Kerala’s roadways are lined with thousands of tea booths serving steaming hot ‘chaya.’ However, if you ever drive through Pallimukku, a town in Kerala’s Kollam district, you’ll see the ‘BTech Chai,’ a remarkable tea stall located along NH 66.
Three engineering graduates, Anandu Ajay, Mohammed Shafi, and his brother Mohammed Shanavas, teamed together to form the BTech Chai.
BTech Chai, which operates out of a pushcart on the side of a road highway in Kollam, provides over 50 different tea flavours.
The Start of BTech Chai
They needed to start something unique in every way because finding a chai shop is accessible in this town, so it was vital to be original and stand out. They also intended it to be called BTech Chai since they are three engineering grads who run a ‘chai’ business.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns were one of the most challenging moments for many people all over the country, including Anandu and Shafi, who both lost their jobs during the same time.
From Losing Their Job to Starting Their Own Chai Stall
They both chose to establish their own business after losing their jobs during the lockdown, and a food business was in their thoughts. However, due to budget reasons, they were unable to begin anything large or expensive. As a result, the BTech Chai began on a pushcart.
Despite strong opposition from his family, Anandu opted to continue with his chai firm. It was tough to persuade his family, who couldn’t believe a BTech graduate would serve tea on the side of the road.
Shafi’s parents, unlike Anandu’s, were easily convinced and enthusiastically supported him in his attempt.
Anandu and Shafi came up with a viable business concept after months of brainstorming, but they still had another problem ahead of them: raising enough money. With no savings and no financial help from their family, Anandu claims they had to rely on their friends, who offered them Rs 1.5 lakh.
Chai Lovers Couldn’t Get Over With the Unique ‘BTech Chai’
BTech Chai became a local sensation within a month of its opening, with people lining up in front of it to sample various tea and tasty snacks.
BTech Chai offers over 50 varieties of tea as well as delectable Malabar snacks like Chatti pathiri, Kilikoodu, Unnakaya, Erachi ada, mutta petti, and more. All of the goodies on offer are largely homemade and obtained locally. They provide teas prices ranging from Rs 5 for a basic black tea to Rs 45 for a Saffron tea. They now have over 50 teas on the menu, with new teas being added every month.
Dairy milk chai, butter chai, badam pista chai, vanilla chai, pineapple chai, strawberry chai, chocolate chai, mint chai, and so on are just a few of the many flavours available.
Unique 50 Varieties Chai
They have a unique tea called ‘Ginja chai,’ which is made with a particular masala blended with 10 spices and four herbs. For this secret masala, they only use high-quality spices and prepare the mixture themselves. They have over 50 varieties of Chai.
BTech Chai is accessible every day from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., and while it is a hit with hundreds of regular clients, they have yet to make a consistent profit. They now intend to create a menu of 101 tea kinds in the future. They also hope they can grow it throughout Kerala and possibly beyond, developing a brand and marketing their flavours.
If you like this story, you can also check out- From A Small-town Startup To A $2.5 Billion Company, Lenskart Is Story Of Complete Dedication And Hard Work.
If you know about more inspirational stories about a person, company, new idea, or social initiative, and want us to write it on mad4india.com, share such information with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
