SPOTLIGHT

The Tea Studio | Episode 222

By Dan Bolton

Known for blending traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation, Indi (Gurrinder) Khanna, managing director at Tea n Teas, co-founded The Tea Studio to make a wide variety of teas on demand. This specialty manufacturing facility produces artisanal, small-batch teas, including India’s first compressed teas modeled on Chinese Pu’er.

The Tea Studio’s commercial success and award-winning teas over the past seven years reflect both Indi’s and his daughter Muskan’s passion for quality and dedication to expanding India’s presence in the global specialty market. With nearly fifty years in tea, Indi’s continuing journey is as rich and nuanced as the leaves he selects—a perfect metaphor for the conversation that follows.

BIO:Indi Khanna says he is proud to have started his career in tea from the very bottom—planting, pruning, and tending the bushes. “That early exposure gave me a deep respect for the craft,” he says. Indi was an assistant estate superintendent at Malayalam plantations in the Kerala high ranges beginning in 1975, and worked as an estate manager in Assam for 11 years. He founded Tea ‘n’ Teas in 1990 and has been offering retailers gourmet quality organic and conventional teas for the past 20 years. His advice as a consultant is widely sought after.

“Over time, I realized that tea isn’t just an agricultural product; it’s a living, breathing culture. The people, the landscapes, and the constant learning kept me engaged, and even today I feel there’s still more to discover,” says Khanna.

Listen to the interview
Sign up to receive Tea Biz in your inbox every week.