“The products we sell are not available in supermarkets or online shops”, Delight Foods Co-Founder Shruti Sutwala On Her Delightful Venture

A few months back a couple of creative business heads were struck with the question as to why people sitting in Agra can’t enjoy some appalams or why a family in Chennai can’t savour some Bikaneri Bhujia? This question was answered with the foundation of Delight Foods.

Founders

The company is the brainchild of founders Ramesh Krishnamurthy and Shruti Sutwala. Krishnamurthy is an IIT-M and IIM-C alumnus while Sutwala is a graduate from SRCC and MDI and both have gathered reputable amount of experience in the retail and consumer industry.

The founders believed that despite India being a gastronomically well-endowed country, the yummy treats were not accessible at a national level and hence cam Delight Foods to bridge that gap.

The Idea

“There is a latent demand of these products both from people who belong to these regions and live in other places and also from well travelled Indians who like to experiment with different taste palates.

“Our objective is to bring all the premium regional foods to these discerning customers and become India’s first Curated & Premium Food store”, says CMO & Co-Founder Shruti Sutwala about Delight foods.

Let’s face it, if you’re sitting in Mumbai or Delhi or any other North India city, the only way you can get your hands on some typical coconut oil fried chip or snacks is if you’ve – a) managed to find snack points beyond Zomato and Foodpanda or b) you know people who stay in Southern Indian cities. And the chances of you having an Internet connection are way more than the two aforementioned options, which is exactly what fuels Delight Foods!

“Indians have also become much more discerning in their food habits and are willing to pay a premium for quality food of their choice. These factors presented a unique opportunity that Delight Foods is leveraging through our curated e-commerce solution”, Sutwala explains.

Clientele

The Delight Foods client base are the experimental foodies who like a bit of everything on their platter and are on the constant lookout for all things interesting and new.

Another major demographic that the company caters to are the homesick souls. “They crave authenticity and love offerings that make it convenient for them to source those food products and ingredients” the CMO states (and we couldn’t agree more *wipes tear*).

Product Assortment & Range

The Delight team started off with just 4 people a few months back and now stand at 16 (and growing). Of these are a team of people who meet local consumers, food experts and travel to research famous food products in each region in order to curate an exhaustive and accurate product range.

Talking of the nitty-gritties of the procurement process, Sutwala says: “We do this scientifically to understand the real reason which makes these products unique and high quality. We then do a full quality testing process like blind tasting and cooking with a panel of chefs who help us finally select a product. Each product on Delight Foods is assured for quality as well as taste due to this process.”

Delight Foods’ current product line is a vast and expansive collection of regular, lite and healthy options – both sweet and savoury – complete with jams, pickles, dips, spices and a lot more.

So basically, while you dream of crunchy papads, tangy pickles and spicy Tapioca, a group of “Delightful” people is busy putting it together for you to pick and choose and order and gobble!

Treat Your Palate

Getting yourself a packet of your favorite regional snack is easier than keeping up with Kardashians (well a lot of things are easier than that, but you get the drift). All you’ve to do is visit their site, click on your favorite munchies and leave the rest to the lovely souls over at Delight.

“We have designed a unique technology enabled supply chain which has been built for the specific needs of this business. We pick up products fresh upon receiving the orders and then combine all the products from each origin city.

“All the products that are ordered is carefully packed and delivered neatly in one Delight Foods box and a unique and IT-enabled, company-driven supply chain ensures that we deliver within 3 days’ time”, explains Shruti.

Challenges

Although the company doesn’t see any competition for itself in the market, it does face certain challenges every once in a while.

“The biggest challenge for us is to ensure the delivery of freshly made food products from all over India to the customers’ doorstep within the timespan of 3 days, all aggregated in one box!”

The Road Ahead

A lover of authentic home cooked regional food from different parts of India, Sutwala and her team aim at upgrading their consumers’ food experience at home. At the same time they strive to pave the way for Delight Foods to become a household name when it comes to gorging on delicious Indian snacks.

“We want to be loved by our consumers for bringing to them the great foods of India – superior products for every eating occasion from morning tea to evening dessert. And with this we will build a profitable business, a fun place to work”, signs off Shruti Sutwala.