MA English Chaiwali aka Tuktuki Das is making waves after opening her tea shop in Kolkata. The English literature postgraduate is often approached by people with a small demand – a cup of hot tea and a selfie with her. Following the footsteps of entrepreneurs like Praful Bilore who manages his tea-empire called MBA Chaiwala and Uppama Virdi who runs Australian franchise Chai Walli, Tuktuki first created a brand, and has transformed herself into one.
Although Tuktuki is an English literature postgraduate, he couldn’t get employment prospects to her liking. Soon, she decided to carve her way out of the mountain. She used the little bit of capital that she had, and opened a tea-stall and named it MA English Chaiwali.
Background
The Indian populous has always had an unquenching thirst for tea. It’s one beverage that cuts across religious, financial and all different socio-political barriers. A rich man, his driver, political workers of opposing parties, can all be seen sipping their chai during winter’s evening and summer mornings.
Lately, several new generation Indian entrepreneurs have created a niche for themselves as they serve tea to hundreds of customers using their own business model and brand. MBA Chai Wala, B.Tech Chai, Chai Sutta Bar, are just some of the brands that have earned crores of revenue just by serving tea.
And now, a MA English Chaiwali owned by Tuktuki Das is here to make a dent.
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The Facts of the Matter
Cult Bollywood classic Iqbaal had a dialougue which was – “Dimaag aur dil jab ek saath kaam karte hai, toh farak nahi padta hai ki dmaag kaunsa hai aur dil kaunsa (When heart and head work together, it really doesn’t matter which one is the head and which one is the heart)”
Kolkata’s Tuktuki Das is a living example of a woman whose heart and head work in unison. An English literature postgrad, she astutely attached her academic qualification to her brand name and is now a proud owner of ‘MA English Chaiwali’. She owns a small yet busy tea stall at the railway station in West Bengal’s 24 North Parganas.
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Tuktuki Wanted to be Self Reliant, Didn’t Open Stall Because of ‘No Job’
Contrary to several news reports which claimed that she opened the tea-stall as she couldn’t get a job, an Indian Express report claims that Tuktuki wanted to be self-reliant and thus, opened the tea-stall. A postgraduate from the Rabindra Bharti University, Das had an inclination towards having her own venture.
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Inspired by MBA Chaiwala Praful Bilore
Further, she also saw several new age entrepreneurs opening their brew stations and making millions in revenues such as MBA Chaiwala, run by PrafullBilore and Chai Sutta Bar owner Anubhav Dubey. She finally took the leap of faith and used the capital that she had accumulated by teaching tutions. With Rs. 10,000 as the initial capital, she ventured into the exciting world of being your own boss in November 1, 2021.
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Offering Free Tea on First Day
The first day she opened her tea stall, Tuktuki made the smart decision of offering tea to the new customers for free. In an interview with Indian Express, she mentioned that this helped her build rapport with the customers and also get quick feedback from them and make necessary adjustments to the tea.
What MA English Chaiwali’s Father Said
Tuktuki’s father, who works as a van driver, wasn’t too thrilled with her decision of having a tea stall. But like every father who wants to see his child grow and be independent, he also came around. A News18 report quoted Tuktuki’s father saying, “Initially I was not happy with her decision, as we educated her with the hope that she would become a teacher and she ended up wanting to sell tea. I reconsidered and thought that if this is her decision so as to become self-reliant, then that’s good”.
