Over the last few years, green tea has gained popularity among the buyers in India. With the benefits of green and infused tea becoming common, people have been adapting to this hot beverage for several reasons, health being the priority. India has been a country rich with Ayurvedic traditions and knowledge, and the focus of leading a healthy life, with the help of nature, is a concept brands are utilising for developing new products and offering.
Keeping the same in mind, Herbea has launched a range of infusion teas derived from superfoods and from the ancient science of Ayurveda. The brand with holistic experience has recently released its eclectic variety of products, which have been conceptualized as a confluence of legacies, expertise, and vision to create a path to a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The founders of the products have endeavoured to re-create the age-old culture of infusion teas to suit modern lifestyles.
The teas have been curated keeping in mind the varying modern-day sensibilities and lifestyle requirements. Currently, there are seven different variants available which focus on better digestion, fighting diabetes by maintaining sugar balance, removing impurities from the body, cooling the mind from a hectic schedule, helping improve immunity, calm down the nerves, and better metabolism.
The teas are made of ingredients endorsed as highly effective in the science of Ayurveda such as fennel, punarnava, country rose, ananta, coriander, amla, triphala, ginger, among many others.
Herbea is the brainchild of Indraneel Chitale, a fourth-generation member of the famed Chitale group, along with Chinmay Bhosale a dynamic and well-known lawyer and Sukumar Sardeshmukh an Ayurveda expert.
In an exclusive interaction with Mumbai Live, the founder shared information about the product which is launched with an intention to make the value and enigma of Indian herbs and superfoods accessible to the world. Below is the excerpt
Mr Indraneel Chitale - Founder of Herbea
Why did the brand choose to enter the ‘Green Tea’ market?
We are creating niche herbal teas which is a highly specialized segment. In the Indian market, this segment is only emerging and is currently bracketed under the ‘green tea’ segment due to the presence of various common herbs in our products and green teas offered by other players. However, what sets Herbea apart is that we are not offering bitter and tasteless green teas, but, creating unique fusions of Ayurvedic benefits with delightful tastes and we aim to create Herbea as a lifestyle brand renowned for the taste and health benefits of its beverages. We are also working on expanding our product offerings to include chocolates in the future. Hence, even when our current products are categorized under ‘green tea’ segment, we don’t wish to limit ourselves to the green tea market.
What opportunities did you find attractive for the business?
Over the last few decades, Indian herbs and superfoods have made a great impact on the global health and wellness market. There are a number of products which offer the benefit of Ayurveda in beverage, snack and food item forms. Herbea founders have rich multi-generational expertise of Ayurvedic practice and knowledge. Hence, we felt that the time is ripe for us to enter the segment and create a globally renowned brand that offers a unique combination of Ayurveda’s benefits and delightful tastes.
What is the ideology behind using the ‘ancient science of Ayurveda’ message?
Ayurveda is not just a typical home remedy practice, but a science-based, healthcare system that has survived and benefited humanity since ancient times. Infusion teas have been in prevalence in Ayurveda, right from its origin and now Herbea is transforming the age-old practice of fusion teas to create sustainable and natural products that benefit the body and taste buds alike. We are dedicated to offering Ayurvedic benefits such as reduction of stress, improved immunity, improved digestion, agility, stability and detoxification etc through our teas.
How were the flavours chosen? Will the brand expand the flavour availability in months to come?
The choice of flavours was made with a focus on creating products that address the major health challenges caused by lifestyle and dietary habits etc. We created mixes that improve digestion, boost immunity, cool the body, aid in detoxification, reduction of stress etc. Each infusion contained relevant herbs and the natural elements that could make people enjoy popular flavours that complemented the ingredients perfectly. For instance, we merged Amla with Cinnamon to aid in diabetes control and Ashwagandha and Tulsi to boost immunity.
Research and development of new products is a perennial process and we have spent years of extensive research to create the currently available flavours. This is only the first quarter of our operations and based on the consumers’ needs and preferences, we will definitely expand our product portfolio in the times ahead. We are already working on creating a range of chocolates that will have Ayurvedic properties.
What is the distribution strategy? Where will the product be available initially and what’s the expansion blueprint?
At present, Herbea products are being sold online in the direct to consumer model via our website and also on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Soon, we will make the products available on Amazon and other major online platforms too. We are also in talks with a lot of distributors across India who have shown keen interest to keep our products. Our focus in the first quarter hence will be to focus only on distribution and ensure the availability of the products, especially in metros.
What’s in the pipeline for international expansion, considering the concept of Ayurveda has reached different corners of the world?
Herbea is aiming for global expansion and we look forward to making our products available in Japan, Europe, Middle-East, and North America as well as all over India. On the product's front, we will add a range of chocolates to our existing range of herbal infusions. The chocolates will have various Ayurvedic properties and are going to appeal to global taste buds.
Share
Tweet
