Divya Kumar, Divs Kombucha, Chennai, India

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

A: I discovered Kombucha twice. The first time, a friendly neighbour had an unusually sour aroma coming from her apartment, I actually asked her if she was cleaning! She told me she was brewing Kombucha, and that’s when I got a first sip of such an unusual drink. Fast forward over a decade to the start of the pandemic, another neighbour but this time thousands of miles away in my hometown, the coastal city of Chennai, India, lent me her starter. And there’s no looking back.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

A: Chennai-folks have a wonderfully complex palette but there were hardly any all natural beverages that were localised to our taste. Plus covid-recovery saw an increased awareness in gut health and healing. In the middle of all of this, my mother’s garden was blooming with the best hibiscus, roses, passion fruit, mangoes and what not. My love for brewing matched the timing, that’s all. I still can’t believe I get to run a kombucha company 🙂

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

A: Recently enjoying Currant by BoochMan and Rose by Dr.Hops

Q: What is your former/current other life or career?

A: In a previous life, I was in the tech industry, building apps, wearing many hats. Now besides brewing, I manage an Airbnb that shares space with my kombucha brewery in Chennai. Come visit!

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

A: “May your dreams not come true. May things that you could not dream of happen to you. May you explore possibilities that have never been touched or reached before.”