In a virtual discussion with Ankitt Y, Editor at Entrepreneur News Network, Peeyush Rungta, Founder of Rungta Global Food & Beverages Pvt Ltd, shared his perspectives on building a resilient FMCG brand in India’s highly competitive tea market. From identifying pivotal inflection points in his career to balancing tradition with modern consumer expectations, he reflected on the realities of scaling, operational discipline, regional loyalty, quality control, and leadership in a fast-evolving marketplace. In this candid conversation, he addresses key questions on growth strategy, brand-building, supply chain integrity, and the mindset required to build a lasting legacy brand.
Your professional journey spans different phases of growth and transformation. What have been the defining inflection points in your career?
The most defining inflection point was realizing that in FMCG, especially tea, the product is the strategy. Early in my journey, I learned that no amount of marketing can compensate for inconsistent quality. That shifted my entire approach, from chasing visibility to obsessing over product excellence first.
Another key moment was understanding regional markets deeply. Moving from a national mindset to truly investing in markets like Bihar, UP, and Rajasthan taught me that sustainable growth comes from earning trust locally before thinking nationally.
The third inflection was embracing digital without losing sight of traditional distribution. Recognizing that e-commerce and D2C aren’t replacements but amplifiers of core distribution has shaped our recent growth phase.
Rungta Tea has built a strong legacy over the years. How have you balanced tradition with modern consumer expectations?
Tradition for us isn’t nostalgia, it’s the discipline of delivering consistent quality. That doesn’t change. What changes is how we make ourselves accessible and visible.
We’ve modernized packaging, strengthened our digital presence, launched our own e-commerce platform, and improved point-of-sale visibility. But the non-negotiables – sourcing standards, blending quality, taste consistency, remain exactly what they’ve always been.
Modern consumers want convenience and transparency, not necessarily a different product. We’ve adapted our channels and communication, not our core promise.
Do you see regional loyalty still playing a strong role in tea consumption, or is branding overtaking geography?
Regional loyalty is very much alive, but it’s no longer blind loyalty. Consumers stay loyal when quality and value justify that loyalty.
What’s changed is that regional brands now need to show up like national brands – better packaging, digital presence, and consistent availability. Geography still matters because taste preferences vary significantly, but branding has become the language through which regional trust is built and maintained.
For us, regional strength is an advantage, not a limitation. It gives us deep consumer understanding and proximity. The goal is to leverage that foundation, not abandon it.
What do most founders or leaders underestimate when scaling from 0 to 1 versus 1 to 10?
From 0 to 1, most underestimate product-market fit. They scale distribution before nailing the product. In categories like tea, if your taste isn’t right or consistency is off, early trials become your last trials.
From 1 to 10, the underestimation is operational discipline. Growth exposes every weakness – supply chain, quality control, team capability. Many brands grow fast but can’t maintain the standards that got them initial traction. Scaling is as much about protecting what you’ve built as it is about expansion.
The other piece is patience. 1 to 10 takes longer than people expect, and trying to force it often breaks the brand.
What role does quality sourcing and supply chain control play in maintaining brand trust?
It’s everything. In tea, quality and consistency are inseparable from sourcing and supply chain discipline.
Our proximity to Siliguri gives us access to quality gardens and better control over procurement. We’ve invested heavily in blending consistency, storage protocols, and quality checks at multiple stages. This isn’t back-end operations – it’s the front line of brand trust.
Consumers may not see the supply chain, but they taste it. One bad batch can undo years of loyalty. That’s why we don’t compromise here, even when there’s pressure on margins. Trust is built slowly and lost instantly.
How do you compete with large national brands with massive advertising budgets?
We don’t try to out-shout them. We compete on product quality, price-value equation, and local relevance.
National brands have reach, but they also have to maintain uniform positioning across diverse markets. We can be more agile, more regional, and more focused. In our core markets, we invest in ground-level visibility – retailer relationships, local branding, community presence – that creates familiarity and trust without needing mass media budgets.
Our philosophy is simple: if the product is genuinely better at a given price point, and we make it consistently available, consumers will choose us. We focus on earning loyalty rather than renting attention.
Is there a plan to scale Rungta Tea nationally or even explore international markets?
National expansion is part of our vision, but we’re approaching it in a measured, sustainable way. We’re currently strengthening our presence in key North and East India markets – UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, NCR and building depth before pursuing aggressive geographical breadth.
We’ll expand into new states when we have the distribution capability, supply chain readiness, and brand strength to enter meaningfully, not symbolically.
International markets are on the radar for the long term, but right now, there’s significant headroom in India. Our focus is on becoming a strong multi-state regional brand before thinking globally.
How do you balance margin pressures with price-sensitive consumers in India?
It’s a constant balancing act. We operate in a category where consumers are extremely price-aware, and margins are thin by nature.
Our approach is efficiency without compromise. We optimize across sourcing, blending, packaging, and distribution to protect margins, but we never compromise on the quality promise. Cutting corners might help short-term margins, but it destroys long-term trust.
We also segment thoughtfully – we’re present across price points, and in each segment, we aim to offer the best quality for that price. This allows us to serve different consumer needs without diluting brand perception. The goal is sustainable margins through volume and loyalty, not short-term extraction.
What leadership lessons have you learned while building and scaling Rungta Tea?
The most important lesson is that credibility comes from consistency. In leadership and in brand-building, people trust what you do repeatedly, not what you say occasionally.
Another lesson is patience. Sustainable brands aren’t built in quarters; they’re built over years through disciplined execution. Resisting shortcuts, even when they’re tempting, separates lasting brands from flash-in-the-pan ones.
Finally, listening matters more than vision. The best insights come from consumers, retailers, and your team on the ground. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating a culture where the right answers surface and get acted upon.
Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape.