Was it finally wine this time? Not yet, this time they took to running. In 2003 they ran their first 10km race. The experience was exhilarating! Soon after, these turned to half marathons and eventually to full marathons. But the Chigurupatis’ spirit for running showed no signs of abating, and instead, they got more adventurous!

In 2010, they competed in the arduous World Marathon Challenge, completing marathons in the North Pole and in Antarctica – for which the couple now hold a proud Guinness World Record. Uma recalls days of grueling training interspersed with 13-hour day trips to the vineyards each week. “Preparing for Antarctica was like going to war”, she says. Well that was not it. In 2014, they ran seven marathons in seven days across seven continents – another Guinness feat!

As the Chigurupatis traveled the world tasting wines and visiting wineries, the passion for making world-class Indian wine of their own only grew stronger. Thus started the search for a place that not only reflected their passion and pioneering spirit but was also apart from the usual winemaking belt in the country.

Their search narrowed to the south of India with its rolling hills and virgin, porous soil, which they felt was ideal for viticulture. On one of their visits in 2008, they stumbled upon a small piece of hilly land near the ruins of Hampi. Well, it did not quite take long for Uma to fall in love with the sight she saw, “I stood on a raised edge overlooking the undulating landscape around, and I turned to Krishna and said, ‘Let’s do it’!”

It was that very evening with the spectacular sunset over the hills, the passion within the Chigurupatis, and the moment of truth, that ‘KRSMA’ was born!

The first half of ‘KRS-MA’ and the passionate wine connoisseur. An entrepreneur in the true sense, Krishna leads their pharmaceutical venture, Granules India with noteworthy passion, and has a keen eye for winemaking. His perseverance and success philosophies drive the KRSMA team through all their endeavors.