His “fuska” (panipuri) business kept him afloat in the early days, but tea gave him financial stability. Bright and hardworking, Kaushik Borah of Assam’s Jorhat has long been a source of pride for his family and neighbours. After graduating with a first-class BA (Honours) degree, many expected him to pursue a government job or higher studies. Borah, however, had a different goal in mind: entrepreneurship.
When he began selling panipuri to support his parents after briefly working as a private school teacher and tutor, he faced ridicule. People questioned his decision and warned that he was ruining his future. Five years later, he is the owner of the tea brand Kuhi Tea and co-owner of an enterprise that manufactures bamboo-based toothbrushes.
Growing up in a family of three, Borah, 27, had limited access to life’s comforts. His father, Mrigen Borah, earned a modest salary managing a relative’s lodge, while his mother, Bulu Borah, was a homemaker. After graduating from Bahona College, Jorhat, in 2020, he took up a teaching job at a private school. At the same time, he enrolled in a month-long bamboo craft-making programme at the Rain Forest Research Institute on the outskirts of Jorhat.
“I discussed my future with two friends, Bhaskar Jyoti Hazarika and Raktim Jyoti Dutta, who had also undergone bamboo craft-making training. We decided to build our future in this sector, and that idea took shape through a foundation called Moonlight,” Borah recalls.
While the trio worked on developing a bamboo-based toothbrush for commercial production, Borah borrowed a cart from an acquaintance and set up a panipuri stall outside the college where he studied. After nearly a year of effort, Borah and his two friends succeeded in producing an eco-friendly, biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
“About two years ago, I realised I should explore the tea market. I have a fair understanding of tea, from CTC to white tea. A series of discussions with my business partner, Riaz Khan led to the launch of Kuhi Tea,” he says.
The duo operate an outlet at Kohora near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Tea is packaged at a unit in Jorhat, where the brand is also sold through two partner-run outlets.