In an exclusive interview with Raamesh Chandra, Sanshrita, co-founder of Isvara Tea, revealed the brand’s origins and its journey to success. With an MBA from MIT, Sanshrita and her sister started Isvara Tea three years ago after discovering a unique mint leaf tea at an organic exhibition. Isvara Tea stands out for its use of whole leaves, small batch production, and commitment to quality. Despite starting with limited capital, the brand has grown remarkably, primarily through word-of-mouth marketing. They ensure quality and sustainability by sourcing directly from organic farms in Darjeeling. Isvara Tea aims to continue expanding its reach while maintaining its reputation for excellence.
Q: Can you tell us about your background and how Isvara started?
A: Sure, I have an MBA from MIT School of Business. Isvara started three years ago when my sister and I visited an organic exhibition to explore starting a skincare brand. We tasted mint-leaf tea from a Bhutanese farmer at the exhibition, which had a fantastic essence and smell. This sparked our interest in creating unique tea blends. After tasting over a thousand teas and researching, we developed 11 organic tea blends to serve India with high-quality teas that we felt needed to be added to the market.
Q: What sets Isvara Tea apart from other tea brands?
A: Our main unique selling proposition (USP) is that we use whole leaves instead of tea bags, which can harm health due to the plastic used in them. With our whole-leaf teas, customers can see the leaves they are getting and ensure the quality. We also make our teas in small batches to ensure freshness and quality. Our teas are known for their taste, which is not bitter, and they also don’t leave stains on the teeth.
Q: How has the journey been from starting with a capital of three lakhs to reaching almost one crore in three years?
A: It’s been an incredible journey. We started with minimal capital and relied on word-of-mouth marketing initially. The love and support of our customers, especially repeat customers, have helped us reach where we are today. We focus on providing quality products and letting our products speak for themselves.
Q: How do you ensure the quality and sustainability of your tea products?
A: We procure our teas directly from tea gardens, primarily from organic farms in Darjeeling. We have contracts with various tea manufacturers and ensure that each lot of tea is tested for quality. We also work closely with farmers to ensure they cultivate the tea according to our standards.
Q: Is Isvara Tea currently bootstrapped, and are you considering seeking investments in the future?
A: Yes, we are bootstrapped currently. We are focusing on reaching our target of about 2.5 crore this year. We might consider seeking investment next year.
Q: What is your strategy for customer retention?
A: We primarily send a thank you message after the purchase and occasionally inform customers about new catalogues or products. We also try to keep customers informed about new company developments.
Q: Do you have a mechanism to gather customer feedback?
A: Yes, we usually send messages requesting reviews and feedback. We receive responses from about 10% of the customers we contact. We are pleased with the reviews we have received on Amazon, where we have received more reviews since starting about three to four months ago.
Q: Which parts of India do you receive the most orders from?
A: Most of our orders come from Mumbai, accounting for about 70% of our total orders.
Q: Can you explain your sourcing process for tea leaves?
A: We procure our tea directly from organic farms in Darjeeling. Initially, we used to call for samples from different tea gardens, but now our quality is set, and we primarily focus on green tea, white tea, and black tea, all sourced from Darjeeling.
Q: What has been your marketing strategy, and how do you plan to expand?
A: Our main marketing tools have been performance marketing and Instagram. We have recently launched on Amazon and are present in about 34 marketplaces. We plan to continue with these strategies and explore PR and other marketing avenues in the future.
Q: How do you see the tea industry evolving, and where do you see Isvara Tea in the next five years?
A: The tea industry is growing, especially with the increasing health consciousness among people. Green tea and other organic teas have become more popular, and we see an excellent future for Isvara Tea in the next five years. We aim to continue providing high-quality teas and expand our reach in India and internationally.
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to start a tea business?
A: I advise them to focus on quality and authenticity. It’s essential to understand the tea market and the preferences of your target audience. Building a brand that people trust takes time, so patience is vital. Also, feel free to experiment with new blends and flavours to set your brand apart.
