Chai break

Two months ago,IIT Delhi graduate Ankur Agrawal,23,along with his two friends,Amit Ahuja and Paras Arora,both from IIT Guwahati,started a small kiosk in south Delhi’s Ansal Plaza,serving 26 different types of tea.

Their kiosk that sells organic,herbal and green tea among many more,is getting a steady stream of customers already. “Although India is the highest exporter of teas in the world,there is not an established culture of drinking tea among us,” says Arora.

The three pooled in their savings to start their venture. “We wanted to be recognised as a brand and the tea kiosk is our first venture,” adds Agrawal,who took a brief course in business management while pursuing his engineering degree.

After graduating from college last year,the three worked for a few months with a consultancy firm in Gurgaon,before starting their own venture.

With no previous knowledge about how to go about selecting teas or its business viability,they consulted expert tea tasters from across the country to understand the Indian palate. “We were told to keep the menu simple and opt for basic herbs common to Indian cuisine like ginger,tulsi and saffron. After we gauge the response to these flavours,we will add other things to the menu,” says Ahuja,who has also included some exotics varieties of herbal teas like Organic White Tea,Hibiscus and Roselle for the more discerning customers. The teas are priced reasonably in a range of Rs 20 for a cup of masala chai to Rs 90 for a cup of organic white tea. You also have the option of customising your tea.

The USP of their service,says Arora,is freshly brewed tea using actual ingredients instead of powdered supplements. “Even while making masala chai,we bring to boil small helpings of all the five ingredients like ginger,cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and saffron instead of using pre-mix sachets,” he says.

In another month,the trio hopes to open two more kiosks in the city. “Once we have generated capital we will opt for the café model,” smiles Agrawal.