
Herbal rush: Manipur startups venture beyond caffeinated drinks
Sumac berries, gooseberries and banana peels are among the ingredients that go into the making of these unconventional beverages.
For Elizabeth Yambem, the founder of 'Dwellers Teas', the longingness for home and the desire to reconnect with childhood memories prompted her to launch her own brand of beverages.
"We produce more than 10 varieties of herbal tea and employ 20 women at our Uripok manufacturing unit in Imphal West district.
Our products are sold outside the state, too," Yambem told PTI.
She said her company procures locally grown indigenous plants cultivated by farmers from various villages and hill districts, including Phayeng in Imphal West and Ukhrul.
"I wanted to relive the childhood memories of Sumac berries, gooseberries, the vibrant Red Roselle, and the bittersweet Nong-mang-kha (a traditional medicinal plant) lovingly brewed by our elders in a way that could suit the changing times," she said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy the Dip: Top 5 Dividend Stocks with Growth Potential
Seeking Alpha
Read More
Undo
"We started researching for locally grown ingredients, many of which had medicinal properties, in 2016 and launched the company in 2017 in Guwahati. We relocated to Imphal in 2018," Yambem said.
Yambem is not alone in the growing number of young entrepreneurs experimenting with unique ingredients to come up with herbal beverages in the northeastern state.
Selina Mutum, the founder of 'Nongmadol Beverage', focuses on producing drinks with banana and pineapple peels to which spices are added for extra flavour.
"In my locality, I had seen some manufacturing units producing banana chips but wasting the peels. I wanted to promote a sustainable way to use those unused peels as well as bring a new flavour-based beverage that is purely herbal," Mutum told PTI.
"We formally launched the product in Jan 2024 at our unit in Heingang in Imphal East district. We have a team of six dedicated women," she said.
She, however, said operations are occasionally impacted as packaging materials from outside the state do not arrive on time, due to the crisis caused by the ethnic conflict in Manipur.
Yambem and Mutum's companies produce around 500-700 boxes of herbal beverages per month.
While the herbal drinks of 'Dwellers Teas' start from Rs 50 a packet, the prices of 'Nongmadol Beverage' range from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per packet. PTI
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Not govt but NGT has banned use of old vehicles in NCR: Gadkari
New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government has not prohibited plying of old vehicles, and it was the National Green Tribunal which banned use of diesel and petrol vehicles beyond a certain age in the NCR. The vehicle scrapping policy of the government does not ban use of 15-year-old vehicles, Gadkari said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. He further said that the Supreme Court has directed the transport departments of states in the National Capital Region (NCR) that all diesel vehicles more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles more than 15 years old shall not ply in terms of order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dated April 7, 2015. The road transport and highways minister said that the government has formulated the Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernization Program (V-VMP) or Vehicle Scrapping Policy for creation of an ecosystem to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environment-friendly manner. "Under this for private vehicles plying in States/UTs other than Delhi NCR, determined based on their fitness status, as certified by the Automated Testing Stations (ATS)," he said. In respect of vehicles registered in the name of governments, the usage will expire after 15 years, Gadkari added. Responding to a separate query, the minister said till date, 13,795 black spots have been identified on National Highways. The minister said rectification of black spots is a continuous process, and temporary measures are taken on an immediate basis. "Out of total 13,795 black spots identified on National Highways (NHs) in the country, short-term rectification has been completed on 11,866 black spots and long-term rectification has been completed on 5,324 black spots," Gadkari said. Replying to another question, he said the Dehradun-Delhi Access Controlled highway with a total capital cost of ₹ 11,868.6 crore is targeted for completion by October 2025.


News18
30 minutes ago
- News18
ReNews co-founder Vaishali Sinha becomes 1st pvt sector expert to head UNGCNI
New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) ReNew's co-founder Vaishali Nigam Sinha has become the first private sector expert to be elected as president of United Nations Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI). The Indian Country Network of the Global Compact has announced formation of its new governing council for the 2025-27 term, said a UNGCNI statement. With her election, Sinha becomes the first leader from India's private sector to assume the presidency of UNGCNI in over two decades, marking a historic shift in the organisation's leadership ethos, it stated. The newly elected 12-member council has a diverse representation from corporates, not-for-profit organisations, consultancies, and top educational institutes, bringing a multi-stakeholder perspective to the promotion of sustainable business practices in India, it added. Under Sinha's presidency, the council will work towards steering the adoption of the global initiative 'Forward Faster' by all the members and supporting their adherence to its targets. It will also focus on expanding UNGCNI's Gender Equality efforts across their work in climate action, water resilience, and circular economy. Sinha, who is co-founder of ReNew, brings a wealth of experience in the areas of sustainability, environment, social and governance (ESG), and corporate strategy, the statement said. 'My focus will also be on catalysing women-led leadership in sustainability, because we cannot build a just and resilient future without those who have historically been excluded from the table. In the next two years, I aim to build platforms that move beyond dialogue to shape policy, unlock partnerships, and turn ambition into collective impact," Sinha said. The position has been traditionally held by an ONGC official. The UNGCNI plays a pivotal role in advancing the ten universally accepted principles across human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. With 361 members and active chapters in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, the network is steadily expanding its national footprint while working to align Indian corporate practices with global sustainable development goals. PTI KKS CS SHW view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 16:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


News18
30 minutes ago
- News18
MAS Financial Services Q1 net profit rises 19 pc to Rs 84 cr
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) NBFC firm MAS Financial Services on Wednesday reported a 19 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 84 crore in the first quarter ended June 2025. The company had earned a net profit of Rs 70 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. The NBFC's total income in the quarter grew to Rs 444 crore from Rs 347 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year, MAS Financial Services said in a regulatory filing. Interest income during the reporting quarter was higher at Rs 369 crore compared to Rs 295 crore a year ago. The total expenses rose to Rs 331 crore at the end of Q1 FY26 against Rs 252 crore in the year-ago quarter. During the quarter, the Assets Under Management (AUM) of the NBFC rose to Rs 12,505 crore as against Rs 10,384 crore in the same period a year ago, registering a 20 per cent increase. Capital Adequacy Ratio (including Tier II capital) as of June 30, 2025 remained very strong at 25.22 per cent with Tier-I capital at 23.19 per cent, it said. Commenting on the performance, the company's CMD Kamlesh Gandhi said, 'The performance of the company even during these trying times, demonstrates our capability of navigating through tough cycles successfully which is proved many times during this long journey of 30 years." PTI DP HVA HVA view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 16:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.