Chai in a Changing India: The Journey from Street Stalls to Global Chains

“Tea for Indians is not a commodity but a way of life,” said Snigdha Manchanda, India’s first tea sommelier and founder of The Tea Trunk.

From its colonial roots to the crowded chai tapris on street corners, from home kitchens to gourmet tea bars, chai has undergone a fascinating transformation. Today, it is being reimagined in countless ways—from artisanal blends to health-infused brews, from traditional kulhads to cocktail concoctions.

HerZindagi explores the enduring love for chai, its deep-rooted cultural significance and how new-age businesses are redefining this timeless drink.

This is a seriescalledSipby Sip, where we trace the journey of beverages commonly found in Indian households back to their roots. We then try to understand how they’ve evolved, how businesses and products have been built to incorporate them and what they mean to the modern urban Indian.

History Of Chai: China, to Britain to India

Chai is the Urdu word for tea, but in meaning and form, it differs from what the world understands by the word ‘tea’

Legend has it that the Chinese discovered tea around 5,000 years ago.

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It eventually made its way to India in the early 20th century when the British introduced tea plantations in India, cultivating it on a large scale. While the British loved their traditional black tea, Indians added their twist by blending it with local spices like milk, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. It appealed to traditional north Indian tastes, and it made an excellent calorie boost for hungry workers.

This spiced tea became what we now know as chai.

Soon enough, it became popular enough to become a staple in households across the country, across different economic groups.

Fun fact: In 1938, a British ad claimed that Tea could cure alcoholism!

Indians Made Chai Their Own, With Sugar and Spices

“The British brought the concept of drinking tea to India, but we adopted it wholeheartedly and made it our own. From what kind of milk is to be added, to different spices, localised personalisation of chai is what makes it hold a special place,” said Richa Sharma, culinary enthusiast and founder of CurryiT.

India is the world's second-biggest tea producer after China, and one of the world's major tea consumers.

While ‘tea’ refers to a broad range of infusions made from different leaves, chai refers to the drinks enjoyed in all its milky, aromatic goodness. Tea can be green, Darjeeling, hibiscus, zero caffeine and many other kinds, while chai specifically refers to a homogenous kind of drink.

However, it is hard to find data that separates traditional tea drinkers from the ones who prefer chai.

Read about the perfect recipe here: How To Make Masala Tea At Home

At its core, chai is a simple yet flavorful blend of tea leaves, milk, sugar, and adrak (ginger)—but its preparation and flavours vary across India. In some homes, it is infused with elaichi (cardamom) for a fragrant touch, while others prefer a robust masala chai with cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. In Bengal, chai is often sweet and served in ‘maatir bhaar’, while in Gujarat, it is famously milky and strong. Across Kashmir, Noon Chai, a pink-hued tea with salt, is a staple, while in Maharashtra, the signature cutting chai offers a quick refreshment.

Chai Is Deeply Rooted in India’s Socio-cultural Tapestry

Chai is so deeply rooted in our lives that it has taken on a different significance based on the spaces it’s being served in.

For guests, chai is the perfect welcome drink. It’s not too heavy, doesn’t take too long to be brewed and is perfect for a short tete-a-tete

At the numerous roadside stalls across the country, it serves as a break from the hustle and bustle. The stalls become a place where barriers of class, caste, and religion melt away, and everyone enjoys affordable chai and conversations while huddling in groups close to each other. Sometimes, the stalls serve as breaks during a long drive or a train journey.

At home, chai is the most common accompaniment for morning breakfast or evening snacks. Chai symbolises the coming together of family members or friends, relaxation, conversations and unwinding. It becomes an anchor in a way, something that stays constant and grounds you.

The extent of the deep-rooted love that Indians have for chai was perfectly captured by Fulbright-Nehru Fellows Zach Marks and Resham Gellatly’s photo project called ‘Ek Shabd’, where they asked people from across the country to hold up a banner with one word they associate chai with. Some said ‘shanti’ meaning peace, some said ‘dost’ of friends while some others said ‘time pass’. See it here.

The essence that makes chai irreplaceable is habitual comfort.

Richa, the founder of CurryIt, added that chai is an “all-season drink.” “Whether it's a cold winter morning, a rainy day or a day you’re feeling low, chai is connected to all seasons and a variety of emotions,” she said.

Richa also said that one of her fondest memories of tea is finding it in a US beverage stall, under the name “chai tea”. “The stall was selling over 200 varieties of items, ranging from smoothies to protein shakes, and yet, their bestselling item was chai. It made me so proud that this is something we’ve given to the world. We get this was as little at five or ten rupees, and here they were selling it for close to INR 500,” she said.

