Yesterday my daughter @garima_bakshi told me about https://cochoa.in  and its founder Sai. My kids have eaten chocolates from many corners of the world, but the ones they were eating from Sai’s venture @cochoachocolate were so good that they were raving about it.

On his site, Sai writes about how he found his calling:

Cochoa was born in the mountains of Himalayas, our home. Though I live in a metropolitan city, the  mountains transformed me like nothing before. In my heart I am a ‘pahadi’.

Everytime I left Mumbai to go to the mountains, I was astonished by how everything was so pure. The air we breathed, the people, the trees. Even the simplest of the foods tasted extraordinary.

I wished to bring this purity to chocolates and create chocolate unlike any, yet within the principles of nature.

I had no idea how I would do it. I had a dream and many worrying questions. I was neither a chef nor had I ever cooked on a large scale before. Did I want to quit my job? What if I lose? I had no clue what lay ahead. But, somewhere deep in my heart I knew I had to do it.

I just applied to all chocolate makers across India hoping for a response. I was unsure if someone would even hire me. But then I got a call to intern with one of the chocolate makers and I immediately quit my job.

The next 6 months were one of the most amazing times of my life. It was truly exciting being in a factory with the aroma of chocolate in the air, the sound of grinders and a deep sense of satisfaction.

The transformation was drastic for me – from a corporate job to a chocolate maker in a factory. But I loved it. I knew that this is what I would be doing for the rest of my life. https://cochoa.in/story/ 

Through my daughter, I have come across many people like Sai who chased their dreams and have gone and built businesses around them. There is a fellow who makes the most astonishingly tasty smoked cheese that I ever tasted.

There is a brand of ice cream called minus 30, which is one of the most delicious ice creams I ever tasted. The company which makes it was started in 2016.

There is a girl who lives in the hills in Uttarakhand who makes lovely cheese as well. And so on.

The wonderful thing about these entrepreneurs is that as Indians become more prosperous, they are also getting interested in buying local, artisanal brands instead of the global ones. At least they are willing to try them.

But once they try them they are hooked forever. This is not a small change. I think it will pose a significant challenge to large branded players who make a massive amount of stuff in large factories and spend tons of money on advertising.

In contrast, niche players like Sai and others I have learnt about, have small scale operations, but they counter that disadvantage by producing small batch sizes of really unique products.

And they using platforms like Instagram to find customers which is very cost effective for them. And for customers, it’s just so easy to order through Instagram etc. without even leaving the app.

With India logistics scene getting better by the day it’s so much easier now to ship perishable stuff to local customers too.

I also think that the arrival of UPI is a game changer for people like Sai and others like him. It’s just so easy to transfer funds within 10 seconds. For customers it’s the sheer convenience. For the brand owner, it’s a quick collection with zero credit risk from B2C customers.

The demographic changes, improvement in logistics, the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of platforms like Shopify, Instagram and UPI etc. are all developments which, I think, will be enormous tailwinds for people like Sai.

I think that these small little artisanal brands will also prosper because the younger generation of customers is far more willing to support them versus buying stuff made by well known global giants. They are far less global brand-conscious than their parents and grandparents.

Indeed, they take pride in supporting local brands. I think this is something that we, as investors, should notice. As the parents and grandparents die, they will be replaced by a younger generation of consumers who have very different tastes and preferences.

Wishing Sai all the best for his venture. He is also a role model for many of my students who will be taking up their jobs in large companies. For many of them, Sai and others like him, offer a lot of hope. I hope so...