HYDERABAD:What is good for our health? Chai, rich in anti-oxidants. What is good for the city’s roads? Non polluting electric vehicles. NRI Raman Madala marries these two concepts to create a new revenue model that, he says, is both healthy and will generate employment. Raman has started ChaiGuru and has partnered with Gayam Motor Works (GMW) to deliver herbal tea on electric vehicles.
“Hyderabad consumes a lot of tea. From early morning chai, chai after every meal to the regular evening chai, Hyderabadis love their tea. Hyderabadis today are more conscious of what they eat or drink and are slowly moving towards healthier lifestyles. We try to provide 100 percent natural herbal teas at an affordable range, which everyone, from a casual tea drinker to a seasoned tea connoisseur can enjoy,” says Raman. He says that these herbal teas are handpicked and refined and devoid of preservatives, added flavours and come in bleach-free bags.
Their product range includes Araku Chai, Kuti – The coffee Leaf tea, EM Tea – early morning tea and Rosella tea. The production is located at the coffee plantations of the Lambasingi, Araku Valley, near Vizag “ChaiGuru is going to help the locals and farmers with additional source of income. The company’s vision is to make these inhabitants economically stronger,” he adds.
“The health benefits of coffee leaf tea were studied over 100 years ago. It was displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. The drink is native to Ethiopia and is known as kuti tea to the natives. And although it may look like green tea and is made from the coffee plant, it tastes like neither. It’s a completely unique experience,” he promises, while informing that one can buy Kuti tea in India on the ec-commerce site Amazon.
GMW designed e-auto and e-rickshaw from the ground up for food truck applications. ChaiGuru will now use these vehicles as mobile outlets across different locations in the city to display and dispense their beverages. GMW’s electric bikes will also be used to meet ChaiGuru’s online and offline orders. GMW uses proprietary battery technology and management system, the company has developed powerful electric vehicles at a very low cost. The company exported its e-autos and e-bikes to 15 countries, including the US and markets in Africa, Asia, Central America, and Europe, apart from selling them at home.
ChaiGuru, an offshoot of Natural Farmacy Pvt Ltd believes that a cup of herbal tea is not simply a beverage, but an experience designed to nourish the body and satisfy the soul. They also plan to launch their products in Vijayawada, Vizag and Bengaluru later this year. “Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Agriculture Minister of Telangana, has tasted RoselleTea and our special Tea Infuser. I think ChaiGuru will hit an all-time high in the coming months, especially the election season next year as we also have the sweet and pink tea – Roselle with us. This tea will stand for the T in TRS,” Raman quips.