GUWAHATI: From traversing the corporate world in mainland India and becoming an entrepreneur who has been endorsed even by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it has been an amazing journey for Assam engineer Pragyan Kumar Roy.The 45-year-old, who grew up on the verdant riverside of Beki in lower Assam’s Sorbhog, was selected by Rashtrapati Bhavan to set up a tea stall at its Amrit Udyan, earning plaudits even from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.“From Sorbhog to Amrit Udyan. Pragyan Roy left 18 yrs of corporate experience to spread the authentic Assam tea experience throughout India through Riverbeki Tea. His tea has now made it to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where he has been invited to put a stall. Truly Inspirational!” Sarma posted on X on Monday.From Sorbhog to Amrit Udyan ☕Pragyan Roy left 18 yrs of corporate experience to spread the authentic Assam tea experience throughout India through Riverbeki Tea.His tea has now made it to the Rashtrapati Bhawan where he has been invited to put a stall.Truly Inspirational! pic.twitter.com/foUJHXr4KX— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 3, 2025 A mechanical engineer from the Assam Engineering College in Guwahati, Roy founded his brand “Riverbeki Carpe Diem” in 2018 after having worked in almost all chocolate and beverage industries in India for 18 years.In January this year, he applied for a tea stall at the Amrit Udyan which opens on February 1 and closes on March 31. He said he was getting a good response from the visitors.“Assam Tea is sold everywhere but I found its authentic taste to be missing because it is mostly blended. Assam Tea does not have any legal protection,” Roy told TNIE.“If we don’t prepare Assam Tea ourselves and make people drink it, they will never get its taste and benefits. Why should they buy Assam Tea if we cannot give them its authentic taste. I thought I should explore this field. There are invaluable buyers and they encouraged me. This is how the journey began,” he said.The engineer-turned-entrepreneur said his efforts had been to give people the authentic taste of Assam Tea. He is associated with the North East Tea Association (NETA) and considers Bidyananda Barkakoty, advisor to NETA, as his mentor.“I am a tea evaluator and I select my tea. Riverbeki Carpe Diem is a direct-to-consumer brand. I have an online platform too. If my brand is growing in popularity, it is also because of the contributions of numerous growers, including small tea growers,” said Roy who has got the experience of selling tea also at Mahakumbh.Born to teacher-parents, he said his childhood had been attached to Beki and he has a lot of memories associated with the river, its surroundings and Sorbhog which is famous for curd and cream. As a schoolboy, he spent a lot of his time on Beki’s bank.“I am proud that I was given space at the Amrit Udyan by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. If people in Assam get inspired and do what I am doing, it will become a movement,” he added.
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