Loca Loka — co-founded by Harsha Vadlamudi, Rana Daggubati and Anirudh Ravichander — has debuted in India with its Blanco and Reposado tequilas distilled in Jalisco, Mexico. The launch spans curated tasting events and immersive parties, with initial availability across major metros and duty-free retail supported by premium trade partnerships through 2026.
Loca Loka, the tequila brand co-founded by entrepreneur Harsha Vadlamudi, actor Rana Daggubati and music composer Anirudh Ravichander, has officially arrived in India after making its international debut across the US and Southeast Asia in late 2024. The launch marks a new entry in India’s growing premium spirits landscape, reflecting a shift in consumer curiosity and appetite for agave-based liquors—once viewed as niche, but now increasingly prized for craftsmanship, provenance and cocktail versatility. For Loca Loka, the expansion is not just about bringing tequila to India, but presenting it in a way that blends Mexican legacy with contemporary Indian culture.
Imagined in India and distilled in Mexico, the brand has entered the domestic market with two expressions—Blanco and Reposado—produced in Jalisco under the expertise of third-generation distiller Willy Bañuelos Ramírez. The founders emphasise that authenticity remains non-negotiable: the agave is sourced sustainably, the production follows traditional distillation and maturation processes, and the liquid is matured with intent rather than speed. The team describes Loca Loka as a product where global sensibilities meet local identity, positioning tequila not just as a party drink but as a refined spirit worthy of slow sipping and culinary pairing.
To mark the India debut, the brand hosted a series of exclusive tasting events designed to introduce consumers to the nuances of agave, terroir and barrel ageing. The first events featured curated serves, with mixologists showcasing cocktails that highlighted the Blanco’s crisp, bright character and the Reposado’s deeper, oak-influenced complexity. The celebrations moved beyond traditional launches, extending into a sit-down dinner in Delhi and an immersive party in Mumbai that brought together technologists, mixologists and visual-experience designers. The design of the Mumbai event was particularly deliberate—sound, lighting and interactive installations were choreographed to mirror the brand’s identity: energetic, playful and bold.
Speaking about the launch and roadmap, Harsha Vadlamudi, Co-founder and CEO, framed Loca Loka as a business grounded in precision. “Loca Loka is a business built on craft and clarity that ranges from sustainable agave sourcing to barrel strategy and global placement. India is a market that’s shifting to premium, and our rollout is designed to meet that shift with measured distribution and trade partnerships that respect the category,” he said. Vadlamudi noted that the goal is not rapid proliferation but thoughtful expansion that aligns with the evolving taste maturity of Indian drinkers.
Rana Daggubati, who has been closely involved in shaping the brand’s creative expression, described Loca Loka through the lens of storytelling rather than just beverage production. “Storytelling is the spine of this brand because it’s not just a bottle, it’s a cultural remix. Loca Loka lets us celebrate two worlds at once: Mexico’s terroir and India’s colour and rhythm. The launch will be a narrative in motion,” he said, suggesting that the brand will keep building experiences that fuse music, culture, nightlife and design rather than restricting itself to conventional marketing.
Anirudh Ravichander described the product from the perspective of the craft. “The first sip tells you what careful distillation and intelligent maturation can do. Our Blanco and Reposado are crafted to deliver clear agave expression with layered subtleties making them bottles that perform both on the rocks and in signature cocktails,” he said. In a playful aside, he added that music shaped production in an unexpected way: “The yeasts actually ferment better with music. This time, they worked to a playlist of my own tracks. Let’s just say the tasting notes might hit a few unexpected high notes.”
The founders’ combined perspectives — Harsha’s disciplined, product-first strategy, Rana’s cultural storytelling lens and Anirudh’s artistic interpretation — reflect why the brand has resonated internationally before even touching Indian shelves. Positioned around craft, creativity and cultural fusion, Loca Loka seeks to offer a distinct alternative in a market historically limited to mainstream tequila brands and dominated by whisky, gin and vodka. India’s rising exposure to cocktail culture and the growth of premium bars in metros have also created favourable market conditions for agave spirits.
Loca Loka will first be available across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, as well as through duty-free stores at major airports. The phased rollout reflects a focus on establishing strong presence in markets with high consumption of premium and craft-driven spirits. Distribution will prioritise B2B partnerships with premium bars, hotels and fine-dining restaurants—spaces where tequila is gaining popularity in signature cocktails and sipping menus. The brand will supplement this presence with a calendar of curated tastings and city activations through 2026, building familiarity with bartenders, mixologists and connoisseurs who shape consumer discovery in the category.
The deliberate pacing of the launch mirrors broader shifts in the Indian beverage landscape. While tequila’s growth in India is still in early stages, demand for agave spirits has been steadily rising among urban consumers. The segment benefits from exposure to international travel, global cocktail trends and the rise of hospitality-driven nightlife experiences. Loca Loka is entering at a moment when education, tastings and experiential marketing may matter more than mass advertising. The founders acknowledge that market development is as much about building knowledge as building availability — teaching consumers when to sip tequila, when to mix it, and how to appreciate its flavour the way whisky and wine have long been understood.
The India launch also signals how new-age F&B brands are expanding beyond the liquid itself. Visual identity, music direction, event curation, graphic design, community-driven pop-ups and experiential technology now play a role in building what a modern alcohol brand represents. If the early international reception is any indication — where Loca Loka found placement in bars across New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and Bangkok — storytelling has become a differentiator as much as flavour.
For the founders, India is more than a homecoming — it is a proving ground. Entering a landscape where competition is rising but category awareness is still developing allows the brand to shape the narrative early. The measured rollout gives them room to build momentum without rushing the product into oversaturation. Their goal is clear: to introduce tequila to a wider spectrum of Indian consumers in a way that feels aspirational, culturally resonant and rooted in craft.
As Loca Loka begins pouring across India’s major metro cities, its next phase will rest on the interplay between quality, culture and community. Whether through limited-edition serves, collaborations with chefs and mixologists, or multisensory nightlife experiences, the brand is set to expand not only distribution but imagination. For India’s evolving spirits ecosystem — where premium now means more than just price — Loca Loka arrives with the promise of a new kind of tequila: one that is bold, expressive and just a little wild, exactly as its name suggests.
