The brand currently has over 275 authorised distributors as part of its network in six states of the country, servicing over 50,000 outlets directly
Bengaluru: Jivraj9 is known for its high-quality tea blends, made from leaves sourced from the finest tea estates of Assam and handpicked by trained artisans. Add a robust supply chain and distribution model that caters to customers pan India, and we have a tea company that has been going strong for eight decades.
Story of growth
Tea has always been a popular beverage in India. However, it was essentially an unorganised sector when Jivraj9 had its humble beginnings over eight decades ago. “In those days, tea was primarily sold in loose bags. Word of mouth and customer relationships were paramount in determining a brand’s reputation. There were few players in the sector and the competition was much less than today,” shares Viren Shah, Chairman and MD, Jivraj9 Tea Group.
Jivraj9 was founded by Sureshchandra Jivraj Shah as a small tea shop selling varieties of loose tea, with each blend having a unique peculiarity and being denoted as a number. The ‘No. 9’ blend was the most sold variety of tea, which gave Jivraj9 its name.
The brand started with an offline model, catering to the state of Gujarat only. Gradually, it expanded its presence across the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. “Over the years, several brands have come up in the sector, and competition has become stiff. The initial challenge for us was to remain a preferred brand for customers and keep in sync with new developments,” says Shah.
Today, Jivraj9 is available nationwide and has even forayed into e-commerce. Its customers across India can directly order its products through its website. The Jivraj9 Tea Group is one of India’s leading tea companies, with an annual turnover of over Rs. 400 crores (approx.). “At Jivraj9, we take pride in our legacy. We are among the top seven packaged tea brands in India.
Our various blends are handpicked from the finest tea gardens in Assam and pass stringent quality checks before reaching customers,” reveals Shah. Think tea blends that stand out for their impeccable taste and strong aroma, and catapult tea lovers’ senses to a new high, making them feel fresh and energetic from the first sip.
Innovation at the core
Jivraj9 specialises in crush-tear-curl (CTC) leaf tea full of flavour, aroma, colour and taste. “As a ‘Make in India’ brand, we are committed to strengthening the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Our tea is sourced from the best tea estates of Assam and handpicked by trained artisans. We have a robust supply chain and distribution model to cater to customers pan India,” adds Shah. The brand currently has over 275 authorised distributors as part of its network in six states of the country, servicing over 50,000 outlets directly. “Our vision is to associate more distributors with us to have product reach every 500 metres in India,” continues Shah.
Being customer ready
At the heart of the brand is a strong focus on quality. “We believe that a company’s market scope revolves around maintaining the quality and taste of the product. Jivraj9 has been providing world-class quality and taste since its inception,” shares Shah.
The brand employs state-of-the-art technology and technical know-how in its in-house quality control laboratory and automated blending and packaging machine to ensure that only the finest-quality tea blends reach consumers. To enhance operational efficiency, Jivraj9 offers traceability in manufacturing, from raw material to finished product, all documented digitally through SAP (German technology software).
Jivraj9 is also known for its innovative business practices. It forayed into quick-service restaurants (QSRs) to tap into the tapri chai [roadside tea stall] culture in India. “In India, the trend of selling tapri chai in an unorganised market has grown to another level. This made us come up with the concept of selling tea in QSR format,” explains Shah. And so ‘Kitlee – Chai Pe Hi!’ was launched as a cool joint where people can sit and enjoy varieties of teas and snacks.
In the future, Jivraj9 plans to expand its operations in the south and the north of India. In the next five years, the brand aims to capture 3% to 4% of the total market share in the country’s tea sector through its robust distribution strategy.
Brownie Points
- Jivraj9 is among the top seven packaged tea brands in India.
- The brand is the first in the industry to introduce a zipper tea pack.
- It was also the first brand to introduce a 1 kg tea pack.
- Jivraj9 currently has over 275 authorised distributors as part of its network in six states of the country, servicing over 50,000 outlets directly.
- The brand forayed into quick-service restaurants (QSRs) with ‘Kitlee – Chai Pe Hi!’, a cool joint where people can sit and enjoy varieties of teas and snacks.
First appeared in The India D2C Yearbook 2022
