasn’t when I came up with the idea; it was when I proved to myself I could actually build it. That’s the real challenge: not just to build from culture, but to build with clarity. Every founder wants to go global. But if you skip the soul, you won’t get far. Eventually, I had enough to start. I was ready, so I put the plan into motion. As things progressed, I launched a premium Indian-inspired RTD cocktail brand. The category was taking off, the timing was perfect… and I finally understood that I’d found my blue ocean, and that the riches are in the niches. That’s how Jivati started and finally made it into the market. The journey’s been wild… and honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

Honestly, it came down to not wanting to wait for permission. I could’ve kept sitting on the idea, waiting until everything felt “ready,” but nothing ever really is. What pushed me forward was this thought: If I don’t build this, who will, and who will build it the way it should be built, not just as another product or for bragging rights?

At the personal level, I wanted to create something that outlives me. Jivati isn’t just a brand, it’s a piece of my identity. I wanted our community to be able to point to it and say, “That’s ours.” And for everyone else, I hope it’s something they can feel connected to, beyond the buzz. That bigger “why” is what gave me the courage to move, even when the timing and resources didn’t feel perfect.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

For us, the real game-changer wasn’t flashy software; it was getting our website compliant so we could ship direct-to-consumer. Most beverage startups rely 100% on retail, but retail is brutal if you can’t prove pull-through. By updating the backend of our site to handle compliance in all the right states, we opened up distribution to 47 states almost overnight.

That move let us reach our target audience no matter where they lived, and the data gave me proof that Jivati had demand far beyond my local market. It created traction I could show investors, and it gave consumers a way to connect with the brand directly, whether they discovered us online, at a cultural event, or even at a wedding.

It wasn’t the standard playbook move, but it’s the one that gave us momentum.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

One of my biggest early mistakes was spending ahead of validation. I thought hiring influencers and creating polished brand videos would give us instant traction. On paper, everything looked right: big followings, clean engagement numbers, slick content. But the reality didn’t match. The output felt off, the ROI wasn’t there, and it taught me a painful but important lesson: branding doesn’t lead, it follows.

That failure forced me to pivot. Instead of pouring money into strategies that looked good on paper, I started testing small, validating first, and only spending once I knew something worked. That shift completely changed how I run the business.

Now, every decision gets stress-tested. I don’t chase what worked for someone else; I ask whether it truly fits where the brand is today. That mindset has saved me from burning more cash and given me a much clearer path to real traction.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

Instead of chasing retail placements like most beverage startups, I flipped the script. I made our website fully compliant so we could ship direct-to-consumer in 48 states.

It wasn’t part of the standard playbook, but it let me reach my target audience wherever they were and collect real data on sales, repeat orders, and feedback. So far, we’ve seen repeat purchases coming in from 20 different states, real proof that the demand is there well beyond our local market.

It also created a ripple effect. Once people started buying online, they began bringing Jivati to weddings, cultural events, and home parties. That kind of word-of-mouth validation turned out to be stronger than any influencer campaign I could’ve paid for.

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

Instead of chasing retail placements like most beverage startups, I flipped the script. I made our website fully compliant so we could ship direct-to-consumer in 48 states.

It wasn’t part of the standard playbook, but it let me reach my target audience wherever they were and collect real data on sales, repeat orders, and feedback. So far, we’ve seen repeat purchases coming in from 20 different states, real proof that the demand is there well beyond our local market.

It also created a ripple effect. Once people started buying online, they began bringing Jivati to weddings, cultural events, and home parties. That kind of word-of-mouth validation turned out to be stronger than any influencer campaign I could’ve paid for.

Want to dive deeper into DevRaj's work? Check out the links below!

• Visit Jivati's website: jivati.com
• Connect with DevRaj Patel on LinkedIn: DevRaj Patel
• Follow Jivati on Instagram: @jivatidrinks
• Find DevRaj Patel on X: @dpelev8
• Subscribe to The Weekly D-Brief: theweeklydbrief.beehiiv.com