A steaming cup of chai can do wonders for the soul and Amuleek Bijral completely agrees! That’s why this Harvard graduate is keen on bringing the convenient kiosk-culture of Chai Point to every white collar working hub in India.
“Chai is a very important beverage and we take it for granted.” Bijral cites while sipping his own mug of hot tea. Way back in 2010, Bijral recognised a gap in the market and realised that most working urban Indians were forced to find solace in tea-stalls which were often unsanitary, this is what prompted him to create Chai Point. “I just took the plunge” confesses the tea-lover.
Building the Chai Point brand, however, has taken a certain amount of hard work and perseverance and it has all been worth it. Bijral talks about the early days of the company. “The very first Chai Point was located near a passport office and we got quite a bit of footfall. A senior citizen gentleman came to me and thanked me profusely for opening up a chai shop there. That gave me a lot of perspective.” This was the moment that made Bijral realise that he was on the right track.
While talking about competition Bijral muses, “We are too busy figuring out our own world to think about competition.” However, according to Bijral, Chai Point is the biggest player in the largely untapped tea market as of now.
Bijral comes from a technology background, having put in a good amount of years working for Microsoft, technology truly is his passion, apart from chai of course! The Harvard graduate enthusiastically talks about IoT enabled dispensers and Chai Point stores which take the help of AI to make customer experience smoother. Bijral points out that tech is no more a gimmick, but an important part of any company in today’s day and age.
When asked about that one important quality that every entrepreneur should possess, Bijral makes a point. According to him, a CEO should teach his or her leaders to take decisions by themselves, at the same time, be in touch with the ecosystem. So what is his favourite tea-time snack? “A simple multi-gran cookie, that is something that I keep coming back to.”
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