A Desert Plant Transforms a Farmer's Life
The spiky agave plant was traditionally used as fencing in India.
A desert plant changed the life of Masapalli Venkatesh.
His 10-acre farm in Kandukur is located on the Deccan Plateau, which spans a large part of southern and central India. There, he cultivates tomatoes, peanuts, and corn.
However, in 2010, traders approached him seeking a very different crop—the cactus agave americana.
For Venkatesh and many other farmers, the agave cactus was merely a "stubborn, valueless weed," typically planted as fencing to protect crops from wild animals.
Yet, agave belongs to the plant family that supports the $15bn (£11bn) global market for tequila and mezcal.
In Mexico, blue agave is cultivated specifically to supply the tequila industry. Only plants from designated regions, primarily in the state of Jalisco, are permitted for tequila production.
Unlike Mexico, where extensive plantations dominate the landscape, commercial agave farming is not yet established in India.
Instead, Indian farmers and entrepreneurs gather and process wild-growing agave.
For some, including Venkatesh, this has become a valuable supplementary income source, earning agave the nickname "blue gold."
Currently, Venkatesh oversees operations across a 100km (60 miles) area, coordinating with villagers and farmers.
"By combining the yields of multiple farms, I ensure a steady, high-volume supply that distilleries are willing to pay a premium for," he says.
Harvesting and Processing Challenges
Harvesting agave plants requires skill.
The most critical part of the plant is the heart, known as the piña due to its resemblance to a giant pineapple.
Experienced workers remove the spiky leaves to reveal the heart. Timing the harvest precisely is essential.
Once the plant begins to bloom, it rapidly directs its stored sugars into the flowering stalk within days.
If the flower blooms, the sugar reserves are depleted, rendering the piña unsuitable for alcohol production.
"Gatherers must accurately identify the exact pre-blooming window to harvest the plant at its absolute peak sugar capacity, making the timing of the harvest incredibly narrow," says Rakshay Dhariwal, founder and managing director of the distiller Maya Pistola Agavepura.
After harvesting, the piñas must be transported quickly to the processing plant.
Once harvested, the clock starts ticking. The piñas must reach a pressure cooker within 24 hours to extract the sugars.
"Any transport delay can risk ruining the batch. If it takes longer than 24 hours, the internal sugars begin to rot and ferment unpredictably, destroying the delicate flavour profile needed for premium spirits," says Dhariwal.
Transportation is complicated because agave suppliers are dispersed across vast areas in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
"Brands like us cannot simply order from a centralized farming cooperative. We rely on networks of local aggregators to scout, negotiate for, and harvest individual patches of semi-wild agave growing on marginal lands or rural property boundaries," he explains.
Growing Demand and Market Potential
This system supports increasing demand for agave spirits. According to Dhariwal, the Indian market for agave spirits is expanding at a rate of 31% annually.
"It's only been a few years now, that India's finally caught the tequila bug," says Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30 Best Bars India.
"Producers are beginning to experiment with it seriously, and there's a consumer base today that is far more open to exploring new spirits than before," he adds.
While agave drinks are unlikely to replace whisky, India's most popular spirit, they have the potential to establish a niche market.
"New brands are interesting examples of early experimentation, especially in how they're working with wild agave from the Deccan Plateau and beginning to shape what an Indian agave identity could look like. It's still early days, but they're helping move the category from curiosity to something more credible," Achanta notes.
Indian Distillers and Industry Pioneers
Indian distiller Maya Pistola Agavepura utilizes local agave plants in its production.
Desmond Nazareth is a pioneer in the Indian agave spirit sector. His company, Agave India, launched the country's first homegrown agave spirit in 2011.
"What started as kitchen experiments eventually became India's first craft agave distillery after nearly 12 years of research and experimentation," Nazareth says.
"We were making Indian agave spirit long before the market was ready for it. It was a craft business way ahead of its time."
He is now adopting a scientific approach to industry development.
"We have taken satellite images of areas where agave already grows successfully, then matched those environmental patterns with nearby regions to identify more suitable land. That's important because agave grows for 9–13 years. If you plant in the wrong area, you lose a decade," Nazareth explains.
Sustainability and Supply Considerations
With rising demand, concerns arise about potential depletion of India's wild agave resources. Agricultural expert Miguel Braganza suggests this is unlikely for at least five years, and probably longer.
He notes that India's domestic industry remains small, with only one processing plant for agave hearts, owned by Nazareth's Agave India.
Additionally, the wild agave plant propagates effectively.
"When you look at a wild agave, you aren't just looking at a single plant. Beneath the soil, the mother agave is incredibly busy. Throughout her 10-to-20-year life, she secretly sends out long root-runners into the earth," Braganza explains.
These roots produce future plants.
"Every few feet, a mini-clone of herself pops out. Those baby plants grow their own roots and become independent plants, slowly forming large agave colonies over time. So one plant can naturally turn into dozens of plants across an area without any human help," he adds.
Challenges of Wild Agave and Mexican Comparison
Indian entrepreneur Sree Harsha Vadlamudi highlights limitations of India's wild agave supply.
Unlike cultivated plants, wild agave is "genetically inconsistent," leading to fluctuating sugar yields and variable alcohol output, complicating production standardization.
Mexico addressed this issue over decades through selective breeding, a process India has yet to undertake.
Vadlamudi co-founded tequila brand Loca Loka, which sources Mexican blue agave from Jalisco, the tequila heartland.
"We wanted to leverage the rich, iron-heavy red soil left behind by ancient volcanic eruptions in Jalisco, Mexico. This unique terroir imparts a distinct flavour profile to the agave that cannot be replicated by growing the same seeds in Indian soil," Vadlamudi says.
Mexico's large, organized agave farms contrast sharply with India's informal system.
These extensive farms employ advanced farming technologies, including drones and AI systems, to monitor crops.
"Drones scan thousands of hectares to accurately count individual crops, assess plant health, spot early signs of disease, and monitor the growth of the piña to predict the absolute perfect window for harvesting," Vadlamudi explains.
Such technological investment remains distant for Indian producers.
Nazareth acknowledges that establishing a significant agave spirit industry in India will require time but remains optimistic.
"India could absolutely become a major agave economy. The Deccan Plateau alone has millions of acres suitable for cultivation. We could theoretically rival Mexico if there's long-term vision and patience," he states.
