A few minutes earlier he had lit a lamp and released the Board's vibrant purple-coloured brochure that brought to mind the red wine berries that are presently being harvested in vineyards. A round of applause warmly greeted the launch of the Indian Grape Processing Board.

The launch day of the Board had been long awaited; earlier referred to as National Wine Board, it has been named Indian Grape Processing Board. Rajeshwar Rao, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, spoke to the audience of government officials, wine company heads, wine makers, grape growers and other members of the industry, about the lengthy process of working towards the launch, about how "the corridors of power debated whether the government can support wine" and how "each word was discussed thread bare" till the final approval was received of the role of the government in setting up the Board and the selection of the Board's name.

Research and development, fostering sustainable development of the wine industry, supporting grape farmers, setting up facilities for wine analysis, providing a platform for the advocacy of the wine sector, promoting cooperative efforts between growers and the wine industry, are among of the objectives of the Board. With the launch of the Board - that has been facilitated by the government and is to be drive by the industry-and the selection of office premises in Kubera Chambers, Pune, its physical presence has been stamped, and a dream has been realized.