Anushree Jhawar
Sakshi Gaur
Akanksha Raj
Sachin Govenker
Rohan Chauhan
Goa Institute of Management
Divya Singhal
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The company makes tea bags that are made of leaves. The bags are essentially two compressed leaves and a bud (unopened leaf at the tip of a branch), tied with a raw and naturally grown cotton string. Once discarded compost can be used in the form of manure. All the plucking and tying of the leaves are done by previously unemployed women of the city.
This is the real-life story of Upamanyu Borkakoty, a man from a small town in Assam whose actions have transformed the lives of rural tea farmers.
Initially, Upamanyu was working in corporate, during this time he used to drink green tea sold in shops with teabags, it tasted bitter, so eventually he stopped drinking it.
During One of his visits to his hometown, Assam, Upamanyu came across a farmer trying to sell green tea directly to the shopkeeper, saying that it tastes different, so Upamanyu heard this and brought 2-3 packets, and after drinking this tea he realized that green tea is not supposed to be bitter and the factories are unable to market their product properly, so he realized this gap in the market and started learning more about this. He went to China, where he visited many estates, to gain more information, eventually, he quit his corporate job and started working on this
After this, he established The Tea Leaf Theory (TTLT) in 2015 as a platform for small organic tea farmers to source tea.
At brewing temperature, one tea bag releases 3.1 billion nano-plastic particles and 11.6 billion micro-plastic particles into a cup to overcome this problem, Upamanyu developed the first-of-its-kind dip with eco-friendly bags made of leaves.
The bags, which were introduced under the Wooláh brand and are known as Truedips, are made of two compressed leaves and a bud (an unopened leaf at the end of a branch), each weighing about two grams, and are formed into a cylindrical shape. A raw, naturally grown cotton string is used to tie the bags.
This product has zero environmental impact at every level, from production to disposal, leaving its mark on the creation of a sustainable lifestyle for all involved parties.
"I was in a grocery shop and there was a farmer who was trying to sell a bag full of green teas. He told me that those were handmade tea bags and not the regular green tea bags that were bitter. So, I bought like 2-3 packets from that and found that the taste was different and very good…”, recalls Upamanyu from his first authentic green tea experience.
According to Upamanyu, this was the striking point of his journey. Post this experience, he realized that this is an amazing product, but the producers are not able to market the produce. Hence, a gap was identified which had to be bridged. Initially, the founders researched a lot about the tea cultures in countries like China, Japan, et cetera, and identified how the quality could be replicated in Assam.
“I belong to Assam, and I always had this thing in mind that I need to go back and do something for this region. There is immense potential and amount of workforce in the rural parts of Assam, and this is something that I already had in mind…” says Upamanyu.
The founders of Woolah Tea were working in the corporate world before they started chasing their dream. According to Upamanyu, the shift from the comfortable corporate world and the luxuries big cities had to offer was challenging. Furthermore, the biggest problem was to encourage the small-scale farmers to grow organic green tea by the desired methods. Initially, Woolah Tea found it hard to find farmers who grow tea organically, since inorganically grown tea gave more produce and hence more benefits. But all the problems were taken over once the farmers started reaping the benefits the company had to offer as employers.
Woolah (pronounced as Ulah) means happiness in Assamese, the main objectives of it were to create and innovate the teas for the future, in a way that it also supports rural livelihood, to create gainful employment for rural women, and also to make organic farming a very sustainable and a profitable business for the small farmers. Upmanyu the founder of Woolah, got the idea in a grocery store where he encountered a small organic farmer selling green tea that tasted sweet rather than bitter. Since its inception, Woolah has been able to generate employment and currently around 144 unemployed women have been employed who get around 20-25% better wage than industry standards. The innovation not only eliminates the unnoticed issue of micro-plastic in tea bags but also creates employment for small farmers and women in those rural areas. The products offered by the company have zero impact on the environment at each stage from production to disposal, leaving its mark in creating a sustainable living for all the associated stakeholders.
Before Woolah, came The Tea Leaf Theory. Upamanyu cofounded The Tea Leaf Theory in 2015 with his friend. It is a B2B company. Its objective is to support and advertise regional, organic, and sustainable tea plantations. Some of the best rare craft teas are produced by these estates in Assam, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.Traditional growing techniques that have been passed down from their ancestors through the years are used by the farmers who are a part of The Tea Leaf Theory. They have refrained from using harmful and expensive chemicals in order to preserve the land for future generations. This initiative also helps to sustain the organic movement by encouraging more farmers to launch their own businesses. They are able to raise their standard of living as a result.
Now, the innovation of Woolah Tea, a B2C brand, heavily benefitted their business. They were able to raise 2 crore for 20% of the company which reflects the profitability of the company and the trust of investors in them.
This innovation took simple tea leaves and transformed them into something so unique and sustainable for the consumers.
The main objective was to create and innovate the teas for the future, in a way that also supports rural livelihood and creates gainful employment for rural women, and also makes organic farming a very sustainable and profitable business for small farmers.
One tea bag release around 11.6 billion micro-plastic particles and 3.1 million nano-plastic particles in a cup at a brewing temperature. This is almost equivalent to the size of one credit card, and this is what humans are consuming today. To tackle this problem, the company has come up with a one-of-its-kind dip with eco-friendly bags that are made of leaves. The bags are essentially two compressed leaves and a bud (unopened leaf at the tip of a branch) weighing around two grams and shaped in a cylindrical form, tied with a raw and naturally grown cotton string. Once the tea bag is discarded, it can be turned into compost and be given back to the nature in form of manure.
The main objective was not just micro-plastic but also to present the tea the way it should be. Also, they have been able to generate employment, and currently, around 144 unemployed women have been employed who get around 20 to 25% better wages than industry standards. Furthermore, to facilitate and motivate people to work efficiently, the company also provides flexible working hours for all employees and pays them overtime incentives, if incurred. They also support the education of their employees’ children by providing them with books, stationery, and support for their employees’ families, which they do not count under CSR activity.
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