Meet IIT graduate who built Rs 840 crore biryani business, later took over global food giant, he is....

Since the late 1990s, global fast food giants like McDonald's and Burger King have greatly influenced how Indians dine out. By 2015, burgers and pizzas had become very popular. However, Vishal Jindal, an IIT graduate, saw an opportunity to bring back India's rich culinary heritage. That year, at the age of 40, Jindal started Biryani By Kilo, a food brand dedicated to delivering fresh and authentic biryani to customers across India.

Before venturing into the food business, Jindal had a successful career in hedge funds and private equity firms. Despite having no prior investments in the food industry, he decided to take a bold step outside of his comfort zone. His goal was to create an international brand for biryani, a dish deeply rooted in Indian culture. Jindal has often spoken about his risk-taking nature, which pushed him to pursue this new venture. He mentioned in a podcast that 40 was the right age for him to take this risk, as waiting until 50 would have been too late.

Jindal built Biryani By Kilo on two key principles: quality and authenticity. The company is dedicated to preparing biryanis from scratch for every order, ensuring that the food is always fresh, even though it takes time. In the early days, this focus on quality made it difficult for the brand to compete with fast food outlets. While consumers were used to getting their meals quickly, Biryani By Kilo took over an hour to prepare and deliver orders, which was a challenge to explain.

In addition, Jindal talked about the growing trend of food delivery. He believes that online food delivery services are growing at a rate 1.7 to 1.8 times faster than the overall food and beverage industry, and he expects this trend to continue.

When reflecting on his journey, Jindal was asked what advice he would give to his younger self. He admitted that had he known all the challenges beforehand, it might have been harder to start the business. However, he is grateful for the path he chose and would not change a thing.

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