In the 25th episode of TC Show Off, a weekly show that provides startups a platform to showcase themselves, their business models, the core USP etc., Kolkata-based Goodwyn Tea’s co-founder Rahul Sirohia showcased how his startup helps consumers get fresh tea straight from the garden.
Goodwyn is an online portal that sells about 52 varieties of tea including normal tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea, and wellness tea etc.
“We realised that planters in Assam, Darjeeling etc. sell tea to auction houses in cities, who then sell it to the brokers. The brokers usually blend various qualities of tea to reach an average quality,” Sirohia said.
“The tea is also tampered by dust, pollutants and bacteria. Hence, we decided to tie up with major planters of Assam and set up a packaging unit in the garden itself,” he further added.
The firm, which sells tea through its site, takes retail orders on its toll free number or on a subscription basis. It has also tied up with 30 leading hotels to sell its inventory.
The price range of the tea offered varies from Rs 100-3,000, and the company claims of having clocked a turnover of Rs 1.8 crore last year. Presently, it competes with Teabox.com.
“There is a crying need for organising this market. Goodwyn has the basic setup, it should raise funds and scale now,” said Karthik Reddy, MD, Blume Ventures.
“This may not be a sweet spot for venture funds like us, but social impact funds and agri-tech funds could be excited about this business,” he added.