I was always a curious kid who wanted to learn anything and everything that he possibly could. I think books have had the most significant impact on my life; they increased my own creativity and influenced the way I thought. Moreover, they made me realise that I am an entrepreneur at heart.
After three consecutive failed attempts at the CAT examinations and having lost hope of getting an MBA degree, I decided not to get disappointed by the setbacks and instead aimed at soaring high and making it big.
Starting His Own ‘Chai Ka Thela’
When I thought about opening a ‘chai ka thela’, it took me approximately 50 days to actually execute the whole plan. The hardest part was being patient and building a sustainable business because it’s really demanding to go out of the box and do something different in the Indian society where people are at every step criticising and making you doubt your own decisions.
Why Tea Business?
Tea is the most common taste in India. Every person in India gets connected with chai, whether it is family or friends; besides, it is readily available across our country. I had an investment of ₹8000, and the cheapest thing I could think of was ‘chai’ as it was effortless to make, and I didn’t have to do a lot. I wanted to become an entrepreneur who could connect many people across the country, and starting a chai franchise seemed suitable.
Starting the business was the toughest among everything else because the amount of backlash and criticism that I received from my friends and family could tear down the confidence of any person. People would ridicule and make fun of me, which was quite overwhelming.
Moreover, any sophisticated person would resist buying anything from the roadside, keeping hygiene in mind. People look down upon you because India lacks the dignity of labour. A proper job with a fancy workplace fits their liking more because putting up a show is more important to people than actually working and earning money. When I was serving chai at the roadside, several times, police arrested me; things got pretty rough, but I had a very clear vision in my mind, and no one could stop me from achieving my goals.
No offence to anyone, but I think our education system doesn’t do justice to our generation. I believe we need to be taught about how to make money with a direct approach, and we need to talk about how to make decisions that will strategically make you succeed and not just close you to a 9 to 5. I wasn’t happy with my MBA program, so I dropped out, my family was initially not satisfied with my decisions, but that water is under the bridge now.
Business Reach And Expansion
Campaigns were my secret ingredient when I started out, I hadn’t built an online approach back then, I solely relied on direct connection with every ‘kulhad’ I gave away. My campaigns made my chai sell like crazy because they brought people together and gave them a space to link up.
I had always been telling my story, but my online presence grew like crazy because of how real I was about my journey. My strategy for getting here was simple, be honest and talk about the things that actually matter.
Our vision is to open an outlet in every city in India. We are planning to go worldwide and have also decided to launch our own ‘chai patti’ brand. Moreover, we want to empower every ‘chai ka thela’ through creative ways. We have been bootstrapping our way towards success till now, and the fact that we could come this far without any financial support makes me more confident, and I firmly believe that we will be able to do great funding rounds very soon. Currently, we’re looking for investors so that we can go worldwide as promptly as possible.
If you too have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com
