Drink Your Tea, Then Eat The Cup: How A Software Professional Turned Millets Into An Eco-Friendly Business
Anusha transformed millets into edible tea cups, creating a biodegradable alternative to plastic while supporting local farmers and attracting orders from India and abroad.
Published : August 3, 2026 at 12:32 PM IST
Jagityala (Telangana) : Can you imagine that, just as the soft-serve ice cream cone lets you enjoy both the ice cream and the cone with zero waste, the same concept has now become a reality for tea cups? Yes, you read that right. Tea cups made entirely from millets are now edible. So, tea and coffee lovers can finish their drink and then eat the cup instead of throwing it away.
Sounds unusual, but the idea has turned into a sustainable business for software professional Anusha, who developed these edible tea cups to reduce the use of plastic and paper cups. The innovation, she says, is not only biodegradable but also nutritious, offering an eco-friendly solution to one of the country’s most commonly discarded single-use products.
While ceramic and steel cups are commonly used at home, plastic and paper cups continue to dominate tea stalls and public spaces despite growing awareness of their harmful impact on health and the environment. Anusha wanted to change that and began experimenting with a healthier alternative - tea cups that can be consumed after use.
“A healthy environment is essential for healthy living and of late, almost all have become conscious consumers. But they do not have an alternative since most food and beverages sold outside are served or packaged in plastic. We wanted to create something that benefits both people’s health and the environment,” she said.
The edible cups developed by Anusha are made from millets, including foxtail millet (korra), finger millet (ragi), pearl millet (sajja), sorghum (jowar) and little millet (arikelu). Strong enough to hold hot tea, the cups can later be eaten or discarded without leaving behind any waste.
Anusha and her husband, Manoj, both software professionals from Jagityala, had no prior experience in food manufacturing. However, Anusha’s academic background in health and nutrition inspired her to develop a product that is both healthy and sustainable. The couple, along with their parents, spent months researching the process online and experimenting with different formulations.
They invested their savings and also took a bank loan to launch Sri Lakshmi Millets Tea Cups in December last year. The journey, however, was far from easy and came with several challenges.
“Initially, making cups entirely from millets was extremely difficult. We went through several failed attempts and challenges before perfecting a cup that was both sturdy and eco-friendly,” Anusha recalled.
The family started sourcing raw materials directly from local farmers, creating an additional source of income for millet growers. Marketing proved to be another major hurdle, as customers were initially unaware of the product and its benefits. “We reached out to local businesses and consumers to demonstrate the concept and explain its environmental advantages. They were more than happy to embrace it,” she added.
Their persistence has finally paid off. Today, the enterprise produces around 600 edible cups a day while the couple continues with their software careers. Orders now come not only from different parts of India but also from overseas. Encouraged by the response, they have also started receiving enquiries for edible cups designed for serving ice cream and sweets.
Looking ahead, Anusha hopes to scale up production and make edible millet cups a practical, sustainable alternative to disposable cups. “I am happy that a small idea has evolved into an innovation that can reduce plastic waste while promoting healthier lifestyles and supporting local farmers,” she said.
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