Tea selling gets trendier as more youngsters turn to it

Choosing unorthodox names for new business ventures seems to be the go-to option these days. In the city of Nawabs, entrepreneurs, many of whom are in their mid-20s, have adopted this marketing style, something they say caters to the uber-cool lifestyle of today’s young generations. They say such names are head-turners and sell more than anything else.

The rise in small businesses that focus on tea-selling, and who have focused their names around the profession, has been a result of a high unemployment rate and underpaid private jobs, the entrepreneurs said.

From Jobless Chaiwali and Berojgar Chaiwala to Toxic Chaiwala, several such businesses have opened in recent years in Lucknow with the hope of making it big one day.

Lost job to Covid, cop’s daughter now owns Jobless Chaiwali

The venture was a result of staying jobless for over a year, and thus the name, said Pooja Yadav, a commerce graduate who lost her job during the pandemic. Initially, she set up her stall with the help of her friends at 1090 Chatori Gali. Disappointed with the sales, all her friends quit leaving her to look after the business all by herself.

The daughter of a police official, Pooja, however, didn’t lose hope. She took loans and ran the venture. Over the last few months, her business has become a brand of sorts. She said she now earns more than what she used to make in her job. “I still get job opportunities but decline them all. I want my business to grow more,” she added.

Puja is the only woman who runs a tea stall at Chatori Gali. “I didn’t even tell my parents about the business initially. My father is a cop posted in Varanasi so I was worried about what he might think of it. But now everyone knows about it and is happy to see my growth,” she added.

Best friends sell tea part-time

Jyoti Pandey, a science graduate from Purvanchal University who works at a clinic, has opened a tea stall in partnership with her friend Swati Singh, a housewife, near Janeshwar Mishra Park in Gomti Nagar

“It is one of the most profitable businesses today as it needs low investment. Moreover, it allows us to meet new people every day,” said 21-year-old Jyoti said.

‘Inspired by PM Modi’

“When a chaiwala (tea-seller) can become a prime minister, then a chaiwala can also become a successful businessman,” said Himanshu Singh, who owns ‘Takhurain Cahiwala’ near Janeshwar Mishra Park. “Thakurain is my sister’s name,” Singh added.

The entrepreneurs quoted above said the unemployment in the country has led to a rise in start-ups that focus on tea-selling as their business model. “Job opportunities are very low as compared to the number of degrees issued by universities every year. There is a lot of struggle to get a job whereas one can easily start a tea stall with minimum investment,” said Pooja Yadav.

Shubham Gupta of Bewafa Chaiwala said many have realised that such ventures let one earn the salary of an MBA graduate. Sekhar Singh of Chai and Chakhna said, “Tea consumption is the highest in India. Hence, it is a profitable business. The youth of today knows how to approach this traditional business with an unconventional approach to make more profits.”