Women who have a good support network may push the envelope. That is exactly happened with TeaFit founder Jyoti Bharadwaj on Shark Tank India Season 2, a mother of two kids who earned admirers and funding. She has a Master of Business Administration (MBA, Indian School of Business – ISB) in Finance and Marketing from the Indian School of Business 2013. She lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her business was included in the Top 100 D2C brands.
TeaFit, that offers instant mixes, along with green tea, black tea, and barley tea, a product line under her name advertises beverages that is with "no sugar, no funny chemicals" and are suitable for diabetics. According to her, creating a local company that sells "real brewed iced tea" is a personal endeavour. Continue reading to learn how the mother of two young kids, motivated by her diabetic parents and assisted by her mother-in-law financially and morally, created her own line of healthy drinks in 2021. She received Rs. 50 lakh investment for 8% equity at a valuation of Rs. 6.25 Crore from four "sharks" i.e. Anupam Mittal Founder Shadi.com, Aman Gupta, Co-founder & CMO boAt Lifestyle, Peyush Bansal Co-Founder Lenskart.com and Vineeta Singh CO-Founder & CEO SUGAR Cosmetics on Shark Tank India Season 2. There are two types of brands, according to Jyoti Bharadwaj. one that is created by considering market potential. For instance, you can consider entering the home and décor market and making a lot of money if home décor items are selling like hotcakes. The second category of startups originates in the private sphere. No need to speculate; Bharadwaj falls under the second group. It seems like you are bothered by something or are searching for something but unable to find it. You then decide, "Let me just make it." In my situation, even if it appeals to a big number of people, it originated from a private environment.
When you first start out, no one has faith in you, especially if you are entering a field, you are unfamiliar with. That was the situation Bharadwaj found herself in when she made the decision to start her own company. "Nobody thought that such a drink could even be produced in India. Bharadwaj, who had no prior experience in the beverage industry, claims that she was fired and that they didn't think she was qualified to carry out the task. She claims to have visited practically all the major product development firms in and around Mumbai. She recalls that most of them claimed that no one in India would consume this.
She also observed that since there aren't many women working in manufacturing, most men avoided looking her in the eyes when conversing with her. "In a factory full of guys, I would be the sole woman. They would address the youngster I brought along as though he were the one, they supposed to be speaking to," she claims. She didn't pay attention to this, though. The conditioning is that. They had never observed a woman in this posture, but that has since changed.
India needs more beverages without sugar and that are healthful.
Because of her parents' diabetes, she never drank any sweetened beverages as a child. "There was this one occasion when I visited Japan and was introduced to savoury and energising light drinks. Your tongue isn't coated heavily by them. The businessman, who was born and raised in Patna, Bihar, claims that all of them were created from tea leaves and Japanese herbs. She had the idea to create her own line of nutritious drinks at that point. There are so many diabetics in India. India is frequently referred to as the world's diabetes capital. Indian Journal Of Ophthalmology reports that 77 million Indians were estimated to have diabetes in 2019. What is even more concerning is that by 2045, the number is projected to exceed 134 million. In addition to diabetics, Bharadwaj also aimed to serve the expanding population of people who have become health-conscious in the wake of COVID-19. TeaFit, a beverage that offers the advantages of 15 distinctive Ayurvedic herbs, was created at that time. Black tea, green tea, barley tea, and premixes are all included in the brand's limited selection.
She believes that if you want to start something after marriage and having children, you will finally have to do it yourself. She feels that if you are ferociously ambitious, the assistance you need may be as simple as having people stay out of your way. That is also a tremendous help to her. Although her parents or her in-laws do not live with her, she is aware that she has their approval. She is aware that they are motivated by her success and that they will never criticise her for following her dreams.
The commercial component is one thing. What's more inspiring is how Jyoti Bharadwaj was able to launch her business with the help of her mother-in-law. Even if being a mother requires a full-time commitment, women can overcome any obstacle and achieve the ideal work-life balance with the appropriate passion, support network, and determination. With her two sons supporting her pitch, Jyoti Bharadwaj's debut on Shark Tank India season 2 was touching in and of itself.
In setting up and expanding the firm, her family has been extremely helpful. The first person to invest in TeaFit and Bharadwaj's daughter-in-law's ambitions was, interestingly, her mother-in-law Dr. Urmila Pandey. To Bharadwaj, she presented a cheque for Rs. 10 lakhs. My mother-in-law has always been quite supportive, so I hardly needed to persuade her in the least. According to Bharadwaj, she gave me my first check for TeaFit. Though she doesn't get much involved in day-to-day operations, her mother-in-law offers moral support and serves as a beacon of light. "She drives me like she would drive her own ambition," the wife says of her mother-in-law, who she believes could have changed the game if she were born in a different year. Unrestrained ambition is what I perceive from her.
What about life after Shark Tank India
The businesswoman believes that her inclusion in Shark Tank India was predetermined. People approached her after the show and compliment her on her pitch. "I wanted the brand to be on a national platform and I wanted to make it sell in those 10 to 15 minutes," the woman claims. She wants to reach them because she believes the products sold under her brand are ideal for those who are concerned about their health. According to Bharadwaj, "This funding (from the Sharks) will help to get closer to my dream goal.
"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." Michelle Obama