How Dr. Rupali Ambegaonkar is brewing success with innovative tea blends?

Interview with Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar, Woman Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of Tea Culture of the World

Dr. Rupali Ambegaonkar is a women entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Tea Culture of the World. She have an MBBS degree from Lokmanya Tilak Medical School, Sion, Mumbai, and an MS in orthopedics from GS Medical College, Mumbai. 

Her greatest gift, her daughter’s medical condition, prompted her to take a break from her profession and eventually turned her into a tea sommelier.

Rupali has always had a passion for tea, and it all started when a friend from China gifted her a classic tea that sparked my interest in the art and science of tea culture.

Rupali decided to dedicate her life to studying and blending teas and eventually started her own company in 2014.

Today, Tea Culture of the World offers a range of herbal and flavored teas from around the world and has become a successful brand.

In her free time, Rupali enjoy mentoring female entrepreneurs and empowering them to lead independent lives.

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: It has been a rollercoaster ride. I chose something that I was interested in and tried to scale it. I learnt from each of my failures and most importantly how to stay high when you’re at all time low and how to stay low when you’re at an all time high.

Kindly brief us about your company, its specialization, and the services that it offers

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Tea Culture of the World (TCW) is a tea company founded in 2010. The company specializes in providing high-quality, handcrafted blends of herbal and flavored teas sourced from various regions around the world.

TCW uses freeze-drying techniques to preserve the nutritional value, flavor, and texture of the ingredients, and uses biodegradable Soilon tea bags to reduce its environmental impact.

The company offers a range of loose-leaf teas, infusion tea bags, and gift collections, and has a presence in over 200 stores across India. TCW serves a diverse client base, including 5-star hotels, airlines, and corporate office canteens

What is your biggest USP

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: The company’s biggest USP is its commitment to providing high-quality, handcrafted blends of herbal and flavored teas sourced from various regions around the world.

The company uses freeze-drying techniques to preserve the nutritional value, flavor, and texture of the ingredients, and uses biodegradable Soilon tea bags, which are 100% biodegradable, to reduce its environmental impact.

What made you choose this type of business?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: The FMCG industry is always fascinating and so dynamic. Tea as a beverage captured my interest since the beginning and so I ventured into making Tea culture of the world with an aim to offer the finest tea experience to the world.

What was your mission and vision at the outset?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: My mission is to make TCW a global brand, and I’m committed to constantly manufacturing and offering the best tea mixes to the world.

My vision is to scale TCW pan-India and then, at a global level, make it a 100-crore revenue generating company.

What is your Leadership Mantra

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Stay focused, be consistent, and be patient. Move toward your goals with the right set of priorities.

What’s your company’s goals?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Make Tea culture of the world, get it into the 100-crore club, and make it a finest pan-India brand and then a globally renowned one.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: I had no plans of being an entrepreneur. I just found my passion and nurtured my interests and when one thing led to another, I found myself walking this path of what people call an ‘entrepreneurial journey

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Entrepreneurship is all about the highs and lows. Every entrepreneur will experience failures at some point in their career, and it’s important to learn from these failures in order to grow and improve.

Two things that I have learned is to trust the process and delegate work. Your bandwidth as an entrepreneur will be exhausted soon if you try to do everything.

Second, do your research and have a plan in place. Have a Plan A and a Plan B. This will allow you to anticipate challenges and also provide a roadmap to overcome them.

Key things to consider before starting a Business

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Whether you have the patience and bandwidth to endure the journey. If you don’t, you will burn out really quickly.

Have a clear plan and a strong support network. If you feel that this pursuit of yours is taking a lot more from you than you have to give, it is time to take a step back and rethink your goals.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: When you start your own business, you want everything to be perfect, so you tend to do everything by yourself.

Not being able to delegate work enough is the biggest mistake. Another one is not having a proper plan in place and anticipating challenges.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: If I had one piece of advice for someone just starting their own business, it would be to believe in yourself and your vision.

As an entrepreneur, you will face many challenges and obstacles, and it’s important to have confidence in yourself and your abilities to overcome them.

This confidence will help you stay motivated and focused on your goals, and it will also inspire others to believe in your vision and support your business.

Your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar: Stay focused and determined. Starting and running a successful business requires a lot of hard work and determination.

Stay focused on your goals and don’t give up, even when faced with obstacles and setbacks. Entrepreneurship is a constantly evolving field, so be willing to learn and adapt.

Surround yourself with a supportive network.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seeking help from others, whether it’s from mentors, advisers, or even competitors, can be incredibly valuable in growing your business.

Website: https://teacultureoftheworld.com

Explore more Success stories of Indian entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs & startups stories at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn