THRISSUR: A hot cup of tea or brewing coffee is an emotion for most of the Malayali population, and probably a majority of people in India.
It is from this love for tea and coffee that 21-year-old Athul Krishna ventured into a business that makes instant tea and coffee cups, making the process easier.
‘Choodu’ launched by Athul in November 2025 has already become a hit and he looks forward to the year ahead to expand the company.
Take a glass of hot water and pour it into the bio-degradable cups to make instant tea and coffee.
You will get the hot drink of your choice without compromising on its quality.
“Often when I travel, I have seen the sale of tea and coffee in paper cups. The drink used to be of less flavour basically. Since we don’t have a choice we drink it. Our product not only provides one with quality drinks, but also makes the job easier for those who make it,” said Athul.
To make the instant tea or coffee cups, Athul made improvements in the paper cup manufacturing machine.
“If I had bought it from Coimbatore or anywhere in India, it would have cost me anywhere between Rs 8 and 10 lakh. There are fully automated machines for making paper cups in Japan which cost about Rs 30 to 40 lakh. But, I wanted this to be cost-effective and hence developed the machine myself. Currently, the automation works are under way,” he added.
Athul is into software development and already has a company for the same.
But he wanted to do something different and on his own.
“I have been thinking about being an entrepreneur who can bring a change in people’s lives. With the increasing demand for instant cups, I believe this is the way forward,” he added.
His company Instant Tea Cup presently makes nine varieties of drinks including green tea, lemon tea, Cappucino, coffee, tea, ginger tea, etc, with and without sugar.
The tea and coffee powder used for the product are sourced directly from plantations to ensure quality.
“We have distributors in some districts while we sell the instant cups wholesale and retail. We also take bulk orders for events like marriages or conferences or to offices of IT companies,” said Athul. The cups being used are completely bio-degradable.
The idea of instant cups first came to Athul’s mind in April 2025. He then researched upon it and launched it even when he had a hundred questions in his mind.
“Initially, I was not confident about how this will end up. That is why I didn’t make any huge investment to purchase the machine. Though we started with doubts, now I am confident of running the company to prosperity,” Athul said. He now employs three persons in the company.
The story is reported by Gopika Varrier of The New Indian Express
