India Runs On Chai At Chai Point...

India Runs On Chai. This seems apt to say as the most loved beverage in our country could as well be considered as the uncontested winner for the titular role of a National Beverage.

Among the frontrunners, when it comes to Chai being marketed in the food and beverage sector, are two prominent players with their respective demarcated target audiences - Chai Point and Chaayos.

While I have been to Chaayos multiple times in the past, recently I had a chance to try all that Chai Point had to offer, on the occasion of a Blogger's Meet being organized at their Cyber Hub outlet with their GM - Delhi & NCR, Shashank Sharma in attendance.

Must I admit in the beginning itself that Chai Point should set foot in my vicinity soon enough, because more than the quality and taste of their products, I was fascinated, rather compelled to appreciate their strategic methodology - from training their staff to delivering quality tea and snacks to being one tech-savvy Chai Retailer to caring for the environment - Chai Point does it all with panache.

Founded in 2010, Chai Point is the brainchild of Amuleek Bijral and had begun with its first pilot store setting base in Bangalore. From then on,  Chai Point has rapidly grown to become the go-to brand for a perfectly brewed cup of Chai with over 3,00,000 cups sold every day.

Having expanded from Bangalore to Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, Chai Point has a variety of Hot Chai, Iced Chai, Shakes; and bite-sized Made-For-Chai snacks to offer.

The unveiling of their newest Jaggery Chai, on the occasion of World Health Day, along with some flavorful Iced Tea variants and unconventional Shakes formed for my reason to pay these folks a visit.

With Shashank, Rohit, and Kehkashan greeting me with a hearty smile, we begun with getting to know Chai Point better – from the perspectives of tea being their priori'TEA’, how they keep their promise of delivering a quality cup of Chai each time to patrons, integrating Internet Of Things and cloud-based services in the form of SHARK (for suppliers and warehouse) and boxC.in (dispensers for corporate clients) to tackle accessibility and convenience constraints to uphold quality and taste of their products at all times, and attempting to make a positive contribution towards the environment.

Chai Point’s claim to fame is their heat-retaining disposable flask which is partially recyclable and sports a five-layer insulation that keeps steaming Chai hot for a good fifty minutes. Also, their Chai-on-Call is perfect for times when a craving for that steaming cuppa arises.

Also, some of their in-house Made For Chai bite-sized snacks that perfectly complement a cup of Chai include Multigrain Biscuits, Mathri, Cake Rusk, Quinoa Puff, Gud Chana, Masala Peanuts and Cornflakes Mix.

Here's what all was presented at the launch of their new beverages on the occasion of World Health Day...

• Jaggery Chai ditched the usual sugar and instead opted for a healthier sweetening agent for the much-loved beverage that is Tea. 

Some 'Summer Chillers' were launched as new additions to their Iced Teas and Shakes sections respectively. These drinks are marketed in glass bottles that are perfect to serve the purpose of portability as Chai Point's consumer base in Gurgaon consists of working professionals who are always on the go.

• Cranberry Iced Tea
• Peach Iced Tea
• Imli Jaljeera Iced Tea 
• Green Chai Lemonade 

Both shakes were of a thick consistency and scored with the perfect flavors.

• Chili Guava Shake reminded me of the guava slices that I am accustomed to having with that tangy seasoning.
  
• Berry Blast Shake was all about a mix and match of an assortment of berries. 

Some of the snacks that went along with these newly introduced teas included the following:

• Schezwan Noodles Samosa in which chili noodles replaced the usual potato filling. 

• Matara Kulcha that had a generous filling of peas. 

• Roasted Vegetable Sandwich 

• Chicken Tikka Sandwich 

• Egg Puff 

• Omelette Pav 

The meet ended on a sweet note with the following bite-sized desserts that had on-point flavors to offer:

• Banana Cake 

• Masala Chai Cake 

• Brownie 

Also witnessed some of their newest infusions by appreciating a whiff of authentic tea leaves paired with an assortment of crushed spices that came in flavors like Rose, Cardamom, and Kashmiri Kahwa.

I feel like this is a fresh beginning for Chai Point and I wish them all the luck in exploring new areas to further spread the love for Chai all across the nation. After all, India Runs On Chai! :)