Neelakanta Rao Jagdale, the chairman and managing director of Amrut Distilleries, died early Thursday morning after a brief illness.

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The 66-year-old whisky connoisseur breathed his last at Bengaluru’s HCG hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

Amrut Distilleries is known for its eponymous brand of single malt whisky, which is the first single malt whisky to be made in India.

The distillery received global recognition nine years ago when Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky was ranked the third finest whisky in the world by Jim Murray, a well-known whisky critic, in his Whisky Bible, according to The Economic Times.

Apart from his business interests, Jagdale was keen on promoting swimming among youth and established the Basavanagudi Acquatic Centre (BAC), where served as the president.

Jagdale visited schools to promote swimming among students and help them realise their potential with extensive training at the BAC.

Several swimmers emerged from the BAC pools and made waves in national competitions, including Nisha Millet and Rehan Poncha, who went on to represent India at the Olympics.

First Published:May 9, 2019 12:54 PM IST