Founder, Chayam Tea, Kolkata. Updated 13 October 2026.
Every October my phone fills up with the same question from friends: “What do I send this year that isn’t another box of sweets?” My answer is usually tea. Partly because I make it, sure. Mostly because a good tin of tea is still sitting in someone’s kitchen in January, long after the kaju katli has been passed on to the neighbours.
Here’s the short version. Under ₹300 for the office and the building. ₹549 to ₹1,299 for family and friends. ₹2,299 and up for parents, in-laws and the client you really can’t get wrong. And if it has to reach before Diwali on 8 November, order by 3 November. In the last few days before Diwali, couriers are anyone’s guess.
Who’s writing this
I’ve been in tea for over 15 years, most of it making CTC tea at factory scale, more than 2 million kg a year. That’s the strong, malty tea most Indian homes drink with milk. Chayam is the other side of it: the teas I wanted to drink and give myself. So when I call a gift box good, I’m judging the tea first and the box second.
The cheat sheet
| Who it’s for | What I’d send | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office team, building staff | Serene Sips | ₹199 | Cheap enough to buy 20, nice enough not to feel cheap |
| Someone “not into green tea” | Wellness Wonders | ₹279 | Five blends. One usually wins them over |
| A couple | The Dream | ₹549 | Two cups, four teas |
| Friends who still want mithai | Festive Feasts | ₹599 | Tea, biscuits, a diya and torans in one box |
| Your sister, your best friend | Glow & Glam | ₹649 | Rose tea, a candle and bath salts |
| The person who has everything | BLOOM | ₹999 | Our best-seller this year |
| Parents | Tea Tranquility | ₹1,249 | Four teas they’ll actually finish |
| The tea person in the family | Tea Treasure | ₹1,299 | Six teas and a brass infuser |
| A Diwali visit or housewarming | Shubh Agaman | ₹1,299 | Goes on the door and in the kitchen |
| In-laws, your boss, key clients | Sip and Savour or Calcutta Reserve | ₹2,299 / ₹2,800 | Gold kulhads, or glass mugs |
My 10 picks
Under ₹300: the office, the building, the people who show up all year
Serene Sips, ₹199. Ten pyramid tea bags in a gift box. I’d buy these by the dozen for the team, the security guards and the housekeeping staff. Pyramid bags hold bigger pieces of leaf than flat paper bags, and you can taste it by the second cup.
Wellness Wonders, ₹279. Twenty pyramid bags across five green tea blends: Magical Cinnamon, Fresh Moringa Tulsi, Himalayan Green, Mellow Hibiscus and Chamomile Exotica. Good for the friend who says they “don’t really like green tea”. One of these five usually changes their mind.
₹549 to ₹999: friends, couples, siblings
The Dream, ₹549. Four teas in glass tubes and two cups. I send this one to couples. It’s a small box that quietly says, sit down together for once.
Festive Feasts, ₹599. We made this for people who still want to send something sweet. Inside: Kashmiri Kahwa, a cup, a millet mix, almond and pista shortbread, cashew butterscotch biscuits, two tea bags, a diya and Shubh Labh torans. It takes the place of the mithai box instead of adding to the pile.
Glow & Glam, ₹649. Rose tea, a scented candle, bath salts, a cup, an infuser and some mixed berries. To be honest, this one’s for your sister or your best friend. Probably not your father-in-law.
BLOOM, ₹999. A 400 ml glass infusion mug with 50g of pure hibiscus. It’s been our best-selling product this year, and I think I know why: the moment hot water hits the petals and turns deep red. People film it. Hibiscus has no caffeine, so it’s an easy late-evening cup as well.
₹1,249 to ₹1,299: parents, and the tea person in every family
Tea Tranquility, ₹1,249. Himalayan Green, Masala Tea, Kashmiri Kahwa and Ginger Lemongrass, all loose leaf, with a steel infuser. I chose these four because parents actually finish them. Novelty flavours have a way of sitting in the cupboard until next Diwali.
Tea Treasure, ₹1,299. Six teas in glass tubes (Sweet Lavender Vanilla, Pure Chamomile, Moroccan Mint, Himalayan Green, Magical Cinnamon, Spiced Turmeric) with a telescopic brass infuser. It’s our best-selling gift set, and if I could only send one thing this Diwali, it would be this.
Shubh Agaman, ₹1,299. Two cups, a tin of tea, a pouch of nuts, a tea light and two Shubh Labh torans. For the Diwali visit or a housewarming, when you want part of the gift to end up on the door.
₹2,299 and up: in-laws, your boss, the clients who matter
Sip and Savour, ₹2,299. Two gold-embossed kulhads, a brass infuser, a tin of loose tea (you pick the flavour at checkout) and ten pyramid bags. The kulhads stay on the shelf long after the tea is gone, which is rather the point.
Calcutta Reserve, ₹2,800. Six teas in glass tubes (Kashmiri Kahwa, Himalayan Green, Pure Hibiscus, Pure Chamomile, Butterfly Pea, Moroccan Mint) and two glass infusion mugs, in a box designed around our city. Kolkata is where India’s tea trade grew up, and it’s still home for us.
Five things I check before gifting tea
This is the list I use myself, whether the box is ours or someone else’s.
- Can you see the leaf? Loose leaf, glass tubes and pyramid bags let you see what you’re paying for. Flat paper bags usually hold dust, the smallest grade.
- What does the ingredients list say? Real cinnamon and real rose petals taste different from “flavouring” by the third cup. Turn the box over before you buy.
- Will the packaging outlive the tea? Tins, glass tubes, kulhads and brass infusers hang around for years. That’s how people remember who sent them.
- Is there something caffeine-free? Chamomile, hibiscus and butterfly pea work for elders and for late evenings.
- When does it need to arrive? Order a few days earlier than you think. Diwali couriers are not kind to optimists.
Ordering for a team or clients
If you’re sending 25 boxes or more, write to us and we’ll work out bulk pricing, add your logo on the sleeve, and ship to as many addresses as you need. Most companies pick Mini Tea Treasures (₹349, two teas in glass tubes) for large teams, Tea Treasure (₹1,299) for managers and partners, and Sip and Savour (₹2,299) for the top of the list.
For corporate Diwali orders, please place them by 31 October. The minimum order is 25 boxes.
Questions we get every Diwali
What’s a good Diwali gift instead of sweets?
Tea, honestly. It keeps for months, suits every age, and the tins and glass tubes get reused. If you still want something sweet in there, Festive Feasts (₹599) puts tea, biscuits, a diya and torans in one box.
Which tea gift set works best for corporate Diwali gifts?
Mini Tea Treasures (₹349) for big teams, Tea Treasure (₹1,299) for managers and partners, and Sip and Savour (₹2,299) for key clients. All of them can carry your logo on the sleeve. The minimum order is 25 boxes.
How much should I spend?
Around ₹199 to ₹300 for colleagues and neighbours, ₹549 to ₹1,299 for friends and family, and ₹2,299 and up for parents, in-laws and important clients.
What’s the last date to order for Diwali delivery?
For delivery before Diwali on 8 November 2026, order by 3 November. Corporate orders need to be in by 31 October.
Do you have caffeine-free tea gifts?
Yes. BLOOM is pure hibiscus, and any set with Pure Chamomile, Butterfly Pea or Pure Hibiscus has caffeine-free options in it.
How long does the tea stay fresh?
Sealed tins and glass tubes keep well for months. Every pack has its best-before date printed on it.
Happy Diwali from all of us in Kolkata.
Adi
