National, India, 6th June 2025: Narayana Health has launched a powerful new guerrilla marketing campaign to drive awareness around World No Tobacco Day. Titled ‘Chai + Sutta | Break the Partnership’, the initiative uses a simple, culturally familiar ritual—tea and cigarette breaks—to spark conversation and inspire positive behavioural change.
A Campaign Rooted in Human Connection and Insight
In a country where tea and tobacco are often consumed together, Narayana Health has chosen to meet the problem at its source: street corner tea stalls. The campaign introduced specially designed paper teacups printed with the bold message ‘Chai + Sutta | Break the Partnership’ in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Kannada languages chosen to reflect how people across different regions commonly talk about tea breaks, making the message more relatable and impactful. These cups were distributed to local vendors in all key ‘tea-break’ hubs like office areas, railway stations, popular bus stops, colleges across cities in India such as Delhi, Gurugram, Kolkata, Howrah, Barasat, Bangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, and Raipur to disrupt the ritual with a moment of reflection.
“At Narayana Health, our mission goes beyond hospitals—it’s about changing behaviours before they become emergencies,” said Dr. Ashish Bajaj, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Narayana Health. “Whether it’s a heart attack triggered by years of smoking or a stroke caused by poor lifestyle habits, we want people to realise that the right decision—made now—can prevent the crisis altogether.”
Commenting on the cultural insight that shaped the campaign, Mr. Abhishek Misra, Country Head – Brand & Marketing, Narayana Health, said, “In India, chai is more than a drink—it’s a ritual of warmth, connection, and pause. But over time, it picked up a harmful companion: the cigarette. The ‘chai-sutta’ habit has turned countless tea breaks into quiet health risks.”
“At Narayana Health, we’re working to break this bond—preserving the joy of chai while helping people let go of the cigarette. We’re using something as routine as a daily chai break to insert a message that’s urgent and life-saving. It’s a nudge—a gentle but pointed one—to choose health over habit.”, Mr Misra added.
Confronting a Deadly Addiction with Familiar Symbols
Tobacco use remains one of India’s most persistent public health threats, with 7.1% of adults aged 15 and above smoking daily, including 12.8% of men and 1.1% of women as per industry studies. This translates to approximately 79 million daily smokers nationwide. Tobacco use contributes to over 1.35 million deaths annually in India, accounting for nearly 9% of all deaths. Of particular concern are tobacco-related cardiovascular risks, which are especially deadly and impact a significant portion of both urban and rural populations.
By linking the anti-tobacco message to a culturally resonant moment—the “chai-sutta” break—Narayana Health is addressing this issue in a way that’s intimate, local, and personal.
The campaign video, launched digitally, features real customers having chai in these cups and reacting to the message. It ends with a clear call to action: “It’s time we took a healthy break. Quit tobacco now.”
Reflecting on the creative approach behind the campaign, Mr. Rajesh Minocha, Co-founder and CCO, And And Brand Partners, said, “It is a great feeling when a small initiative finds its way into the hands of the people you want to inspire a change in. And it is special to do this on behalf of a brand that holds proactive health above all the services it has to offer.”