In 2015, 23-year-old entrepreneur Bala Sarda from Kolkata decided to bridge a gap he noticed in India’s tea industry — the absence of a direct link between Indian tea growers and global consumers. While India produced some of the finest teas in the world, most were exported through middlemen, losing both freshness and fair returns to farmers. Determined to change that, Sarda launched Vahdam India from his small bedroom with just ₹5 lakh from personal savings.
A Humble Beginning
In the early days, operations were anything but glamorous. Sarda sourced single-origin teas from plantations in Darjeeling and Assam, packaging them himself and shipping them through local couriers. With a basic e-commerce website and early listings on Amazon, he began selling directly to tea lovers in India and abroad. Orders were modest — around 50 packs a month — but they steadily grew as customers were drawn to the brand’s authenticity and promise of “farm-fresh” teas delivered without intermediaries.
Using social media and word-of-mouth, Vahdam quickly built a small but loyal customer base. What stood out was its transparency: each package carried details about the origin, harvest, and farmer, allowing consumers to know exactly where their tea came from. This focus on ethical sourcing and storytelling set Vahdam apart in a crowded marketplace dominated by traditional exporters.
Brewing Global Recognition
By 2018, just three years after its launch, Vahdam India had achieved ₹50 crore in annual revenue — a remarkable feat for a bootstrapped startup in a legacy industry. The company’s growth was driven by its direct-to-consumer (D2C) model, a strategy uncommon in India’s traditional tea trade.
Vahdam leveraged e-commerce platforms and its own website to reach global markets directly. The brand found early traction in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, where consumers were increasingly seeking sustainable and authentic products. Its focus on freshness — shipping teas within weeks of harvest — became its core differentiator.
The brand also expanded its portfolio to include superfoods, herbal blends, and wellness teas, aligning with global trends around health and sustainability. Today, Vahdam’s range is available in over 120 countries, with strong distribution networks in North America and Europe.
Staying Ethical and Sustainable
While scaling rapidly, Vahdam has maintained its commitment to ethical practices. The company’s “TEAch Me” initiative channels a portion of profits toward supporting the education of tea growers’ children. It has also taken steps toward plastic-neutral and carbon-neutral operations, positioning itself as a responsible global brand.
Sarda’s philosophy has been clear — to build a global Indian brand that competes on quality, sustainability, and trust rather than low prices. “We wanted to change the perception of Indian brands globally and bring our teas directly from the farms to the consumers’ cups,” Sarda said in an interview.
Recognition and Growth
Vahdam’s remarkable journey has earned international recognition. It has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, and its teas have found fans among global celebrities and influencers. The brand has raised ethical funding from investors while maintaining majority ownership, ensuring that its original vision remains intact.
The company’s valuation has grown steadily, with annual revenues crossing ₹300 crore. From a single-bedroom startup, it now operates out of modern offices and has multiple fulfilment centers in India and abroad.
A Global Indian Success Story
Vahdam’s journey represents the evolving story of Indian entrepreneurship — where tradition meets technology, and local products find global relevance. Bala Sarda’s blend of innovation and integrity has shown that a business rooted in Indian heritage can compete and win on the world stage.
What began as an experiment in a Kolkata apartment has turned into a global tea empire, redefining how Indian teas are marketed and experienced worldwide. Vahdam’s success is not just about revenue growth — it’s a story of how a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs is reclaiming traditional industries through innovation, ethics, and global vision.
Last Updated on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 6:41 pm by Startup Magazine Team
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