Founder Kausshal Dugarr on Teabox, India’s luxury premium tea brand and their association with Good Earth.
On Teabox’s website, it states that Founder Kausshal Dugarr’s vision is that ‘every cup of tea sold is the freshest cup of tea there is’. The tea brand, founded in 2012 by the Siliguri resident, has followed this philosophy and grown over the years with even customers turning investors. As a result, the freshest Indian teas from Darjeeling, Assam and the Nilgiris as well as fresh teas from Nepal find their way to the consumer every day.
Now, Teabox has collaborated with Good Earth for a Limited Edition Gifting Box for the festive season. The Persia Garden Tea Mug is inspired by Persian miniature paintings and floral motifs, and the handpicked teas from Teabox add to the aesthetic beauty of the mug. Replete with notes of freshness, the tea leaves from Teabox are carefully plucked and hand-selected for their texture, colour, scent and purity while the flavours romance the floral essence of the mug. Encased in an illustrated box, take in the flawless talent of the hand-decorated mug in magnificent fine bone china and four flavours of tea like Mountain Rose Black Tea, Jasmine Green, Pure Camomille Tisane and Hibiscus Lemongrass Tisane.
Kausshal shares with his vision for the company and the collaboration with Good Earth…
Could you tell us a bit about your personal love affair with tea and how it translated into Teabox?
As a kid, I believed that people who worked in the Tea Industry were magicians. Magicians who have the ability to transform an ordinary leaf into a drink which we all cherish. Around this time the seeds of a long-lasting love affair were sown. Fast forward, I came back to India after spending many years outside and realised that the tea industry has not changed; it’s still steeped in time. Fundamentally, between the producer and the end consumer – there existed many intermediaries who did not add value. As a result, it impacted the quality of tea, the freshness deteriorated and it took almost a year for the end consumers to receive the teas. With Teabox, we decided to disrupt the status quo and ensure that we would provide fresh teas direct to consumers within days of production.
For you to leave Singapore, come to Siliguri and form Teabox, what sort of sacrifices did it require?
On a personal level, leaving a city that had been my home for more than 10 years was very challenging. But on a professional level, I was excited about doing something different in regard to tea and hopefully leave a legacy in an industry where my family has been associated for a long time.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you set up the company?
The biggest challenge was overcoming the mindset of the folks in the industry. We realised that the concept was very alien to them, they did not believe in selling teas directly to consumers, especially through an online channel. I remember – to get a plantation on board, it took me around 18+ visits.
What kind of difference did you think you could make to the tea industry? What do you think sets it apart from others?
Two fundamental differences. Firstly, all of the good teas were always exported outside India, through Teabox – we provided Indians with the ability to buy high-quality teas which earlier was not possible unless you knew someone in the industry. Secondly, we have put Indian teas on the global map. Traditionally Indian teas always used to be blended, but we changed that by highlighting the incredible stories of the people behind the tea.
Today, where does Teabox stand and what is the kind of future you envision for it?
Teabox stands as one of the most well-known premium brands of Tea, based in India. The future we envision for Teabox is omnichannel where we have the ability to engage and interact with customers on multiple channels and provide not just the best product but the best experience.
You recently tied up with Good Earth for a Limited Edition Gifting Box. Can you tell us a bit more about the collaboration and how you think it benefits the consumer?
We believe in meaningful collaborations and Good Earth is a brand that resonates with our philosophy of boiling up an ideal brew; of consumer satisfaction. Most of us are tea lovers and receiving something that pleases our palate and the eyes together, makes for an excellent combination. Tea drinking is deep-rooted in our culture and we feel these special tea boxes would make great gifts. With this collaboration, we aim to bring the best of two worlds together as we make an effort to ensure that our customer finds the perfect gift box.
Words: Deepali Singh
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