The Journey of Tea Planet
From a Basement Dream to a Global Blend
The Tea Planet was born out of a simple vision — to make the world fall in love with tea again, one innovative sip at a time.
The Beginning
It all began in December 2007, when I was pursuing my MBA in New York and working part-time in an IT consulting company as a technical recruiter and soft-skills trainer.
During that time, I met my senior — Mark Goonasekera from Sri Lanka — who soon became a close friend from a neighboring university. Over a casual chat, we shared a simple dream: to bring the world authentic, high-quality Ceylon teas.
Like any humble beginning, ours started in a small basement apartment in New York.
We launched our first venture, Hiranne Inc., with our Ceylon tea brand — TE Light USA. Within a short time, our teas found their way into chain stores, specialty shops, organic markets, and even Whole Foods across the U.S.
The Expansion Years
As operations grew, managing offshore suppliers became challenging. By the end of 2010, Mark relocated to Sri Lanka to support TE Light USA, ensuring the quality and consistency that became our signature.
In February 2011, we took our next step and established Ganadinni Fine Foods Impex Pvt. Ltd. in India — the world’s second-largest tea-growing nation. We began exporting premium Indian teas to global markets, learning how taste, culture, and climate influenced beverage preferences across continents.
Those early years were not easy. The tea trade demanded constant learning, travel, and reinvention. We participated in global trade exhibitions across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia — discovering firsthand how the world celebrated tea and coffee.
These experiences deepened our understanding of the beverage industry and laid the foundation for something greater.
The Birth of The Tea Planet
By 2016, after nearly a decade of exploration, we saw an opportunity emerging: India’s growing affection for innovative beverages.
We shifted from being pure exporters to becoming creators, a brand that would serve both B2B and B2C audiences. And thus, The Tea Planet was born, with a clear mission: To make world-class beverages accessible, exciting, and Indian at heart.
From classic teas to experimental blends, bubble teas, milkshakes, and café syrups, we set out to craft drinks that speak to every generation, every taste, and every moment.
In that same year, we built India’s first bubble tea ingredient manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, pioneering a new wave of café culture and beverage innovation.
Today
What began as a dream in a New York basement has grown into a global beverage ecosystem that blends tradition, creativity, and technology.
We continue to innovate, inspire, and help others build, because at The Tea Planet,
We don’t just make beverages; we craft experiences that connect the world and
serve possibilities, brewed with imagination and intent.
Brewing the Future
At The Tea Planet, our story doesn’t end with a cup of tea. it begins there.
What started as a passion for blending flavors has become a mission to build opportunities, empower entrepreneurs, and redefine how India experiences beverages. We work with cafés, hotels, distributors, and startup brands, offering not just ingredients, but complete business ecosystems:
from R&D and menu creation to branding support, training, and retail-ready solutions.
Our purpose is to make every beverage brand, big or small, dream bigger.
Because when we help others grow, we grow too.
Every cup served is a connection, every café opened is a story, and every dream we support is part of our legacy.
Today, as we continue to innovate, expand globally, and inspire the next generation of beverage creators, we remain rooted in our original promise:
To blend tradition with innovation, and passion with purpose
