GUWAHATI:
Tage Rita, an entrepreneur from Hong village, in Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, has secured Rs 75 lakh worth of deal for her winery Naara Aaba at Shark Tank India (Season 2).
The Naara-Aaba winery is one of the first ventures from the Northeast to be featured in the Shark Tank India platform.
Shark Tank India has a long track record of supporting entrepreneurs, having helped numerous startups over the years to achieve great success. With its fund, the show is taking its commitment to the next level by providing direct financial support to entrepreneurs.
This year, during season 2 of Shark Tank India, entrepreneur Tage Rita got to pitch her range of kiwi wines under the brand name called Naara-Aaba.
The episode aired on March 13 in the Sony LIV channel, where Rita pitched her wine products to Sharks Aman Gupta, Namita Tappar, Amit Jain, Vineeta Singh and Vikas D Nahar. Out of the five sharks, Vineeta Singh of Sugar Cosmetics and Vikas D Nahar of Happilo came on board with an offer of Rs 50 lakh investment for 5% equity and Rs 25 lakh debt at 10% interest, amounting to a total of Rs 75 lakh worth funding.
Apart from the funding secured through the Shark Tank India platform, Naara-Aaba is also associated with the recently held Mrs Arunachal 2023 as its Title Sponsor. Mrs Koj Baya Eshi was crowned as Naara-Aaba Mrs Arunachal 2023 on March 11.
Naara Aaba’s journey began in 2017 to create market linkage for the under-utilised kiwi fruits of the region, which grew in abundance. Rita started procuring kiwis from the local farmers to make wine out of it. Before it, the region’s kiwi farmers were not able to fetch proper market value for their produce, due to which, the kiwis went to waste.
The winery not only produces kiwi wines but has also expanded its range by including other fruit variants such as plums, wild apples and pears. The winery is open for tourist visits also, where visitors get to indulge in wine-tasting sessions. They plan to launch their wine products in other states this year, including in Assam.
Naara Aaba’s success story is not only about creating delicious wines but also about supporting the local farming community and promoting sustainable agriculture in the region. The company’s founder- Tage Rita, is an inspiration to other entrepreneurs and a testament to the potential of the region.