Nagendra Tripathi

Now a day everything seems to be available on online, now online industry is very big. Cloths, electronics, consumer durables, FMCG- everything is available anywhere, so why would your very own and favorite ‘namkeen’ not? Ankur Phadnis started in October 2013 Namkeenwale was established to deliver authentic ‘namkeen’ to different parts of the country.

Selling snacks and savories online is not a new one idea. Big brands like Haldirams and Anand sweets are already doing it. And the story of Pakumania delivering regionally authentic made-to-order snacks and mithai is well known. There’s even website know as Induben Khakrawala, Known for authentic Gujarathi Kharar and other savouries. However, Namkeenwale is restricted to Madhya Pradesh and particularly Ratlam. “Ratlami namkeen is known for its unique tangy taste and it isn’t easily available in other parts of the country,” says Ankur.

Online Food Bussiness in Early Days – Ankur Phadnis

Ankur was born and brought up in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.”I finished my education in Ratlam and moved to Mumbai, where I was working at TCS,” says Ankur. After working there for about four years, Ankur decided to start to own business. I have always known that I am an entrepreneur at heart; I am not made for a regular job,” he says. So along with a colleague, Ankur established Dial Yammy, an online website for restaurant discount coupons.

Talking about his first venture, Ankur says, “The idea was to establish a portal where you could get discount coupons for dining across different restaurants in the city. However, due to lack of investors, the portal could not take off. We were left with nothing. So the only thing I thought of doing at that time was to get back home.”

Establishing Online Namkeenwale -Ankur Phadnis

Ankur established a small IT firm, after shifting to Indore. He says, “My parents are both government officers, so they are not very comfortable with the idea of entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, I was very particular that I wanted to do something on my own. The IT firm that I had established was purely for sustenance. The company, however, began to do very well and I thought I could focus on something that I am good at – product conceptualization and development. So that’s when Namkeenwale was established.”

Believing that there’s tremendous potential for food and savories in the e-commerce segment, Ankur began doing his research on what areas would be lucrative. “I saw that the section of authentic ‘namkeen’ was blank. The Malwa regions of Madhya Pradesh and Ratlam, in Particular, are known for its ‘namkeen’. You just don’t get this authentic ‘namkeen’ anywhere else. There are other brands that distribute ‘namkeen’ across the country, but it isn’t authentic,” claims Ankur.

Elaborating further, Ankur says, “There is huge demand for snacks in India. Many people stay away from homes and look for their authentic foods and savouries wherever they go. With Namkeenwale, we ensure you get authentic ‘namkeen’, made on the streets of Ratlam, delivered to your doorstep.”

Ankur Successful Journey – Ankur Phadnis

Thanks to his IT industry backing and training, Ankur found the technical aspects of the job easy to do and work on. Creating the website and building the e-commerce aspects of the site was easy, because I had done this during my stint in TCS and also when I had created Dial Yummy. What was challenging was the packaging and logistics aspects of the business. I took time in finding the rightcompanies to tie up with and also funding the right packaging, as the ‘namkeen’ could spoil if it wasn’t packed properly. So I did my research and ensured everything was perfect,” says Ankur.

For the initial few runs to test the running of the site, the logistics, right delivery and other nitty-gritty processes, Ankur asked his friends and colleagues to order from the site a couple of times. When he saw that the processes moved around seamlessly, he opened up the site to the general public. “While I have started Namkeenwale, I have a team of people working for me, people who make the ‘namkeen’ on the streets of Ratlam, my core developers and packagers,” says Ankur.

Initially the website saw around 15-20 orders a month. With a few SEO efforts, the website gets over 100-200 hits a day now. Talking about his future plans, Ankur says, “I have started getting messages from people in the US and UK asking If I can deliver there, so I have gradually started expanding to the overseas market. I am also looking to do add other savouries and eateries on our website.”

Namkeenwale is currently bootstrapped, but Ankur says, I want to establish Namkeenwale a little more before I approach investors for funding. I want to fully begin approaching investors, says ankur.

Website:-http://www.namkeenwale.in/