New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United Kingdom has brewed more than just bilateral ties it’s stirred up quite the chai story.
During his four-day tour to the UK and Maldives starting July 23, PM Modi posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) showing him sipping tea with British opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer at a quaint Indian tea stall in London. Captioned “Chai Pe Charcha with Keir Starmer,” the post quickly went viral.
But the real spotlight was stolen by the tea stall’s owner—Akhil Patel—a British-born entrepreneur of Indian origin. Raised in London and an alumnus of the prestigious London School of Economics, Akhil left a career as a data analyst in 2019 to follow a more aromatic path. Inspired by his grandmother’s traditional tea recipes, he launched the “Amala Chai” brand, blending Assam tea with Kerala spices.
Last Thursday, Akhil was invited to 10 Downing Street for a special event marking progress on the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. There, both PM Modi and Starmer enjoyed his signature blend.
In an Instagram post, Akhil called it an “extraordinary moment” and shared a heartfelt anecdote. While serving Modi, he said, “From one chaiwala to another”—a nod to the Prime Minister’s humble beginnings as a tea seller. The remark brought a warm smile from Modi, who described the tea as “the taste of India.” Starmer also praised the brew.
