India can't lose out by getting embroiled in caste issues: Devendra Khuman, cofounder, Chai Wai

The bitter discrimination Devendra Khuman experienced in his childhood went away, he says, with education, entrepreneurship and success. “I remember being looked down upon as a kid when we lived in a village called Pidha Pitha in Amreli (in Gujarat). But once I moved to Rajkot, finished my education and started my career, there was no looking back. I never felt any discrimination. In fact, a lot of support came from families and friends from upper castes,” says the 42-year-old.

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Khuman cofounded his tea bar Chai Wai in September 2013 with Kandarp Upadhyay. Before starting up, Khuman was working as a zonal manager with Vodafone in Rajasthan. He feels that with the opening up of the economy and increased competition, factors such as caste and family background do not matter any longer. “Unorganised business is getting organised — based entirely on merit. Caste is no longer a disadvantage or an advantage as far as business is concerned,” he says.




Kuman’s startup Chai Wai has eight outlets — six in Ahmedabad, and one each in Gandhinagar and Anand. He plans to have 100 outlets of Chai Wai in western India in the next three years.

“At this juncture, India is ready to take off and take on the world; we can’t lose out by getting embroiled in caste issues. Fortunately, the younger generation does not look at the society through the lens of caste,” he says. On the recent atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat, Khuman is rather indifferent and says that a lot of it seems “politically motivated”. “When we know that some political angle is at play and when we know the motives behind, we can choose to ignore it,” he says. Over to tea.