Mumbai: Tata Consumer Products Limited launched Tata Tea Premium - Street Chais of India, a range of teas that honour the distinct flavours inspired by the streets of India. The launch ceremony was held at Versova Metro station, where Puneet Das, President - Packaged Beverages (India and South Asia), Tata Consumer Products, revealed the new tea collection. To commemorate the event, the Mumbai Metro, a source of pride for the city, was adorned with the brand's Mumbai Cutting Chai, which honours the streets and lifestyle of Mumbai. To take forward this approach, the voice that represents the street, renowned rapper, Aarya Jadhao, performed a specially crafted rap that embodied the vibrant essence of Mumbai's street chai culture within the metro.
Tata Tea Premium is known for its 'hyper local' approach to creating distinct blends, and the Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India collection has expanded on this approach by not only evoking pride and nostalgia but also bringing alive the hustle and bustle of the city streets with its iconic street chais. The brand wants to offer this experience to its consumers by bringing flavours inspired by four different regions of India to their homes. The range includes four iconic variants inspired by the signature flavours from the streets of India - Kolkata Street Chai, Mumbai Cutting Chai, Purani Dilli ki Mithai Chai, and Hyderabadi Irani Chai.
The classic green colour and the rectangular box rightly bring out the premiumness of the brand and highlight the story behind each variant. The four packs have unique packaging, representing the pride of each city and its various iconic elements. The Mumbai pack exemplifies the city's pride by featuring the iconic red double-decker bus with the majestic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in the background. Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India is a collection that appreciates and celebrates the very local street flavours of India.
Indiantelevision caught up with Puneet Das, President - Packaged Beverages (India and South Asia), Tata Consumer Products at the launch event, where he spoke to us on the concept of launching “Street Chai’s of India’ in a Metro and much more……
On the initiative
Tea is a unifier in this entire country and mass produced but having said that, food and beverage choices in India are very localised, people love their region-specific based flavours, so we started with hyper-local blends around 2018 - 2019, just before COVID. Tata Tea Premium is known for its 'hyper local' approach to creating distinct blends, and the Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India collection has expanded on this approach by not only evoking pride and nostalgia but also bringing alive the hustle and bustle of the city streets with its iconic street chais. Our strength has always been making blends, which will cater to the region specific. We started communicating and the marketing mix was curated, we had a plan, and we had the packaging recommendation. Then we said how we take this idea closer to the consumer, especially from an innovation point of view, and then this idea that we offer consumers in the North of India, to try it out in the comfort of their homes. Hence a lot of research was done and the team went and did research with the chai wallahs in terms of spices, blends, and all that.
We were inspired by the cities and we also wanted to represent the four regions. So hence, we have launched these four varieties, Kolkata Street Chai, Purani Dilli ki Mithai Chai, Hyderabadi Irani Chai and the quick essential Mumbai’s cutting Chai. The best part is that even if you're not had it, but heard about it, it's an offering that you can enjoy. The price is also just right, Premium Tea sells at Rs 130, and this is at Rs 145. It's a very affordable option and at the same time, it's a flavor that one would want to try out and everyone has their favourites. We're seeing a lot of success, the initial response that we've got has been very encouraging; people love the taste and variants of it. So that's why we're here today to launch this in Mumbai and launch it in this unique fashion, which is on a ride in the metro.
As the concept was ‘Street Chais of India’,which represents the spirit and the street of every city. Hence, we thought that the Metro, or railways have always been the lifeline of any city and especially Mumbai. The Metro is not only the present but the future of Mumbai. We decided and said that it's a great medium; we got some great partners to work with us on putting together this concept. We also then decided to get the street voice to complement this. As hip hop has always represented the street voice of the people, we got in collaboration with this lovely artist Aarya Jadhao who not only is an upcoming hip hop artist, but a very talented one who also epitomises the Marathi spirit and, you know, the Mumbaikar spirit so to speak. She made this lovely song in quick time and we're very happy to have her at this event.
On branding beyond the Mumbai Metro
This is the launch event, more of a kick-start of the journey, and we'll evaluate the outdoor opportunity, but I think it was more important and there would be a series of activities which will start soon. This will make consumers aware of this brand and the various flavours we are offering.
On the opening of exclusive Tea bars on the lines of Coffee bars.
We had piloted in our previous avatar, when we were Tata Global Beverages, we had started with a retail format called Tata Cha, which was piloted in Bangalore. Then we integrated with Tata Chemicals and became the new avatar of Tata consumer products and our focus is now only basically FMCG. Hence we've sort of exited out of that.
I'll tell you why coffee also is an experience in cafes and always because outside of the South, coffee is still an experimental category. People in fact from Delhi or Mumbai have discovered coffee more in cafes as it is not made at home so much. Cafes are more a place where you catch up with friends over conversations and a category which is less nascent but more experienced. Whereas tea you have grown up drinking in your home. Your day starts with the tea over here and that's why coffee is a nascent category growing in these markets while in the south it's a habit.
On Tata Tea Premium’s market share and variants
We are the top two players nationally. We have various variants, The Mumbai cutting chai is supposed to also bring out that exactly so, we have a blend called Premium product Chai and it is a blend which gives you a nice strong cup of tea. This variant is more of the cutting Chai, it's more a tribute to the cutting chai, which has a little more spicy taste, other ingredients are in it to capture what most consumers in Bombay or Maharashtra would prefer.
