The top 10 tequila brands in India 2026 point to a category that is still small but growing fast. Radico Khaitan’s managing director put India’s tequila market at about 300,000 cases in 2025, a fraction of what the country drinks in whisky. Yet two Indian film stars now have tequila brands, and bars are serving more añejo neat than ever.

One detail most drinkers don’t know: agave, the plant tequila is made from, has grown in India for centuries. The British planted it along railway lines as fencing. Even so, every bottle of tequila on an Indian shelf is still shipped from Mexico.

Tequila in India: The 2026 Scorecard

Tequila 101 for Indian Buyers

• Blanco (silver): unaged, bright and peppery. Best for margaritas, palomas and shots.
• Reposado: rested in oak for 2–12 months. It’s softer, with light vanilla notes.
• Añejo: aged one to three years, darker and made for slow sipping.
• 100% agave vs mixto: “100% agave” on the label means only blue agave sugar was used. Mixto tequilas blend in other sugars and cost less. Jose Cuervo Especial, the most common bottle, is a mixto.
• Tequila vs agave spirit: “tequila” is a Mexican designation of origin. Agave spirits made in India, such as Maya Pistola Agavepura, go by a different name for that reason.

Top 10 Tequila Brands in India 2026

Prices are approximate 750 ml ranges drawn from Indian retail guides published in 2025–26. Tequila pricing varies sharply by state and by variant, and sources don’t always agree.

1. Jose Cuervo (Becle)

Jose Cuervo is the world’s biggest tequila, though its 2025 volumes dipped. In India it’s the default margarita bottle and the easiest tequila to find in any big-city liquor store.

• Price: Especial roughly ₹2,200–₹3,200; premium Reserva de la Familia bottles can reach about ₹20,000
• Worth knowing: Especial is a mixto. Choose Tradicional if you want 100% agave from the same brand.

2. Camino Real

Camino Real is the budget entry point. It’s the bottle that makes tequila affordable for a house party, and its main strength is price rather than complexity.

• Price: roughly ₹1,800–₹2,400
• Best for: large-batch margaritas

3. Sauza (Suntory Global Spirits)

Sauza sits in the same price band as Jose Cuervo and gives buyers a mainstream alternative for shots and mixed drinks.

• Price: roughly ₹2,200–₹3,200
• Best for: palomas with grapefruit soda

4. Olmeca (Pernod Ricard)

Olmeca had the strongest turnaround among the big tequilas in 2025, growing 50% worldwide after a weak spell. Its Altos range is a bartender favourite. A reliable all-India retail price couldn’t be verified, and availability varies by state.

• Price: not verified for India; check your state’s rate list
• Best for: Altos Plata in a classic margarita

5. 1800 (Becle)

1800 comes from the same company as Jose Cuervo, but it’s a clear step up. It’s 100% blue agave, and the reposado rests about six months in French and American oak.

• Price: roughly ₹3,800–₹5,700 for the reposado in 2026 retail listings. An older guide quotes ₹2,000–₹3,500, so prices appear to have risen or vary by variant.
• Best for: sipping neat, or a Tommy’s Margarita

6. Casamigos (Diageo)

George Clooney’s co-founded brand remains popular in Indian bars, but its global shine is fading. Worldwide volumes fell 20.2% in 2025, its weakest showing since 2020. That’s a warning sign for celebrity tequila just as Indian stars enter the category.

• Price: roughly ₹3,500–₹5,000 (older retail guide; check current rates)
• Best for: reposado on the rocks

7. Patrón (Bacardi)

Patrón brought the idea of ultra-premium tequila to India. Patrón Silver is the smooth blanco that many metro bars pour for premium margaritas.

• Price: Silver roughly ₹5,000–₹6,500
• Best for: a premium margarita, or chilled and neat

8. Don Julio (Diageo)

Don Julio grew 2% worldwide in 2025 to 4.5 million cases, bucking the downward trend at the premium end. In India, Don Julio 1942 has become a celebration bottle in clubs and at weddings.

• Price: Blanco roughly ₹4,500–₹7,000; 1942 roughly ₹10,000–₹15,000 (older guide)
• Best for: reposado or añejo, sipped slowly

9. Loca Loka (Rana Daggubati, Anirudh Ravichander, Sree Harsha Vadlamudi)

Loca Loka combines the Spanish “loca” (crazy) with the Sanskrit “loka” (world). It’s conceived by Indian founders but produced in Jalisco, Mexico, from 100% blue agave. It launched in India in November 2025, starting with major metros and airport duty-free stores, and has won awards including at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025.

• Price: Blanco around ₹5,250 per one retail listing
• Best for: a paloma, or neat with a slice of orange

10. D’YAVOL Añejo (D’YAVOL Spirits: Radico Khaitan, Shah Rukh Khan’s family, Nikhil Kamath)

This is the most talked-about tequila announcement in India. In August 2025, Radico Khaitan took a 47.5% stake in D’YAVOL Spirits alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s family, with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath holding 5%. The planned first product is an añejo aged about two years in wine casks and bottled in Mexico.

• Planned price: ₹20,000–₹30,000, depending on state, as announced by Radico in 2025
• Status: a December 2025 launch was planned, but a confirmed Indian retail launch couldn’t be verified at the time of writing. Treat this as one to watch, not a bottle you can definitely buy yet.

Why Tequila Stays Expensive in India

• Every bottle is imported: tequila can only come from Mexico, so there’s no cheaper Indian-bottled version as there is for some whiskies and vodkas.
• No trade-deal relief: the 2026 duty cuts under India’s deals with the UK and the EU don’t cover Mexico, so tequila doesn’t benefit.
• State excise stacks on top: duties differ widely by state, which is why the same bottle can cost far more in one state than another.
• Availability is patchy: big metros, Goa and airport duty-free stores carry the widest range, while many smaller cities stock little or none.

Tequila Prices in India at a Glance

Please drink responsibly. Legal drinking ages and sale rules vary by state, and Gujarat and Bihar don’t permit retail sale.

Tequila Questions Indians Search For

Q1. Which is the best tequila brand in India?

For margaritas and shots, Jose Cuervo or Camino Real offer the best value. For sipping, Don Julio and Patrón are the most trusted premium picks that are widely available.

Q2. What is the cheapest tequila in India?

Camino Real is among the most affordable, at roughly ₹1,800 to ₹2,400 for 750 ml, depending on your state’s excise duty.

Q3. Is tequila made in India?

No. “Tequila” is reserved for spirits made in designated regions of Mexico. India-made agave spirits such as Maya Pistola Agavepura exist, but they’re sold under a different category name.

Q4. Is Jose Cuervo 100% agave?

Jose Cuervo Especial, the most common bottle, is a mixto made with other sugars. For 100% agave, choose Cuervo Tradicional, 1800, Patrón, Don Julio or Casamigos.