In an ideal world, Sanjith Konda House would have been completing his Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) from a leading Australian University, and applying for a white-collar internship.
But a cushy corporate job became a distant reality when the 22-year-old decided to become a "tea-seller", or "chaiwala", as he loves to call himself.
Melbourne, known for its coffee fetish, is now binging on tea and samosas as the Nellore-born Sanjith, with his maiden start-up venture 'Dropout Chaiwala', has turned his business into a million (Australian) dollar company in just about a year.
It's a bustling Sunday morning in Melbourne's busy CBD (Central Business District) area Elizabeth Street and one can see Indians, native Australians and a few Hispanics enjoying their favourite morning poison -- a steaming cup of tea.
The glow sign 'Dropout Chaiwala' piqued an Indian tourist's interest as he stopped by for a cursory second glance. If anyone thinks what's there in a name, think again as a small tea joint has become one of the favourite hangout places of the Indian diaspora in Melbourne.
"I came here to study Bachelors in Business Administration at the La Trobe University but I failed to complete my course. I became a college drop out and then I wanted my own start-up," Sanjay said.
"I was fascinated about tea from childhood and then conceived the idea of Dropout Chaiwala. My parents were initially shocked that I had dropped out and then apprehensive that I am planning my own business venture. Melbourne is the world's coffee capital and I was planning to open a tea joint."
On Instagram, the company claimed that the 22-year-old was inspired by his mother's love for "chai". "When she came down to Melbourne, they were struggling to find homemade chai. This was the place where the idea was born," the post stated.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Dropout Chaiwala | Chai cafe Melbourne (@dropout_chai_wala)
The dream was fulfilled when Asrar, an NRI, believed in his project and decided to become an angel investor.
"I think next month, our revenue is going to roughly hit 1 million AUD (about Rs 5.2 crore) after tax deductions and paying all overheads. The profit should be roughly 20 per cent. In Australia, there is ease of doing business if your ideas are in place," Sanjith said.
Speaking about his parents' reaction to his success, he added, "They are really proud now of how I started and where I have reached."
On the work front, Sanjith still imports tea from India as the aim is to give locals a taste of Indian tea.
"Among the Indian community, the 'Bombay Cutting' is a big hit and the Australians love Indian 'masala chai' and 'pakodas'. Now we are about to open our second outlet in Melbourne," said Sanjith, who has employed Indian students, who do part-time jobs to supplement their incomes.
"But to attract new customers, you need to improvise which we have done with our fusion green tea and chaipuccino (call it the tea's version of cappuccino)."
One asks him in jest if dropouts are preferred when he recruits people for various jobs, he starts laughing.
"At Dropout Chaiwala, while employing people, we don't look at degrees but passion and hard work," said the man from Andhra Pradesh, who hopes to have one outlet of his tea joint in all Australian cities.
He now intends to complete his degree in social work, an area he is passionate about.
(With inputs from PTI)
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