O u r N a a r a A a b a

With dreams sparkling in her eyes, our founder, Tage Rita always has a smile lighting up Naara Aaba with love. She holds a treasure of knowledge on wine waiting to be spilt. Coming from the breathtaking Hong village in Ziro Valley, she’s a force taking the entrepreneurial world by storm.

Our Story

E m b a r k o n a j o u r n e y o n ‘ h o w i t a l l b e g a n ’ w i t h u s a n d o u r i n c r e d i b l e f o u n d e r .

Rita leaves no bottle uncorked as she encourages sustainability in every sip. Her vision is to give farmers, women and youth in her region a chance to make a humble living. From inspiring ambitions to fueling the fame of this region, she’s put all her heart and soul into making every inch of Naara Aaba memorable to all.

founder

T a g e R i t a

"It's not simply wine-making, it's about rooting for the locals and fostering a culture of growth and sustainability among the communities of my region."

Born in Ziro Valley. Tage Rita Takhe, embarked on a beautiful journey from an Engineer to establishing India’s first kiwi winery with Naara Aaba. Driven by a strong vision towards establishing a fully scaled thriving community of farmers, skilled youth, and women in the region, she put Northeast India on the map of wine tourism, with a range of world class premium wines made from locally sourced organic fruits.

Rita’s dedication to support her community with her entrepreneurial efforts earned her the ‘Women Transforming India’ award by Niti Aayog in collaboration with the United Nations in 2018. She has also been felicitated by Hon ble Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Brig. Dr. B.D. Mishra (Retd) in the same year, and has been a recipient of numerous awards for her entrepreneurial venture.

In one of her recent achievements, she was conferred with the coveted Nari Shakti Puraskar by former Hon’ble President of India, Ram Nath Kovind; an initiative by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India. Through this award, she has been recognized for her excellence in promoting women entrepreneurship and local products internationally. Rita has also remained an alumni of the 2022 Fortune – U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program.

Milestones

O v e r F i v e D e c a d e s o f H i s t o r y

The Beginning

Dear wine enthusiast,

Can you believe I’m an engineer turned entrepreneur? Sometimes, neither can I.

Let me tell you the story of how it all began.

For a long time, I’ve been quite bothered by the socio-economic gap that exists in our hometown. Few locals loyally practice organic farming but face tragic losses due to lack of market networks. Doesn’t this sound like a sad ending?

That’s why I decided it was time to forge green footprints of Arunachal Pradesh all across the country.

The thought of Naara Aaba was born. It was simple. Take these organic fruits, and create delicious wine out of them.

But being a woman entrepreneur, especially in the alco-bev industry, is not always a smooth sail. If it hadn’t been for the unbreakable support of my family and the immense willpower that I held, Naara Aaba would have stayed a dream.

Creating opportunities for the local community

“Why should anyone be left behind? I believe in inclusivity no matter what.”

I’m proud to say that since 2017, we’ve managed to create a strong market and a reliable source of income for our local community. Taking inspiration from the wine practices that have been part of our culture for centuries, we’ve brewed up some beautiful flavors.

And you’ll be surprised to know that all of this started in my basement!

We love enrolling college/school students or dropouts interested in wine-making processes. From learning how to handle machines to churning out smooth wines, they’ve honed all the skills desired. Many older women also participate in cleaning, sorting and grading fruits.

An endearing practice I encourage is giving back to society. That’s why we offer workshops, internships and training at barely any cost. I’ve always believed that the happiness you try to spread always comes back in abundance.

Where are the wines sourced from

“Taste our love in every sip.”

All the fruits are clean, juicy and organically grown in our very own backyards. Our women and men nurture them, bringing them up with immense care.

Talk of different flavours

With the help of connoisseurs, many variants such as Salyo, plums, peaches and wild apples have been produced into wines. Believe me, whenever you taste our sweet elixirs, they’ll transport you into a glimpse of our luscious valley. Nurturing these organic farms has led to plants like Salyo to be revived. We’ve replanted so many trees that it’s helped balance our ecological ecosystem too. Oh, I love nature!

Conclusion

I’m now working to switch the winery into a picturesque spot such that we can invite more tourism. Meeting new people and having them become part of our culture is a cherishing emotion for me.

Along with this, I wish to launch a wine academy that teaches the art of wine-making to one and all. There’s nothing more blissful than welcoming a seeker into our abode.

So, see you in our home soon?

Signing off with lots of affection,
Tage Rita

Recognition

For all her magnificent achievements, Tage Rita has received heaps of appreciation.

sustainability

M i n d f u l n e s s o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t

As part of the agricultural industry, we fully depend on our surrounding, just as it depends on us. That’s why we grow our produce organically and sustainably. Over the past decades the carbon footprint of the winery has been positive, which is something we’re really proud of.