How this Master Tea Blender Built One of the Fastest Growing Hot Beverages Startups in India The Good Life Company, popularly known as TGL, sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with deep focus on natural, fresh and clean ingredients

Blenders Pride Reserve Collection presented Entrepreneur India's 35Under35 2020 list which included some leading names from the field of entrepreneurship and Bhuman Dani made it to the coveted list.

The year 2013-14 was one of the most memorable years of Bhuman Dani's life hitherto. Not only was Dani proud to be accepted to the class of July 2014 at INSEAD but was also living his dream when he was offered a job at The Boston Consulting Group in its London office. London was where he got exposed to the world of specialty tea and coffee. Spending almost every Friday at the Amanzi tearoom at Marylebone after work became his routine.

"The thought of starting TGL Cooccurred to me first when I walked into the East India Company store on Conduit Street. With no background in the world of specialty teas or coffees, this experience opened my mind to brews, blends and blades. But this appetiser only fuelled my thirst for more knowledge in this space. So I began my apprenticeship with Jane Pettigrew, one of the most renowned master blenders of tea in the world, and learnt about teas, origins and influence of botanicals in creating the perfect blend. On conducting some extensive research on the business landscape for specialty tea in India which included personally speaking with the founders of almost every tea company, I decided to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams," Dani fondly recalls.

The Good Life Company, popularly known as TGL is one of the fastest growing hot beverages start-ups in India that sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with deep focus on natural, fresh and clean ingredients.

The company's online business has been the forerunner of its phenomenal growth. Dani shares, "We have grown from just 700 orders in June 2019 to 10,000 orders in November 2019 while revenues have grown 12X in the same time period. Our ultimate aim is to create a Rs 100 crore revenue brand by 2024."

With innovation and quality as the underlying ethos of the brand, TGL intends to spend in R&D to continue to drive innovation in its product portfolio. "The idea is to scale-up and go the mainstream route without compromising on the values, ethics and offering - in essence, maintaining the DNA associated with TGL including clean sourcing, high quality raw materials, sustainable production and innovation," he says.

Talking Teas

• Bestseller: Mogo Mogo, a green tea mixed with mango, banana, melon, guava, sunflowers, cornflowers and passion flower leaves.
• Presence: TGL retails at more than 300 outlets across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi-NCR including popular modern trade stores.
• Strength: TGL grew from a team of 20+ professionals to over 150 in 2019.
• Exports: Bullish on the Middle Eastern market, especially UAE, besides looking to tap additional geographies like the US, the UK, Singapore and parts of Africa.
  
  (This article was first published in the February 2020 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, click here)