3 Clive Road’s Radhika Chopra ties together old world charm with modern designs

Radhika Chopra is the name behind the luxurious brand of 3 Clive Road. It deals in bespoke exclusive tea blends, stationery and candles.

The tastefully curated and designed products are a shout out to all who love nothing more than authentic elegance. Radhika Chopra has made a mark in differentiating her brand as a luxurious gifting platform.

The combination of the company’s three product categories is quite unique. One might wonder why is that they’re being sold alongside. However, there is a beautiful story behind Chopra’s 3 Clive Road that ties these together.

The company is based on the concept of staying true to the rich ancient roots of India and keeping the pre-independence vibe alive. The starting point for Radhika was the treasure house of insights left behind by her grandfather who was a comptroller for the British Raj at the time. His personal diary (rescued from the bin by her mother) talked about the critical changing times and the historic family traditions around then.

3 Clive Road, in fact, was the address of Radhika’s grandfather’s house and where her father was born. Radhika along with her family moved to the US when she was 9 years old. She grew up listening to stories about her father’s childhood in India and how the entire family would gather together in a huge open house for some warm chatter and a good old cup of tea.

On her return to India, she found herself being inspired by the traces of history that she could still touch and feel in the house. Radhika wanted to bring her family traditions into her products and company, for a timeless quality. Radhika through her brand wanted to capture the unique bonding of Indian families and the essence of the bygone era.

Chai time as we all know has been a part of every Indian household. What followed naturally was a line of exclusively blended teas which encapsulates India so vividly. She travelled around the country creating unique blends representing regions such as the Rajasthani Aravallis or historical eras such as the regal Mughal empire. Her line of stationery is based on specific cities such as the Delhi in 1931 or Mumbai. She loves beautifully scented candles so venturing into that was but essential.

What’s more? 3 Clive Road is probably as much about stunning packaging as it is about its products. In fact, Radhika has always been obsessed with beautiful packaging and presentation. She’s always had a keen interest in art. Her house even today is no less than a gallery.

“I always wanted to create a product,” “something I could design myself”. Less is more but in its sophisticated simplicity, the packaging reflects the great taste of Radhika. As for the brand, expect an old world charm while still staying true to modern sensibilities.

However, a lesser known fact is the achievements of this creative wonder woman in her personal life. She met with an accident at the young age of 14 resulting in paralysis. It took her an entire year to learn how to walk again but that could never stop her.

Her educational background and work experiences speak of pure brilliance. Wellesley College, Public Policy Masters at Harvard University, working in Federal Reserve Bank, representing India at the US embassy, interning at an art gallery in New York and much more.

When chance had Radhika and her husband move back to India, she took her passion for art into a full-time profession and founded 3 Clive Road in 2015. She has hustled all the way since then, taking the initial 100 boxes of four blends each and turning it into this mammoth of a business. She now proudly proclaims “tea estates who didn’t even look at me earlier now call me!

Radhika learnt everything from scratch and is involved in all aspects of 3 Clive Road. From the illustrations that go on to the packaging to the exquisite blends, marketing the company forward and so on.

Inventiva salutes the women entrepreneurs who are changing the world today. It’s the women like Radhika, who are really upgrading the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the country.