Stories

Thu, 11 Jun 2026

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 India's 'blue gold' starts a new drinks industry

Agave plants grow wild in India and new distillers are using them to create a spirits industry.
The farm is owned by Nazareth, who believes that India could become a major agave economy with millions of acres suitable for cultivation. Indian producers face challenges in standardizing production due to genetic inconsistencies in wild agave plants. In contrast, Mexico's large agave farms use advanced technologies such as drones and AI systems to monitor crops. Nazareth plans to establish a plant for processing agave hearts, which would help increase India's domestic industry. Agricultural expert Braganza notes that the wild agave plant is good at propagating itself, producing multiple mini-clone plants that can naturally form large colonies over time. Indian entrepreneur Sree Harsha Vadlamudi co-founded tequila brand Loca Loka, which uses Mexican blue agave from Jalisco. He believes that India's informal system and lack of investment in hi-tech farming techniques make it difficult to rival Mexico's tequila industry.
* A study suggests that wild agave plants are not ideal for producing consistent yields due to genetic inconsistencies. Braganza notes that one plant can produce dozens of mini-clones, which grow into independent plants and form large colonies over time. Loca Loka uses Mexican blue agave from Jalisco, where the unique terroir imparts a distinct flavor profile to the agave. Vadlamudi believes that India's domestic industry is still in its infancy and will take time to develop.