The Accompaniments, Often as Important as Chai Itself

Across India, the act of sipping chai is rarely a solo experience—it’s almost always paired with something to nibble on,

At local shacks, it’ll be a mix of crumbly or flaky biscuits. They were crowd favourites, especially for many middle-class kids who didn’t get a whiff of fancy bakery-made cookies for most of their childhoods. For a fraction of the price of artisanal cookies, these locally sold biscuits, topped with nuts or pistachios or filled with coconut shavings, could give fancy bakeries a run for their money. Rusks, bhujia, roasted peanuts, and packaged snacks are also popular picks, easily available at every roadside tea stall.

However, as soon as the skies turn grey and the faint rumble of thunder is heard, the craving for something deep-fried intensifies. In the monsoons, chai feels incomplete without pakoras—golden, crisp fritters made from spiced gram flour and vegetables. If pakoras aren’t available, samosas make for a worthy substitute, their spicy, potato-filled interiors pairing perfectly with the warmth of chai.

In corporate culture, the term “chai sutta” breaks find prominence, where a cigarette accompanies the cuppa. They offer a moment of camaraderie and slowing down amid hectic work schedules.

For those drinking chai at home, biscuits remain the top choice – often dipped to soak in all the flavours.

It's these tiny rituals built around chai that add to its charm and nostalgia.

Ek Garam Chai ki Pyaali: Films, Songs and Pop Culture Representations

‘Ek garam chai ki pyaali ho’ from the movie ‘Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega’ is the iconic lyric that comes instantly to mind during any discourse about chai.

But Bollywood has incorporated the everlasting familiarity and warmth of tea in various iconic scenes and dialogues.

Aisha and Sid were sitting on a beach in Mumbai city at night in the movie ‘Wake Up Sid’, when Aisha said “Tum, main aur do cup chai.” It encapsulates how chai often perfectly fills in the space between two people trying to bond.

‘Barfi’ showed its three leads, Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz, drinking tea at a Kolkata tea stall from the earthen ‘bhaars’. They also dip Marie biscuits in it, thus making the experience complete.

In Dil Se, one of the introductory scenes, just before the cult favourite Chaiya Chaiya plays, we see Shah Rukh Khan and two cups of cutting chai.

Entrepreneurs Have Made An Empire Out of Selling Tea

Multi-crore businesses have been built around Indians’ habit of drinking chai. From MBBS Chaiwala to Chai Point to Chaayos, many franchises have been modelled around experimenting with chai and its accompaniments.

One such brand is The Tea Trunk, founded by Snigdha Manchanda, which offers alternative, healthier options than chai.

Snigdha went to study tea tasting at 23 and became a professional tea sommelier. She then went on to build a business out of her learnings, called the Tea Trunk, which sells many varieties of tea.

“I’ve seen many trends come and go, but what has been constant is people’s willingness to explore beyond chai and to find healthier alternatives,” she said. She added that the custom of drinking tea contributes to habit-building, and eventually, people try to shift to alternatives of chai, and that’s where her business plays a key part.

“One of the things I tell my team is that we are not competing with coffee but with masala chai. People trying to reduce their caffeine intake or having acidity problems prefer shifting to alternatives,” she said.

Tea Trunk sells many varieties of tea, ranging from oolong tea to white tea to chamomile tea, rose tea, hibiscus tea and even experimental beverages like masala chai hot chocolate.

“We have sold and served over 10 million cups of teas,” she said. “We also ship to 15 different countries and have over 30,000 reviews for our teas on our website.”

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Snigdha’s business isn’t the only one out there. Many have capitalised on chai and it’s accompaniments to become huge businesses and franchises. These include MBBS Chaiwala, Chai Point, Chaayos and more. Fundamentally, they’re built on the foundation of experimenting with chai.

Chai Tea Latte, to Masala Chai Martini: The Modern Varieties

Chai has now transcended from humble tea cups to modern culinary creations. From artisanal ice creams to hot chocolate mixes, culinary experts have tried to infuse flavours of chai in different food items.

One of the most debated of these is the Chai Tea Latte, a Starbucks staple that has long drawn the criticism of desis. Many argue that it is far removed from authentic chai in both taste and experience—an overpriced, diluted version of the real thing, stripped of the very essence that makes chai special.

Chai has successfully seeped into an array of unexpected forms—from chai-infused hot chocolate to chai-flavored cheesecakes, cookies, and even cocktail concoctions like the Masala Chai Martini.

While puritans question if chai even needs to be adapted into new formats, there’s no denying the vast cultural and social grasp chai has on the nation. Chai has always been more than just a beverage—it’s an emotion, a beloved ritual, and a moment of connection that transcends class, region, and background.