Chai or tea for Indians is more than just beverage, it is an emotion in a cup. And taking this love for tea to Australia is a college dropout Sanjith Konda from Bangalore. Success is often measured based on one’s academic qualifications, the stack of degrees one has but often it is the determination, vision and passion to work towards your goal that brings you success. Sanjith’s story is a living proof. This tea tycoon traded his degree to work towards turning his entrepreneurial dream into reality with ‘Dropout Chaiwala.’
Early Life
Sanjith after completing his schooling from City Pre-University College, Bengaluru, in 2018 left India to pursue his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. His father is a mechanical engineer who has worked for 30 years for a Riyadh-based Saudi Arabian oil corporation and currently holds a senior position. Sanjith’s mother is a housewife. Sanjith started to assist his mother with household chores when he was just 11. He was always encouraged to be independent and stand on his own two feet.
Sanjith road to success was not an easy as he met with a couple of ups and downs. He cleaned dishes in the university canteen, did night jobs at gas stations along with his academics and was elected to posts in the students council that came with stipends.
In a report by TOI, the founder said, “My first job was at the British Petroleum fuel station, which was just a 15-minute drive from my university. In those days I barely got around 4-5 hours of sleep every day, from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the morning. My father was not aware that I was doing these odd jobs, though he paid all my fees.”
Sanjith earned around AUD 600 per week (Rs 33,000), as per TOI reports by working in the petrol pumps. “Working in all these places, I learned that no job is too small. The fuel station job taught me customer service and operational work,” he said.
Starting Dropout Chaiwala
At the age of 18, Sanjith decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream and eventually dropped out of college to use his money to open ‘Dropout Chaiwala,’ a chai shop in Melbourne. Sanjith was joined by his two friends who became the co-founders of the business, Preetam Akula and Arun P. While Preetam owned a couple of businesses in Australia and the later had a sales experience.
Spearheaded by Sanjith, the business quickly gained popularity and succeeded. As per TOI reports, with an initial investment of AUD 2 lakh (Rs 1.11 crore), he opened his first location in Elizabeth Street in December of 2021 in a 50sq metre area. In less than a year, he opened two additional locations, including a chai truck, and with the help of 40 workers, made AUD $1 million (Rs 5.57 crore). Their third store was at La Trobe Street in August in a 275 sq. m. area with a seating capacity of 24 people.
Sanjith, 22, is living a life he has worked hard to create, one that includes sports like Cross-fit, swimming, and climbing in addition to his successful business career. His story is a monument to the strength of fortitude, passion, and the audacity to forge one’s own path.
“I think next month, our revenue is going to roughly hit 1 million AUD (Rs 5.2 crore approx) after tax deductions and paying all overheads. The profit should be roughly 20 per cent. In Australia, there is the ease of doing business if your ideas are in place,” House explained.be roughly 20 per cent. In Australia, there is the ease of doing business if your ideas are in place,” as per India Times reports.
Sanjith has been successful in bringing the infamous cutting chai to the streets of Melbourne and this is just the beginning for the 22-year-old entrepreneur,
