E-Paper
Who is Akhil Patel? Indian-origin ‘chaiwala’ who served PM Modi masala tea in UK
The Indian-origin entrepreneur who served tea to PM Modi and PM Starmer founded his company a few years after graduating from the London School of Economics.
PM Modi, during his recent UK visit, shared a picture of him enjoying a cup of tea served by an Indian-origin entrepreneur. The UK-based founder is Akhil Patel, who started Amala Chai.
“‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with PM Keir Starmer at Chequers... brewing stronger India-UK ties!,” PM Modi wrote as he posted two pictures. One shows him with a cup of tea in his hand, and another captures Patel pouring tea.
A video of Patel interacting with the Indian prime minister is going viral on social media. In it, he wittily says from ‘one chaiwala to another’ while pouring a cup of steaming hot tea for PM Modi.
Who is Akhil Patel?
According to his LinkedIn bio, he studied at the University College School in Hampstead, London. Later, he pursued a Bachelor of Science (BSc), Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
While a student, he completed internships at various organisations before taking up a job as a data analyst after graduating. In 2019, he changed his career trajectory and founded Amala chai, inspired by his grandma.
Also Read: After 16 years at Google, Indian-origin Amar Subramanya finds new Microsoft job ‘refreshingly low ego’
The company's LinkedIn page says that the Indian tea and spices it serves are sourced directly from “small family farms in Assam and Kerala.”
In May, the British Museum featured the company in a video that gave a glimpse into how Amala Chai procures its materials from India.
“Crazy day”
While Patel didn’t post anything on his personal social media, he dropped a video on the official Instagram page of his company. The caption to the video read, "Just a casual Thursday serving chai for @narendramodi @keirstarmer What a crazy day! Beyond honoured. We’ll be sharing the full story with you next week so keep your eyes peeled!” It shows the two world leaders enjoying tea served by Patel.
