Rasagna developed the first microbrewery in Visakhapatnam against all obstacles and preconceptions, at a time when it was unheard of for women in India to take on the rigours of the alcohol industry.
D Rasagna Rao, a 33-year-old entrepreneur from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, views the Grande Dame of Champagne as her role model. Rasagna is evidently among the pioneering women in India’s alcohol industry.
Speaking to a news outlet, Rasagna remarked, “Even in France, the 1800s must have been exceedingly difficult for women. Recently, a Singaporean distributor informed me he was thrilled to deal with India’s first woman brewery owner.”
Rasagna developed the first microbrewery in Visakhapatnam against all obstacles and preconceptions, at a time when it was unheard of for women in India to take on the rigours of the alcohol industry.
She now intends to take it a step further by developing a beer brand aimed at global markets and brewed by women.
“My stay in Spain, where breweries are prevalent, piqued my interest in the industry. I was in Madrid and working as a consultant for smart cities while pursuing an MBA at the Complutense University of Madrid. I researched breweries extensively and decided to establish one in India “She stated,
“I relocated to Goa because Goan water is renowned for brewing superb beers on the world scene. Currently, we are in discussions with distributors in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore “She continued.
Rasagna elaborated on the obstacles women encounter in the field and stated, “My father and my husband have both been incredibly supportive. From approvals to the industry’s largely male-dominated supply chain mechanism, opposition emerged from without. In fact, one banker advised me to get my husband on board in order to obtain a loan for my firm since he believed women were incapable of doing so.”