Chai Point
Chai Point is an Indian omni-channel tea brand operating 170+ company-owned chai cafes and a D2C e-commerce store, serving nearly 900,000 cups daily to over 3 million customers, with plans to expand to 470+ outlets ahead of a 2026 IPO.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chai Point does
Chai Point (legally Mountain Trail Foods Pvt Ltd) is an Indian omni-channel tea and beverage brand headquartered in Bengaluru. Founded in 2009, the company operates a chain of 170+ company-owned tea cafes across India, serving nearly 900,000 cups of tea daily to a stated customer base of over 30 lakh (3 million). Its core product is freshly prepared chai, complemented by a growing retail product line sold through its own e-commerce store and mobile apps (iOS and Android), including instant chai sachets, loose leaf tea, tea bags, masala extract powder, snacks, and branded drinkware.
The business runs on a multi-channel revenue model: (1) company-owned tea cafe operations, (2) D2C e-commerce via Shopify at shop.chaipoint.com with unit pricing (Rs. 134–Rs. 750 per SKU, free shipping above Rs. 499), (3) quick commerce partnerships with Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, and (4) B2B distribution through Nestle Professional's Retail ONE kiosk network spanning 1,000 high-footfall locations. Its underlying technology includes proprietary robotic tea dispensing machines capable of serving 1 crore (10 million) cups from 10 stalls at mega-events, with a stated target of deploying 750 such bots monthly. The company is EBITDA positive, employs 1,001–5,000 people, and is preparing for an IPO by May 2026 with ambitions to expand to 470+ outlets and achieve profit-before-tax cash flow positivity.
Chai Point firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chai Point
- Legal name
- Mountain Trail Foods Pvt Ltd
- Website
- https://chaipoint.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Chai Point is an Indian omni-channel tea brand operating 170+ company-owned chai cafes and a D2C e-commerce store, serving nearly 900,000 cups daily to over 3 million customers, with plans to expand to 470+ outlets ahead of a 2026 IPO.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chai Point industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tea Retail Café Chain
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional & Wellness Beverage Shops (Shots, Adaptogens, Vitamin/Collagen Drinks) (THAFAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Functional Beverages (Vitamins, Probiotics, Nootropics, etc.) (CRADAHAL), DTC Beverage Delivery (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic) (AFAIANAK)
Keywords
Where Chai Point is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chai Point business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Tea Cafe Operations: Company-owned tea cafe chain selling freshly prepared chai and snacks across 170+ stores, generating daily cup sales of nearly 900,000
- Quick Commerce: Partnership with quick commerce platforms (Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart) for customized product offerings with rapid sales growth
- E-commerce Product Sales: Online store selling tea products including loose leaf tea, instant chai, tea bags, chai time snacks, extracts, sippers, mugs, and coffee directly to consumers
- B2B Partnership: Partnership with Nestle Professional for product availability through their Retail ONE kiosk network across high-footfall locations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Instant Chai Time Combo – 30 Sachets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Assam Masala Tea - Pack of 2 (200g each) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Masala Extract Powder – 250g |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ginger Black Tea – 25 Tea Bags |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Chai Point product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chai Point, operated by Mountain Trail Foods Pvt Ltd, sells fresh brewed chai and allied beverages through a network of branded retail cafés, automated vending machines and proprietary Tea Dispensers deployed at corporate offices, an in-house mobile app and e-commerce site, a BoxC loose-leaf tea subscription line, and quick-commerce partnerships enabling ~15-minute delivery in major Indian cities.
Product overview
Chai Point operates as a multi-channel tea business combining a physical retail cafe network with a D2C e-commerce platform. The core offering consists of company-owned tea cafes (170+ locations serving ~900,000 cups daily), complemented by an online store selling branded tea products (instant chai, loose leaf, tea bags, extracts, snacks, and merchandise), a mobile/web app for digital ordering, bulk ordering services for events, and robotic tea dispensing systems for large-scale event catering. The company positions itself as India's first 'Home Cafe,' extending its cafe expertise to retail products for at-home consumption.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving nearly 900,000 cups of tea daily across 170+ stores
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chai Point
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chai Point technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Chai Point partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NestlecoreChai Point partnered with Nestle India's out-of-home division Nestle Professional to expand product availability through their Retail ONE kiosk network. The partnership includes product availability at high-footfall locations like educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and tourist destinations. Nestle has scaled up its kiosk network to 1,000 units including formats like Nescafe Corners, Maggi Hotspots, and Kitkat Break Zones.
