Meet Uppma Virdi, a Sydney-based lawyer and chai lover, who had no idea that her enthusiasm for the steamy subcontinental beverage will earn her the title of Businesswoman of the Year some day.
Keen on spreading awareness about Indian culture through her favourite hot drink, the 26-year-old started up a business selling chai a couple of years ago.
Her grandfather's knowledge of herbs, spices, and blends became her tool and he taught her to make Ayurvedic teas.
Initially, she sold her blends through an online store, and to some local stores at wholesale rates. Her hard work had the business quickly picking up pace and she now sells retail as well as wholesale tea worldwide.
Of course, things weren't always hunky dory. Even though she kept her day job as a lawyer, Virdi's parents did not approve of her new chai business.
“Wherever I go, I make tea. My parents' number one request is 'Uppma, make some tea.' When my brother got married, I think I must have made a thousand cups of tea for all the guests," Virdi told SBS.
"Even when I went overseas to Australia on a scholarship, I used to make tea for everyone. It was a way of bringing people together," she said.
Virdi also holds “The Art Of Chai" workshops, where she coaches others on how to brew the perfect cuppa.
What an amazing ar-TEA-st.
