What does it take to turn five acres of Nashik grassland into a ₹2100 Cr wine empire?

In this weekend’s episode of the Blume Podcast, Karthik sits down with Rajeev Samant, the founder who left Oracle and Silicon Valley in the 1990s to build something India had never seen before—an Indian wine brand that could compete globally.

With no background in farming or winemaking, Rajeev relied on conviction, curiosity, and a willingness to think differently. From experimenting with grapes in his backyard to drafting Maharashtra’s groundbreaking wine policy, from surviving high-interest loans to launching India’s first wine tourism experience—his journey is a masterclass in grit and long-term vision.

Today, Sula commands over 60% of India’s wine market, hosts 3.5+ lakh visitors a year, and has put Indian wine on the global stage. Rajeev’s story shows how bold ideas, backed by relentless execution, can build not just a company but an entire industry.

🎧 Join host Karthik Reddy as we explore how one man made wine mainstream in a whiskey-drinking nation—and built a brand now valued at over ₹2100 Cr.

Chapters:

0:00 – "Why a lunatic tried making wine in whiskey land"

2:15 – "From Oracle in Silicon Valley to Nashik farmlands"

5:40 – "Stanford lessons: question authority, embrace entrepreneurship culture"

9:10 – "Quitting tech to chase something meaningful back home"

13:00 – "Spotting Nashik’s Napa-like microclimate for wine grapes"

16:30 – "The first scrappy experiment fermenting grapes into wine"

20:45 – "Drafting Maharashtra’s landmark Grape Processing Policy in 2001"

24:55 – "Surviving debt, bootstrapping, and building patiently for decades"

30:20 – "Sula’s dominance: 60% share, 3.5 lakh visitors yearly"

36:05 – "Challenges that stop India from becoming a 10x wine market"

43:15 – "Why Sula went public and the realities post-IPO"

50:40 – "Building a culture of autonomy and sustainability at Sula"

This season of Destiny Avenged is brought to you by IDFC FIRST Bank and Ultrahuman.

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