Mexico Distilled, India Powered: Here's how these south icons are redefining the tequila game

In a market overflowing with celebritybacked spirits herersquos one thatrsquos gaining some traction for standing apart What began as a conversation between friends has evolved into a global tequila label distilled in Jalisco Mexico awarded across US cities from New York and Miami to Denver and San Francisco and now preparing for a significant entry into Indiarsquos fasttransforming premium spirits landscapeFor actorentrepreneur Rana Daggubati musician Anirudh Ravichander and entrepreneur Sree Harsha Vadlamudi this is not an endorsement but a meticulously built culturally rooted brand created by founders with distinctly different strengths read cinema music and entrepreneurship but share an appetite for ideas that travelTheir brand Loca Loka means a lsquocrazy worldrsquo Loca means crazy in Spanish and Loka in Sanskrit means world ldquoWhat drew me to Loca Loka wasnrsquot just tequilardquo says Daggubati ldquobut the chance to build a brand that sits squarely where culture craft and curiosity collide and authenticity takes centre stagerdquoL to R Rana Daggubati Sree Harsha Vadlamudi Sujith Reddy Parupati Anirudh Ravichander Annamaneni Vidhatha and Subba Raju PenmatsaThis is not his usual investor role mdash Loca Loka marks the first time he steps in as a cofounder shaping everything from brand narrative to emotional identity His focus is to ensure the brand doesnrsquot land as just another bottle on a bar shelf but as an experience people connect with For Daggubati tequila acts as a cultural remix of Mexicorsquos deep agave heritage Indiarsquos exuberant celebratory spirit and a global youthfulness that feels fresh and borderless ldquoLoca Loka mirrors the way I like to live mdash honest rooted and a little wild around the edges Itrsquos premium but never pretentious mdash exactly my viberdquo he addsWhat excites him most is bringing the brand home it launched first in the US last year to Indian consumers and seeing this launch as an opportunity to reintroduce tequila in India not as a quick shot but as a spirit with depth character and soulVadlamudi the strategist who turns vision into scale with his two decades of experience across hospitality breweries wellness infra and sustainability began working on the brand during lockdown He deepdived into data trends category gaps and global consumption patterns ldquoThe numbers were clearrdquo he says ldquoTequila was on an unstoppable global trajectoryrdquo But the clincher for him was cultural synergy India and Mexico are both vibrant festive expressive and rooted in tradition ldquoLoca Loka represents the joy energy community and beautiful chaos of a world where boundaries blurrdquo says VadlamudiIn Jalisco Mexico distilleries slowroast slowferment and slowdistil agave letting the land mdash its air earth and unhurried rhythmLaunching first in the US mdash one of the most competitive tequila markets in the world mdash was a strategic decision Competing with legacy brands required uncompromising quality 100 per cent blue agave highland cultivation meticulous distillation and obsessively crafted expressions Conducting blind tastings winning awards and soldout batches reaffirmed their choices ldquoWhen you combine craftsmanship clarity and conviction people respondrdquo says VadlamudiFor India he envisions a longterm disciplineled approach thoughtful distribution trade partnerships education and a brand that earns its place rather than chasing noise ldquoIndia is not just another market itrsquos a strategic growth enginerdquo he says ldquoWhat we build here becomes the blueprint for expansion across the regionrdquoThe youngest of the trio Ravichander is the most culturally influential He brings the rhythm vibe and sensory depth to the brand For him it is not a business extension but it is an emotional and creative universeldquoMy journey into Loca Loka began like a soundtrackhellip one spark one instinct and an energy that refuses to sit stillrdquo he says His role is to shape the sensory identity mdash the mood the sonic cues the emotional energy of the brand ldquoGood tequila has a tempo of its ownrdquo he says ldquoand the brand gave me a chance to translate that into a creative universe beyond tasterdquoOne of the brandrsquos most charming stories is its contribution to the production process In Jalisco a western Mexican state fringing the Pacific Ocean often called the cradle of tequila distilleries traditionally play music mdash Bach to boleros mdash to set the mood during fermentation For Loca Lokarsquos early smallbatch runs the team curated a playlist of Ravichanderrsquos favourite tracks ldquoIt doesnrsquot alter the chemistryrdquo he says ldquobut the energy of the room becomes part of what yoursquore tastingrdquoFor him the brand resonates because it balances heritage with modernity mdash ldquobold without being loud refined without being distantrdquoHis vision for connecting with young India is clear ldquoIndiarsquos young consumers donrsquot just buy products anymore They buy into cultures emotions and momentsrdquoExpect limitededition drops immersive popups crossartist collaborations and experiences that blur the line between nightlife creativity and communityInterestingly the brand arrives at a time of shifting drinker behaviour premiumisation cocktail culture global palates storytellingdriven brands and a young population hungry for quality and experience ldquoWith that you either win or learnhellip You never loserdquo Vadlamudi signs off