Bapu Narute is today recognised as a successful entrepreneur and the founder of Manashanti Chai Bar. His journey did not begin with big business dreams, but with a simple village life, strong values, and many responsibilities.
Bapu comes from an agricultural family. He grew up in a rural area with three sisters and was the youngest child. Life was simple, but not easy. After his sisters’ marriages, most of the family responsibilities were on his shoulders. He worked in the fields, helped at home and also faced pressure about education and career choices. Like many rural children, he lacked proper guidance on what to study or how to plan his future.
From childhood, Bapu wanted to become a teacher and do something good for society. He completed his D.Ed. and got a teaching job. Teaching gave him respect, but he felt it was not enough to bring real change. With the idea of social service in mind, he started a school. However, running a school needed a heavy investment. Still, Bapu did not give up. He started small businesses, such as selling books and stationery and providing guidance to students.
Later, he started a two outlet of tea business, which was running smoothly. But unfortunately, his business closed in 2019 due to COVID and was burdened with huge debts. Bapu faced one of the toughest phases of his life. He felt broken and hopeless, worried about his future and family. At times, he thought of committing suicide. But even in that darkness, a small moment changed everything.
One day, while sitting at a tea stall, he noticed jaggery being cut, and he thought, why not use jaggery powder instead of sugar in tea? This simple idea became the seed of a startup.
In 2020, Bapu attended an online YESummit hosted by YouthAid Foundation (YAF). There, he presented his idea of healthy, jaggery-based tea. With seed capital of just Rs. 25,000/- and strong mentoring from YouthAid Foundation, especially Mathew Mattam, Chairperson YAF, and Priya Kothari, Board of Directors YAF, Bapu restarted his journey.
In 2022, he presented his business pitch in Kolkata and saw massive growth. Manashanti Chai Bar now offers 48 varieties of premix tea. Last year alone, the company achieved a turnover of Rs. 21 crores, with a target of Rs. 120 crores for next year. Today, the brand operates PAN India and has registered companies in Dubai, reaching countries like Nepal, Germany, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
Bapu now provides jobs instead of seeking them. With over 5,500 entrepreneurs and 77 team members, he dreams of guiding youth to succeed early without repeating his struggles. His life changed because of belief, consistency, and the strong support of YouthAid Foundation.
Bapu’s words – Today’s students have many ideas. If given proper guidance, they will become successful entrepreneurs in future. Most importantly, youth should have a vision. Identify your skills and qualities and move ahead. Today, after seven years, I can see the Manashanti Chai Bar business in a top position, only because of YouthAid Foundation.