- BlinkitcoreChai Point launched customized chai products on quick commerce platform Blinkit as part of QSR brands riding the quick commerce wave. The partnership enables rapid delivery of chai products to urban consumers.
- ZeptocoreChai Point launched customized chai products on quick commerce platform Zepto for rapid delivery to urban consumers seeking quick chai options.
- Swiggy InstamartcoreChai Point launched customized chai products on Swiggy Instamart quick commerce platform, reporting rapid sales growth on these channels.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chai Point competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cafe Coffee Day: India's largest coffee cafe chain, now operating under new ownership and pivoting toward a more beverage-diverse menu; represents a broad incumbent in the cafe category where Chai Point competes for beverage occasions.
- Tata Cha (Tata Consumer Products): Tata Consumer Products' chai cafe brand, backed by the Tata group's distribution and capital base; competes in the same chai cafe category as Chai Point while leveraging parent company's packaged tea portfolio and retail relationships.
- Indian Coffee House: Long-standing Indian beverage and snack cafe chain with broad geographic reach; competes with Chai Point in the affordable cafe segment and represents the legacy incumbent model Chai Point aims to modernize.
- Wagh Bakri Tea Group: One of India's largest packaged tea brands, with growing presence in tea cafes and experiential retail; comparable to Chai Point in branded packaged tea CPG and increasingly in the cafe category.
- Starbucks India (Tata Starbucks): Premium coffee cafe joint venture between Tata and Starbucks operating across major Indian cities; competes for the same urban cafe occasions and consumer wallet as Chai Point, though positioned at a premium price point.
- Brooke Bond (Unilever India): Mass-market packaged tea brand owner (Taaza, Red Label, Taj Mahal) under Hindustan Unilever; comparable to Chai Point's packaged tea D2C vertical in branded tea CPG, though at vastly larger packaged-goods scale.
Direct peers
- Chaayos: India's most direct competitor in the chai cafe category, operating a similar company-owned cafe model serving customized chai, snacks, and light meals to urban consumers; competes head-to-head with Chai Point on menu, price point, and city footprint.
- Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters: India-focused specialty coffee brand combining cafes with a strong D2C packaged coffee business; comparable to Chai Point's blend of physical cafes plus a packaged e-commerce storefront serving urban consumers.
- Third Wave Coffee: Specialty coffee and beverage cafe chain in India with a company-owned retail model and D2C packaged coffee products; competes with Chai Point for share of urban beverage consumption occasions and similar investor profiles.
- Barista Coffee Company: Indian cafe chain serving coffee, chai, and light food in company-owned and franchised outlets; competes with Chai Point in the urban beverage cafe segment with overlapping customer demographics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chai Point social profiles
Digital presenceChai Point financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chai Point leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Chai Point funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chai Point M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chai Point
What does Chai Point do?
Chai Point, operated by Mountain Trail Foods Pvt Ltd, sells fresh brewed chai and allied beverages through a network of branded retail cafés, automated vending machines and proprietary Tea Dispensers deployed at corporate offices, an in-house mobile app and e-commerce site, a BoxC loose-leaf tea subscription line, and quick-commerce partnerships enabling ~15-minute delivery in major Indian cities.
Is Chai Point a public or private company?
Chai Point is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Chai Point founded?
Chai Point was founded in 2009. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Chai Point based?
Chai Point is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Chai Point make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tea Cafe Operations are the primary driver. The others are quick Commerce, E-commerce Product Sales and B2B Partnership.
Who are Chai Point's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cafe Coffee Day, Tata Cha (Tata Consumer Products), Indian Coffee House, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, Starbucks India (Tata Starbucks) and Brooke Bond (Unilever India). Direct peers are Chaayos, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Third Wave Coffee and Barista Coffee Company.
Does Chai Point have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chai Point.
What industry is Chai Point in?
Chai Point's product category is Tea Retail Café Chain. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAJ, Functional & Wellness Beverage Shops (Shots, Adaptogens, Vitamin/Collagen Drinks), with a secondary code of CRADAHAL, Functional Beverages (Vitamins, Probiotics, Nootropics, etc.). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.