A 36-year-old Kiwi-Indian mechanical engineer-turned-hospitality entrepreneur is searching for chai loyalists who take the experience of sipping a hot, aromatic cup of spiced Indian tea seriously. His revamped concept of chai comes with a “tweak”. It takes much less time to prepare.
While other brands in the market offer similar Indian tea premixes, Venu Jarugula’s Tweak brings its own deep, flavourful take to New Zealand, a chai market he believes is “still at the beginning of its potential.”
Keeping it simple, Tweak is a pour-and-stir brand offering seven 250g beverage premixes. As the name suggests, Jarugula does not wish to revolutionise the concept of Indian chai. He wants to “tweak” the preparation, “making it quicker, easier and more consistent for contemporary life.”
Tweak is also looking beyond the Indian community, with Jarugula hoping to find a place for the brand in the morning cups of the wider New Zealand community.
Jarugula moved to New Zealand in 2015 from Ramkur, a small village in Andhra Pradesh, India. With a background in mechanical engineering, he later studied business management in New Zealand.
Stepping into hospitality was a significant change in direction for Jarugula, beginning with dosas.
For South Asian communities, Jarugula says, a cup of chai is how we welcome a guest, begin a conversation, take a break and spend time with family.
“A cup of chai can carry memories of home, even when home is thousands of kilometres away.”
At the same time, chai, he says, is being welcomed by New Zealanders and wider community, with people looking for different flavoured alternatives to their hot drinks.
“Chai belongs wherever people come together,” he says.
Tweak Tea
Tweak was launched in Christchurch in April 2024, however the thought had started taking shape much before, following the success of Jarugula’s Dosa Kitchen in the city, which opened in 2018.
“At the restaurant, I saw how strongly people connected with authentic Indian chai,” he told The Indian Weekender.
The traditional Indian chai, whether prepared at home or outside, takes its own special time, requiring the right ingredients in the right measure.
“That makes it difficult for busy households, cafés, restaurants and workplaces to serve consistently,” he said.
The purpose was never to replace the emotional ritual of chai, he said.
Tweak narrowed its range to seven premixes, including Masala Chai, Ginger Chai, Karak Chai, Cardamom Chai, Classic Chai, Kashmiri Pink Chai and Madras Filter Coffee.
The flavours, Jarugula said, each reflect a “different mood”, with low-sugar and no-added-sugar options also available.
Masala is aromatic and balanced, Ginger is warming, Karak is bold and full-bodied, Cardamom is fragrant, Classic is smooth and familiar, Pink Chai offers something new and colourful, while Madras Filter Coffee brings a South Indian coffee experience to the collection, he explains.
“Every flavour has its own personality.”
One of the most rewarding moments is watching someone taste Tweak for the first time, Jarugula says.
“People sometimes look doubtful when we tell them they only need to add hot water and stir. Then they taste it and their expression changes. They often ask, ‘Is it really that simple?’”
It in fact, has been made that simple.
Manufactured and packed in India, Tweak products adhere to quality control and food safety standards in line with ISO 22000 requirements, according to Jarugula.
Jarugula explains that the ingredients are sourced from different parts of India, including tea from Assam and flavours from South India.
“In New Zealand, we manage BRAND DEVELOPMENT, IMPORTATION, DISTRIBUTION through Dosa Kitchen Limited,” he shared.
Since its launch, Tweak has expanded beyond Christchurch and is now “available through more than 40 locations, alongside nationwide online ordering through tweak.co.nz.”
Though the products are not yet available in New Zealand supermarkets, Jarugula says there has been interest from retailers and hospitality businesses.
Tweak is eyeing supermarket shelves by December 2026, with plans to submit supplier information and present its range to retailers for consideration.
Transparency, Jarugula says, is important to the business. He wants customers to understand where the product comes from, how it is prepared and who stands behind the brand.
“Every challenge has forced us to improve. We are still learning, listening and refining the brand every day.”
Dosa, Chai and an Engineer’s Mind
Engineering taught Jarugula to look at systems, identify problems and find practical solutions, skills that have followed him into hospitality.
“My career may look as though it changed completely, but I still approach business with an engineer’s mind.”
Starting Dosa Kitchen in 2018 allowed Jarugula to introduce a part of his food culture to Christchurch, while Tweak became the next step to complete that journey.
Running a restaurant, he says, requires constant attention to equipment, workflow, speed, consistency, cost and customer experience.
In 2025, Jarugula also opened another restaurant, Indo-Lanka, in Christchurch.
With Tweak, one challenge has been changing perceptions.
Jarugula does not want customers to assume convenience means compromising on quality. He wants people to taste the product before “judging it”.
Another cog in the Tweak journey is its commercial machine, created to address the hospitality challenge of serving several chai and coffee options quickly. According to Jarugula, either way, a tweak drink can be prepared in approximately 10 seconds, with or without the machine.
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