This US woman fell in love with chai in India; now she is worth Rs 200 crore

Most of us are sentimentally attached to chai (tea), as it is more than just a beverage. If we see the same love for the tea in a person of foreign origin, it would certainly surprise us. Here is one such story that will rather astonish us because the love for Indian tea turned a woman from United States into an entrepreneur, and now she has minted crores through the sale of Indian tea.

Meet this American woman named Brook Eddy, who came to India in 2002, and she fell in love with the drink. Eddy had actually come to India to join a social-justice movement based on Bhakti, which inspired her deeply, but during this sojourn she visited villages across Western India, and tasted her first cup of "chai".

She fell in love with the drink so much that she began to distinguish one variety from the other. She also realised that cups of tea were not exactly the same. Eddy went back to Boulder, Colorado, and discovered that the local cafes were unable to serve her authentic version of "chai" she tasted in India. She, therefore, started brewing her own version of tea, which she fondly called Bhakti Chai.

By 2007, she started selling jars of her own version of tea, and her homemade tea started gaining attention among friends and neighbours. Finally, Eddy quit her job and started her company, Bhakti Chai, according to the official website.

You will be surprised to know that Eddy is worth Rs 200 crore through the sale of tea. Since its inception, Eddy's firm Bhakti Chai is stated to have earned USD 35 million (Rs 2,27,86,75,000), and this year's projected revenue is seven million dollars (Rs 45,57,35,000).

Watch this Zee Business video

The Bhakti Chai's website--drinkbhakti.com-- also informs about several varieties of chai, including Chocolate Chai Energy Bites, Green Chai Smoothie, Adaptogen Chai Latte, and Chocolate Chai Truffle.