CHENNAI: Gilli Chai, an outlet for beverages and snacks, has launched women-powered mobile tea shops on electric auto rickshaws. Minister for Industries M C Sampath and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar inaugurated the first fleet of mobile chai outlets at the Saidapet Metro premises here on Tuesday. The first-of-its-kind outlets will offer various types of tea, coffee, snacks and cookies, and will ply across the city.
“These autos serve hot tea and snacks... the fleet would mostly be managed by the women workforce. The city will see more of these outlets in bus stands, railway stations, parks, playgrounds, IT parks and tourist spots,” said Mohamed Rahmathullah, the managing director of the company, according to a statement.
With a gender-neutral employment policy, the overall workforce in the outlet includes men, women, transgenders, and the differently abled, the statement added. “In addition to the mobile chai outlets, traditional outlets have been opened in Chennai, Puducherry and Dubai,” said Azhagar Raja, operations director of Gill Chai.
Balakrishnan Velaiah, joint commissioner, North Chennai, Pradeep Yadav, managing director of CMRL, and Mansoor Ali Khan, chairman, Mauto Group of Companies, were also present during the launch.