Startup Originals Team
Shuddh Swad, founded by teenagers Jayanta and Kailash, has transformed traditional Indian snacks such as thekua, besan laddoo, makhana and banana chips into safe, affordable, year-round products, scaling from a simple idea sparked on the streets to a ₹1 crore brand in just one year.
Where the Journey Began: A Street Snack and a Realization
The story started when 16-year-old Jayanta spotted a young boy enjoying a thekua at a roadside stall. Curious and tempted, he bought one despite his father’s warning about hygiene. The next day, he fell sick, an unpleasant experience that opened his eyes to a larger problem.
India loves its traditional snacks, but hygienic options were either hard to find or limited to festival seasons. Street food was risky, and packaged alternatives were often expensive or available only in certain states. That moment planted the seed for a brand that would soon redefine nostalgia snacks for an entire generation.
A Festival Moment That Connected the Dots:
Months later, during Chhath Puja, Jayanta’s best friend Kailash offered him a store-bought thekua. It tasted great, but the price was steep, and availability was limited to the festival. They realised that this wasn’t just a one-off issue, the same gap existed for laddoos, makhana, banana chips and dozens of other Indian favourites.
The duo recognised a larger opportunity:
Traditional snacks were deeply loved but poorly served.
They were either unsafe to consume or unnecessarily expensive. This discovery became their mission, to make India’s beloved snacks clean, affordable, and accessible all year round.
Launching Shuddh Swad: A Brand Built Without Investors
Shuddh Swad wasn’t created in a corporate office or startup incubator. It was born out of conversations, frustrations and a genuine love for food. With no investors and no outside funding, Jayanta and Kailash started the brand on Instagram, using it not just as a marketplace but as a community hub.
Aiming to reach every corner of India, they ensured their products were:
- hygienically produced
- traditionally inspired
- affordably priced
- available year-round
- packaged with modern, clean branding
Their simple promise, pure, clean swad, struck a chord with customers across the country.
Why Shuddh Swad Stands Out:
In a nation where snacking is a cultural habit, Shuddh Swad hit all the right notes:
- ✔ Traditional recipes with modern packaging
- ✔ Festival favourites available throughout the year
- ✔ Hygienic production processes
- ✔ Affordable pricing for mass accessibility
- ✔ An authentic brand voice built around trust
The brand blends nostalgia with convenience, creating snacks that evoke memories while meeting modern expectations of hygiene and quality.
From Zero to ₹1 Crore: A Breakout Year
In just one year, Shuddh Swad scaled from a two-person idea to a ₹1 crore brand, fuelled by over 3 lakh customers nationwide.
Their growth wasn’t driven by celebrity endorsements or viral stunts, it came from consistency, authenticity and a deep understanding of what Indian families love.
Every order became a vote of confidence. Every returning customer became an ambassador. The brand grew not just through marketing, but through trust.
A Movement, Not Just a Brand:
Jayanta and Kailash credit their success to the customers who believed in their vision. Shuddh Swad is more than a snack label, it is a movement to bring back India’s traditional flavours in a safe, accessible, and affordable way.
By bridging the gap between tradition and modern consumer expectations, they are proving that young entrepreneurs can revive cultural foods while building profitable, sustainable businesses.
Conclusion:
From a street-side thekua to a nationwide brand touching ₹1 crore in revenue, Shuddh Swad is a powerful example of how passion, purpose and persistence can create extraordinary success. Jayanta and Kailash, two teenagers with no funding and no formal business background, have built a brand that keeps tradition alive, one hygienic laddoo, thekua and makhana at a time.
