How This Startup Is Transforming the Instant Tea Space in Our “Chai” Loving Nation

TeaBro makes and sells “Ready to Drink” teas. Just add this product to a cup of hot water and enjoy the most balanced tea. Their offering ‘Pre Brewed Tea’, is brewed in small batches with the utmost care, ensuring you always get the best cup. The Gurugram-based startup “TeaBro” was launched in 11th July, 2021.

We are publishing an interview with Mr. Kartic Sharma, Founder, TeaBro:

Please introduce about yourself. What is the problem you are trying to solve?
Thanks. I am from Assam and my family has been involved in the Tea industry for over 3 generation. We have seen the industry closely for the last 38 years and have realized that there has been very little improvement / innovation. Moreover the way people consumed tea has also been the same for over 50 years now.

A TeaBag was also introduced to the world about 40 years back. The last innovation in which Instant Tea was offered was ‘Powdered Instant Tea’, which was made by a process called Spray Drying.

We found that there was no way in which companies were able to offer good quality tea in a ReadyToDrink manner. That is when it struck to us that we can do something to solve this problem. After few months of R&D we came up with TeaBro. This patent-pending product is a ‘Ready to Drink’ Tea which is pre-brewed to perfection from the finest Assam Teas with love and care. Just add TeaBro to a cup of hot water and Done! Your cup of Tea is ready in 5 sec. Enjoy the perfectly balanced Milk Tea (in 5 Exotic Indian Flavours), Instantly!

We have had tremendous response from Tea connoisseurs, Tea blenders and tasters about its high quality and Tea innovation. In the last 2 months, since we have been live, the market response (where ever we are present) has been encouraging.

Three of us are the core team members:

• Kartic Sharma (Founder)
• Sandeep Sharma (Farming and Manufacturing Mentor), has over 40+ years of Tea industry
• Saurabh Sharma (Marketing and Strategy), has over 15+ years of experience in Sales & Marketing

Q.: Tell us about the Product / Solution. How did you get your first customer?
Ans: Sure.
Product – TeaBro is a patent-pending ‘Ready to Drink’ Tea which is pre-brewed to perfection from the finest Assam Teas with love and care. Just add Tea Bro to a cup of hot water and Done! Your balanced cup of tea is ready in 5 sec.

First Customer – We had a fress sampling kiosk setup. We gave free samples and people loved our product and the concept. That’s when we got our first customer.

Q.: What is your USP? What is the insight that you have about this market, which no one else has? Uniqueness about your Startup.
Ans: We do not have any direct competition for our offering, ‘Pre-Brewed Tea Liquid’. We are the first company in India to make a product of this sort and therefore for the product and the process, we have a ‘Patent Pending’ status. Instant Tea have traditionally been offered in Tea Bags or Premixes.

There are hundreds of companies in India who retail these. TeaBro is the first company in India to offer ‘Ready To Drink’ tea in a ‘Pre-Brewed Tea Liquid’ format.

Q.7: What were your assumptions when you entered the market, learning that you have? Who in your mind is your ideal customer?
Ans: An ideal customer is anyone who is looking to have a great cup of premium Assam Milk Tea. We promise to make you a better cup Instantly than what you even make at your home. Our teas are sourced from the finest gardens in Assam and Brewed to perfection with fresh condiments. We want to change the mindset that people have with Instant Tea. Instant Tea can be great too.

Other set of ideal customers are those who want a good cup of tea on the go, and they only have a source of Hot Water. Ideal used case is Hotel Rooms, Offices, Flights, Trains, Hikers, Indian Army etc.

Q.: What has been your biggest failure as an entrepreneur and what did you learn from it??
Ans: We have jus started about 2.5 months back and therefore have not stumbled onto any failure as such. However, the biggest failure for me with Tea Bro was that I could not convince the GM of a premium chain of hotels in Delhi NCR that our product was something which their guests would cherish. That deal did not come through.

Q.: How are you pricing the Product?
Ans: We are working on fixed price model. For retails buyers the price per cup (130ml) is M.R.P Rs 25. We have different rate for bulk buyers.

Q.: Please tell us about the investors (if any)
Ans: We are currently Bootstrapped.

Q.: Is there any interesting success story of your startup? If yes, please write about it. ?
Ans: Our success story was developing the product in itself – Pre Brewed Tea Decoction. This is a first of a kind product in the Tea Industry. Tea is the second largest drunk beverage in India after water. We think we have a long way in this market and we could not be more excited about it.

Q.: Since inception, give us a sense of the value of business done by your venture?
Ans: We will have furnish that at the end of the quarter. But, we are in the 6 digit marks.

Q.: What is the big picture of your startup? Is this Product/service leading to something bigger? If so, how?
Ans: Our big bet is on the concept that we have incepted. We are the first movers in the country with this offering and our product makes a much better cup of tea than other Instant Milk tea manufacturers and re-seller. Please check our product video as follows:

Q.: Who do You Perceive as Your Competition? How do you differentiate yourself with them?
Ans: All Instant Tea Manufacturers are competitiors, since they offer Instant Tea. However for our concept, we are the first movers in the market.

Q.: What would be your goal to accomplish in the next six months? Any other information you would like to share?
Ans: We need wish to be prime sellers of Instant tea on Online platforms (e-commerce and Hyperlocal). Additionally we would want to have distribution partners in all major Tier 1 and Tier 1 cities in the country.

Q.: What message do you want to convey to fellow entrepreneurs?
Ans: It’s a touch ride with uncertainties, but it is definitely worth it.

Thanks Kartic. All the best!