From panipuri cart to tea brand: Jorhat graduate builds eco-enterprises, defies doubts

Jorhat: Five years after facing ridicule for selling “fuska” outside his college, 27-year-old Kaushik Borah now runs his own tea brand and co-owns a bamboo toothbrush venture, turning early struggles into entrepreneurial success.

Bright and hardworking, Borah graduated with a first-class BA (Honours) from Bahona College, Jorhat, in 2020. Many expected him to chase a government job or higher studies. Instead, he chose business to support his parents — father Mrigen Borah, who earned a modest salary managing a lodge, and homemaker mother Bulu Borah.

After a brief stint as a private school teacher and tutor, Borah borrowed a cart and began selling panipuri outside his alma mater. The move drew criticism. “People questioned his decision and warned that he was ruining his future,” locals recall.

While running the stall, Borah enrolled in a month-long bamboo craft programme at the Rain Forest Research Institute on Jorhat’s outskirts. There, he teamed up with friends Bhaskar Jyoti Hazarika and Raktim Jyoti Dutta. Together they founded Moonlight and, after nearly a year, developed an eco-friendly, biodegradable bamboo toothbrush for commercial production.

Tea brought financial stability. “About two years ago, I realised I should explore the tea market. I have a fair understanding of tea, from CTC to white tea,” Borah said. Partnering with Riaz Khan, he launched Kuhi Tea.

The duo now operate an outlet at Kohora near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Tea is packaged at a unit in Jorhat, where the brand also retails through two partner-run outlets.

From a panipuri cart that kept him afloat to a tea brand and green enterprise, Borah’s journey has made him a source of pride for his family and neighbours — proof that unconventional paths can brew success.