Rana Dagubatti and two partners invest $10 million in new tequila brand

Sales volition statesman successful the US and the marque volition beryllium launched successful India successful the pursuing 18-24 months, Dagubatti told Mint. "We worked with a bully maestro distiller and started declaration manufacturing but the branding began astir a twelvemonth ago. This is simply a solemnisation drink, and there's a unsocial mode that India celebrates. Telangana, for instance, has a thenar vino called Kallu which is utilized asa celebratory drink. Mexicans besides observe their section spirits, and we wanted to get into this concern due to the fact that determination has been an improvement successful the mode Indians portion tequila," said Dagubatti. He has antecedently partnered with Prasad Vanga from Anthill Ventures, which was an investors successful gin and tonic mixer marque Salud Beverages.

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Vadlamudi owns a twelve breweries crossed the state nether the marque Ironhill India. The institution is betting that tequila's popularity successful India volition turn implicit the adjacent decade. About $5 cardinal are already deployed for accumulation and achromatic labelling, and the remainder volition beryllium spent connected organisation and enlargement until the institution turns profitable successful 2 years, helium said. The adjacent phase, erstwhile the marque comes to India, volition necessitate different tranche of investment, helium added.

India's getting a sensation for tequila

India has conscionable a fistful of brands that merchantability high-quality sipping tequila. Not agelong ago, Diageo launched its Don Julio tequila successful a fewer variants made from agave grown 6,500 feet supra oversea level successful the highlands of Jalisco. 

Others specified arsenic Jose Cuervo and Patrón from Bacardi besides person a beingness here. DesmondJi, an Indian steadfast cultivating agave successful the Deccan plateau, has emerged arsenic a cardinal supplier for companies looking to nutrient agave-based spirits successful India, specified arsenic Maya Pistola Agavepura.

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"When you spell to Goa, for instance, you find truthful galore antithetic types of trade brands. A batch of the new, young drinkers privation to cognize wherever their tequila is made. This is the opening of the tequila manufacture successful India," helium added. The category, albeit small, is increasing successful treble digits successful India, akin to however gin astir hole to six years ago, the founders said. 

It plans to merchantability 2 variants – Blanco, with effect flavours of cooked agave, and Reposado, which volition beryllium aged successful French and American oak barrels and retail for $46-55.

According to a caller report, astir 600 cardinal radical Indians are betwixt the ages of 18 and 35 and 33% of the colonisation is of drinking age. However, India is chiefly a brown-spirits marketplace with immoderate involvement successful vodka and gin. Gin has seen accelerated maturation successful the past fewer years but vodka is inactive the person successful achromatic spirits, with volumes inactive 4 times higher than gin's, particularly successful the system category.

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Vikram Achanta, laminitis and CEO of beverage consultancy Tulleeho said, “With the influx of tequila and agave spirits igniting curiosity crossed India, this tone class is connected a bully maturation trajectory. Consumer involvement successful knowing tequila and its sister spirits Mezcal, Sotol, Raicilla and Bacanora is present higher than ever before."

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Published: 23 Jun 2024, 02:12 PM IST