Friday 11 November 2016

The Title “Business Woman Of The Year” Goes to this Indian-Australian Chaiwali

“Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.” 
― Ray Bradbury

This quote beautifully summarizes the story of Uppma Virdi. A 26-year old Indian Businesswoman in Australia has an inspiring story which can be a good motivation for the youth of current times. She became an icon in the field of Indian Businesses in Australia when she won the title of the 2016 Business Woman of the year by Indian Australian Business and Community Awards (IABCA) in Sydney. Hailing from a family of Indian origin, Uppma grew up making tea for her grandparents, parents and all the guests that came to her place. Soon she realized that making tea is something she enjoys greatly. This feeling was reinforced when she went to Austria for an exchange program and again she made tea for her friends. She could feel that tea brings people together and this is very true because tea time is actually considered as “family time” in India. 

Indian Businesses in Australia
Indian businesses in Australia
Moreover, having a grandfather who was an expert in Ayurveda taught her the art of making ayurvedic tea which has great medicinal benefits. This was another add-on to her profession as a chai-wali. Having seen the dearth of tea places in Australia, she wanted to start her tea business in Australia to provide an alternative to non-coffee drinkers. This is where the idea germinated and she realized that maybe she could do her little contribution towards Australian community by bringing them closer to the Indian tea drinking culture. 

Being a successful lawyer, it was initially difficult for her to convince her family about her business idea. But it is commendable that a 26-year old Indian Australian girl could see the entrepreneurial potential in the Indian chai wallahs who are not well educated. But she had the courage to admit that they have those skills and she could learn from them. It is definitely evident that she not only learned from them but also enhanced it greatly. 

The youth of today can learn from her immensely. She combined her skills that she accrued from her family, her studies, and her visits to India and brought everything together to build a successful business.  She is a great example because she showed that without giving up her already existing profession as a lawyer, she worked extra hours to set up a new enterprise and succeeded in it greatly. She used her personal contacts, social media and put in a lot of hard work to attain what she attained at such a young age. Her exciting story has the capability to motivate millions who give up on their dreams without even trying once thinking that it is worthless and unattainable. Always remember that there would be resistance from all sides when you are trying to do something big but the only thing that can get you going is by having faith in yourself. With a lot of hard work and positive energy, it is not hard to achieve the impossible. 

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