Bubble tea the new kinda tea for all the health freaks and tea lovers...

Have you ever relished a glass of bubble tea? Wait! First, let me tell you what it is. It is a Taiwanese drink made of tea that includes sweetened milk and fruit flavourings along with balls of tapioca. So, if I'm talking about bubble tea, it means that there's someone associated with it. She is Harshita Jain, a 16-year-old from New Delhi. Her venture provides delicious bubble tea by giving a breather from the strict diet plans people are following these days. Once in a while, taking a tasty break and pampering the taste buds is a good thing and that is exactly what Harshita Jain is doing. A cool glass of tea, flavourings, and pearls of tapioca is all that Harshita is gifting the hungry taste buds of fitness freaks. Let's get into the story of this teenage entrepreneur who says, "There is always time for things we are passionate about. We know it is hard to manage expectations, studies, and socializing, but eventually, it comes down to establishing our priorities. I never saw the business as a chore". 

An Entrepreneur by Blood: 

Harshita Jain is a 16-year-old student from the American Embassy School in New Delhi. Entrepreneurship was always there in her right from her childhood as her growing up years were filled with the stories of her entrepreneur grandfather. He would tell her all the struggles and roadblocks he crossed in order to build the business empire he heads today. Jain was immensely impressed by the journey of her grandfather and eventually cultivated an interest in setting up her own business. Not only this, she always found people who create new things and invent new ideas motivating. In short, the milestones that the older generations crossed with perseverance and the innovative approaches taken by her generation people are the two factors that ignited the entrepreneur in her. She resolved to build something on her own, her brand, and her venture. 

The Wake of an Entrepreneur at YEA! 

Passionate Harshita has enrolled herself into the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program hosted by a number of schools in India that transforms students between the ages of 11 and 18 into real, confident entrepreneurs. During her work at the academy, she attended sessions on business development, market research, strategies of marketing etc. During the brainstorming session for ideas, Harshita who is herself a lover of bubble tea expressed her opinion about its lacking quality in India. She wanted to start a venture that supplies delicious and good quality bubble tea. For this, she also received inputs from her teachers as well as prominent businessmen like the founders of PaperBoat, Myntra, and VegNonveg. Thus, the seeds for Necessiteas, her startup that specializes in making bubble tea, were sown.

The Tasty Bubbles: 

Harshita says that Bubble Tea is a beverage that is primarily based on the infusion of tea with tapioca pearls. "A modern approach has expanded this definition to the infusion of any flavour with tapioca pearls or different types of jellies", she says. She adds that while bubble tea could be any drink, what makes it unique are the “bubbles” or tapioca pearls that we find at the very bottom of the drink. Harshita's thought emerged from the very fact that looks at people who are caught up with healthy options and lifestyle changes. She says that enjoying tastes once in a while is everyone's right and she opines that, that taste should come with quality. Her bubble tea is a way to enjoy a tasty drink while experiencing something new. Necessiteas also offers sugar-free options for all health-conscious people - guilt-free altogether. Necessiteas produces good quality bubble tea that comes in a variety of flavours. The tapioca pearls are imported directly from Taiwan. The main aim of Necessiteas is to introduce the globally famous bubble tea culture in India. Currently, Necessiteas' bubble tea is being produced at Jain's house with the help of her family. Her products were presented at the YEA's Trade Show in Mumbai and that was a great hit. Ever since then, she says, the orders started coming in. The venture sold more than 200 bubble teas - covering the initial costs. Her bubble tea received a great response, especially from the markets of Delhi and Mumbai. “Being such a niche business, it was uncertain how consumers would respond to a new drink initially; not only has Necessiteas had successful orders, but they have also been sold out at multiple instances,” she says.

The Biggest Challenge: 

Understanding and evaluating customer behaviour stood out as a major challenge for Necessiteas. Harshita says, “As bubble tea is a completely new drink for most Indian people, it is hard to convince them to try something new instead of going for the traditional cold coffee or Chai. In order to deal with the latter, Necessiteas is currently invested in market research and surveying to better understand the levels of risk aversion its consumers have and how to better accommodate their needs,” 

In The Days To Come: 

Harshita wants to encourage other students with great ideas to go ahead and implement them. She advises them to take up their passion. The venture is also looking forward to scaling its business. Jain is planning ways to scale the model up by associating with home delivery companies. Jain, who extends her gratitude to parents, teachers, and mentors at YEA!, also wants to open a pop-up store very soon. As of now, the venture is accepting pre-orders on a weekly basis. 

Hats off to the young entrepreneur who is juggling between studies and business. That's what is exactly called an entrepreneurial skill. 

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