It's a three-factory set up at Okhla, New Delhi where we get a taste of a global tea brand that's being crafted with passion and a lot of thought. As employees stream in to begin work, we take a tour of the 'tea facility.' As we are taken through the processing and packaging, understanding 28-year-old CEO of Vahdam Teas, Bala Sarda's vision to "make in India for the world" global becomes clear. "Ours is a tea loving population and chai as we know it is being preferred globally too, so taking my company to different parts of the world was only natural," says Bala.
“Our mission is to establish ourselves as a leading home-grown, global tea brand bringing garden-fresh Indian teas to consumers across the globe in the shortest time possible—straight from the farm to your table,” says Bala Sarda. “By infusing innovative technology and eliminating unnecessary middlemen from our sourcing process, we want to revolutionise the way the world drinks tea,” he adds. In its attempt to transform the manner in which global consumers discern the beverage, Vahdam Teas envisions strengthening an enfeebling industry and empowering millions of tea farmers at macro as well as micro levels.
Vahdam Teas is an award-winning premium tea brand, which has seen a growth of more than 5x over the last two years. One of the fastest growing tea brands on Amazon USA and Europe, it has won 13 global awards till date. Vahdam Teas has been recommended by mega icons like Oprah Winfrey, helping to popularise the brand among global consumers. Since the brand’s launch in 2015, Vahdam Teas has shipped more than 100 million cups of tea to over 85 countries across the world.
Taking off with Launchpad
“Amazon Launchpad gave us just the perfect storefront to showcase our brand new products and make the most of its dedicated support,” says Bala. The brand was on the Amazon Launchpad, the platform which nurtures young start-ups and their innovative products. The Launchpad section throws the spotlight on product portfolios of home-grown brands, which feature new technology and innovation.
Through Amazon’s Global Selling Programme marketplace, we have been able to make our garden-fresh teas available to consumers across the globe.
Says Bala, “Amazon Launchpad is a robust platform that boosts entrepreneurial businesses by giving their brands unprecedented access to Amazon’s marketplace with a much wider audience, global infrastructure, and dedicated support from account managers.”
Through Amazon’s Global Selling Programme marketplace, we have been able to make our garden-fresh teas available to consumers across the globe.
Beyond Indian shores
“Amazon has also been a major platform for a young start-up like us,” shares Bala, “Through Amazon’s Global Selling Programme marketplace, we have been able to make our garden-fresh teas available to consumers across the globe. Moreover, with the business platform’s marketing tools at our disposal, we have been able to tap into increased consumer pockets and boost our revenues through event-related sales and promotions.”
Amazon’s innovative business tools for distribution, infrastructure, and marketing support have significantly contributed to establish the brand’s business across the world. Bala feels that the Amazon Business platform has the potential to open a lot of opportunities for young, home-grown brands like his own. “It can help entrepreneurs like us explore business to business opportunities and reach out to larger markets,” explains Bala.
After tasting commercial success, the brand has also nurtured local tea growing communities as part of its sustainable ethos. Under its social initiative, TEAch Me, 1% of its revenue goes towards the education of the children of its tea growers. Two of the partnering estates of Vahdam Teas, in Darjeeling and the Nilgiris, have already been inducted into the programme.
