Intelligent SME.tech Issue 67 | Page 15

// CASE STUDY //
Agarwal took the time to answer further questions from Intelligent SME. tech.
What initially prompted you to set up JP’ s Originals?
JP’ s Originals came from a mix of personal discovery and family inspiration. I used to be a massive coffee addict but when I started exploring the world of tea, I realised how much more there was to it in terms of quality, flavour and ritual. I had also become increasingly frustrated by the tea available through mainstream retailers and felt there was a gap for something better.
I wanted to create a brand focused on quality, with transparency around provenance and leaf grading because that level of detail is so often missing in tea. I was inspired by my grandfather, Jaideo Prasad, who was a respected tea grower in India. That connection made me want to create a brand that could make authentic, high-quality tea more accessible for everyday drinking.
How important is provenance to you and why?
Provenance is at the heart of what JP’ s Originals stands for. Tea has a rich story behind it, from where it is grown to how it is produced and I wanted to build a business that respected that. For me, provenance matters because transparency is a big part of how we build trust with customers. Every ingredient in our tea comes from the most premium sources which makes our tea taste authentic. It also ties closely to our wider focus on sustainability and thoughtful packaging.
Tell me more about your grandfather and his tea growing business.
My grandfather, Jaideo Prasad, was a well-respected tea grower in India and a big inspiration behind JP’ s Originals. He dedicated his life to the tea gardens in Assam. The business is named in part as a tribute to him, and that heritage helped shape my thinking around authenticity, quality and provenance from the beginning. More broadly, tea runs through my family history. My great-grandfather, Hanumanbux Kanoi, helped pioneer the technique of planting tea by hand in India and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1965 for his contribution to trade and industry.
For me, JP’ s Originals is not just inspired by my grandfather as an individual, but by a much longer family connection.
How has CBD helped you?
Our CBD, sourced in the UK, offers an accessible way of consumption that is enjoyable, calming and relaxing. My interest in CBD came after I experienced a health issue and started looking more actively at natural wellness solutions. That led me to develop our CBD-infused blends as part of the range. It was about exploring products that could sit naturally within a broader wellbeing offer and responding to something I had become personally interested in. Since introducing it into our products, we have been able to use CBD-infused blends for battling pain and inflammation, skin issues, daily stresses and to help people sleep.
Why did you choose Worldpay, now Global Payments?
We needed a payment partner that could support the specific needs of our business, accept international currencies so customers could shop online wherever they are and give customers confidence at checkout – a trusted global brand like Worldpay does exactly that.
In practical terms, our website is built on Shopify and because we do not have an in-house developer, we needed a provider that would be straightforward to integrate. That combination of practicality, customer reassurance and ease made Worldpay the right fit for us.
How does Worldpay, now Global Payments, make it easier to run your business day-to-day?
The set-up was simple and the platform does exactly what we need it to do. Once we

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FROM A DAY-TO- DAY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, I ALSO FIND THE DASHBOARD USEFUL BECAUSE IT GIVES ME ACCESS TO EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE.
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