We all have a dream. A dream study in a reputed university, bag a valuable degree and secure our dream job. If only life was that easy and success was so directly guaranteed. Ganesh Dudhnale, a resident of Maharashtra had a dream of graduating from a private engineering college in Vapi, Gujarat and securing a well-paid engineering job. Alas, his dream remain unfulfilled. After being unable to secure a good engineering job, Ganesh Dudhnale decided to make his backup plan of starting a tea business, his sole focus. Enter Chai Makers, which has 7 outlets today, with Ganesh earning lakhs. Here’s his story that will inspire aspirant graduates to chart new paths.
Failing To Secure Engineering Job
After graduating from a private engineering college in Vapi, Gujarat in 2019, Ganesh Dudhnale sat for campus placements. He revealed to The Better India, that the companies he applied to wouldn’t offer him more than ₹12,000 per month. At that moment, Ganesh realised his skills and knowledge were unappreciated as he wasn’t offered the salary he deserved. At that moment, he decided to make his backup plan, his business. Chai.
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Inspiration To Start Tea Business, His Backup Plan
As a fan of India’s beloved beverage, chai, Ganesh always wanted to have a tea business. But not an ordinary stall that sold traditional tea flavours with ingredients like ginger, cardamom and tulsi. He wanted to have his own tea business that served tea with a modern twist. After thorough research, Ganesh decided on opting for a Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) model for his tea business. With fairly low costs, high returns and popularity amongst people of every age group, a QSR tea outlet seemed like the perfect business idea.
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Starting Chai Makers- A QSR Model For Tea
But Ganesh’s father, a grocery store owner, wasn’t impressed with his son’s venture. Ganesh stated to The Better India that he explained his goal of opening a QSR tea outlet that offered tea to customers in a hygienic manner. That’s when his father decided to invest ₹6 lakhs in his business. With this capital, Ganesh opened a small kiosk called Chai Makers at Vapi Railway Station. He started by offering Masala chai to passengers at the station. But this was just the beginning. The entrepreneur had bigger ideas. He wanted to stand apart from the crowd. And 6 months later, he met Pradeep Jadhav, a businessman, who came across his startup and decided to collaborate with him. There was no looking back since then.
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Chai Makers Serves Tea With Modern Twist
After the additional investment, Ganesh developed a range of tea products. Apart from traditional flavours, Chaimakers specialised in natural fruit flavours, butterscotch, caramel and vanilla flavours too. Serving 20 types of tea and 15 varieties of coffee, hot chocolate, shakes and snacks, Chaimakers slowly became a household name in Gujarat. Guests could visit 7 outlets of the tea brand and devour unique types of tea including the banarasi paan flavour that isn’t available in other places. Purchase the natural tea premix powders and also enjoy them in the comfort of their homes.
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As for Ganesh, he earns ₹8000 per day from each of the 7 outlets. Ganesh makes ₹3 lakhs per month from his tea business. He aspires to open 100 Chai Makers QSR outlets in Gujarat and 1000 across India. His determination and never-say-never attitude truly sets a fine example for aspiring graduates. Entrepreneurship is the way to go.