From ₹1 lakh to ₹100 crore: How two friends built 'Blue Tea' into a herbal tea brand
Blue Tea recorded ₹65 crore in revenue in FY2024-25 and is currently operating at around ₹80-85 crore. The founders expect the business to cross the ₹100 crore ARR milestone by October-November
- Sep 2, 2026,
- Updated Sep 2, 2026 9:30 AM IST
What started as an idea between two friends from different states has grown into a herbal tea business approaching an annual run rate (ARR) of ₹100 crore.
West Bengal’s Sunil Chandra Saha and Uttar Pradesh’s Nitesh Singh founded Blue Tea in 2018 with an initial investment of just ₹50,000 each.
From ‘Pitchers’ inspiration to herbal tea
The duo first met in 2011 while working their first jobs in Chennai. Saha, who studied microbiology and marketing, and Singh, who comes from a rural management background, were inspired by the television series Pitchers to build a venture of their own, according to Navbharat Times.
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The business idea emerged after Saha came across an article about a purple-coloured drink. Further research showed that caffeine-free tea made from butterfly pea flowers was already popular in Southeast Asia, while the segment had little organised presence in India.
The founders launched Blue Tea in 2018 with a combined capital of ₹1 lakh.
From Thailand imports to Indian farmers
Initially, the company faced difficulties importing butterfly pea flowers from Thailand. The founders subsequently began searching for domestic sources and discovered that neelkanth, or aparajita flowers, were widely available in India but were primarily used for religious purposes.
DON'T MISS: How Gen Z start-up founders are rewriting the country’s innovation playbook
Since farmers had no established practice of drying the flowers, Blue Tea trained them in drying and processing techniques. The company began working with small and marginal farmers, many of whom cultivated neelkanth as a border crop under guava trees.
Blue Tea purchased the flowers at around ₹700 per kg, helping increase participating farmers’ monthly incomes from about ₹5,000 to ₹16,000-17,000, according to Navbharat Times.
60 herbs, 30 blends and 200 SKUs
The company began with three blends and five herbs. It has since expanded its portfolio to more than 60 herbs, 30 blends and over 200 SKUs.
Around 60 farmers in a village near Kanpur now grow herbs specifically for the company, according to Navbharat Times. Blue Tea also has farming contracts across Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The brand sells through e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit and Zepto, with products reaching consumers within 20-30 days.
ALSO READ: 10-gram breakthrough: Mumbai start-up cracks critical missile technology with DRDO funding
Revenue nears ₹100 crore
Blue Tea recorded ₹65 crore in revenue in FY2024-25 and is currently operating at around ₹80-85 crore. The founders expect the business to cross the ₹100 crore ARR milestone by October-November.
The brand has expanded to 11 countries and entered the top 10 tea brands in the US. Partnerships with IndiGo flights and Bluestone jewellery stores have further boosted its visibility.
What started as an idea between two friends from different states has grown into a herbal tea business approaching an annual run rate (ARR) of ₹100 crore.
West Bengal’s Sunil Chandra Saha and Uttar Pradesh’s Nitesh Singh founded Blue Tea in 2018 with an initial investment of just ₹50,000 each.
From ‘Pitchers’ inspiration to herbal tea
The duo first met in 2011 while working their first jobs in Chennai. Saha, who studied microbiology and marketing, and Singh, who comes from a rural management background, were inspired by the television series Pitchers to build a venture of their own, according to Navbharat Times.
READ THIS: Less than $1 per tonne-km: Bengaluru startup announces autonomous seaplane to cut cargo costs
The business idea emerged after Saha came across an article about a purple-coloured drink. Further research showed that caffeine-free tea made from butterfly pea flowers was already popular in Southeast Asia, while the segment had little organised presence in India.
The founders launched Blue Tea in 2018 with a combined capital of ₹1 lakh.
From Thailand imports to Indian farmers
Initially, the company faced difficulties importing butterfly pea flowers from Thailand. The founders subsequently began searching for domestic sources and discovered that neelkanth, or aparajita flowers, were widely available in India but were primarily used for religious purposes.
DON'T MISS: How Gen Z start-up founders are rewriting the country’s innovation playbook
Since farmers had no established practice of drying the flowers, Blue Tea trained them in drying and processing techniques. The company began working with small and marginal farmers, many of whom cultivated neelkanth as a border crop under guava trees.
Blue Tea purchased the flowers at around ₹700 per kg, helping increase participating farmers’ monthly incomes from about ₹5,000 to ₹16,000-17,000, according to Navbharat Times.
60 herbs, 30 blends and 200 SKUs
The company began with three blends and five herbs. It has since expanded its portfolio to more than 60 herbs, 30 blends and over 200 SKUs.
Around 60 farmers in a village near Kanpur now grow herbs specifically for the company, according to Navbharat Times. Blue Tea also has farming contracts across Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The brand sells through e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit and Zepto, with products reaching consumers within 20-30 days.
ALSO READ: 10-gram breakthrough: Mumbai start-up cracks critical missile technology with DRDO funding
Revenue nears ₹100 crore
Blue Tea recorded ₹65 crore in revenue in FY2024-25 and is currently operating at around ₹80-85 crore. The founders expect the business to cross the ₹100 crore ARR milestone by October-November.
The brand has expanded to 11 countries and entered the top 10 tea brands in the US. Partnerships with IndiGo flights and Bluestone jewellery stores have further boosted its visibility.