In a world inundated with choices, where the quest for the perfect snack often leads to confusion, Hachi Foods emerges as a beacon of clarity and satisfaction. Founded by Dheep Vora, a former finance professional turned snackpreneur, Hachi Foods is not just a brand but a solution to the everyday dilemma of what to eat when hunger strikes.
The Inspiration behind Hachi Foods
Hachi was born from a desire to create something meaningful. After a rewarding 10-year career in finance, Dheep found herself yearning for a deeper connection to something she was truly passionate about. She didn’t see herself continuing in finance for the next 20 or 30 years. Often, we get too comfortable with our daily lives, but she realised that if she’s not happy doing what she’s doing, something is not right.
Dheep wanted to create something that combined her love for good-for-you snacks with the rare quality of being genuinely tasty. In the market, it’s often a challenge to find snacks that are both delicious and good-for-you. Typically, if it’s tasty, it’s not all that healthy, and if it’s healthy, it’s not always tasty. This realisation inspired her to bridge that gap and create snacks that people could enjoy without compromising on their well-being, and that’s how Hachi Foods was born in 2019 after she quit her job.
By 2021, Hachi Foods was fully launched as a business, ready to bring their vision of delicious, good-for-you snacks to life. They reconceptualised granola as a snack and created flavours from natural sources which are hard to resist. Hachi uses only the finest ingredients to handcraft their snacks, ensuring each bite is both delicious and satisfying. Their range of flavours include Rose Almond, Orange Hazelnut Dark Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Mocha Hazelnut, and Pineapple Coconut, each designed to cater to different palates and preferences. Additionally, Hachi granola is versatile and can be enjoyed at any time of day unlike the conventional way of consuming only as breakfast with milk or smoothies. Top it up on Salads, ice creams, sheera, kheer, khichdi, make a bhel out of it, or have it just like that, the list is endless.
At Hachi, success is found in the little things. It’s in the moments of bringing joy to people’s lives and seeing the smiles on their faces when they share how their family finished an entire bottle of granola in one night or how they fight over the last bite.
They have experienced steady growth and increasing brand recognition in the last few years. Their commitment to quality and taste has resonated with consumers, resulting in a loyal customer base which is constantly growing. Hachi also caters to some of the large corporates for festive giveaways like Diwali & New Year’s. Overall, they are on an upward trajectory and excited about the future opportunities ahead.
Hachi granola is available through multiple channels: official website, and major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Additionally, their products are stocked in select retail stores across various cities, ensuring convenient access to their delicious snacks.
Navigating Risks
The journey of Hachi foods has not been without its challenges. When setting up, Dheep didn’t fully grasp the extent of the challenges she would face. She fees that each hurdle seemed significant, and there were many to navigate. Building a brand from the ground up, without prior industry experience, VC’s to back or substantial resources, meant relying heavily on resilience and adaptability. They had the product right but market entry was tough with the need to carve out a niche in a crowded space and convince consumers to choose Hachi over established brands with lower price points. However, through relentless dedication to quality and a strong commitment to impacting lives, they continue to overcome these obstacles and grow the brand.
These challenges are a part and parcel of running any business. For instance, in 2023, California’s almond harvest was delayed due to adverse weather, and in 2024, soaring chocolate prices resulted from poor harvests in West Africa. As a brand, they don’t believe in variable pricing or passing on these expenses to their customers and so they take the hit till wherever they can. They are also bootstrapped by choice, allowing them to maintain full control over their operations from the ground up. However, they have kept that option open for the future to explore opportunities to further expand their reach and impact.
Growth & Support System
Their goal is to establish themselves as a leading household brand in the good-for-you segment in India while staying true to their core values. In the next five years, they aim to expand their market presence, introduce innovative yet limited products, and continue to make a positive impact in people’s lives.
At Hachi, they look at growth differently. It means the number of lives they have impacted and the employment opportunities they have created. It’s about how many breadwinners they support and help improve their standard of living. Beyond this, growth is reflected in their loyal, repeat customers, their year-on-year expansion, and their ability to stay ahead of the curve. Dheep strongly believes that money is a byproduct of passion and dedication.
Behind Hachi is a team of dedicated individuals who bring diverse talents and perspectives. Additionally, their team members, almost 70% of whom are women, play a pivotal role in their business. Right from sourcing top-quality ingredients to crafting snacks to managing logistics, digital operations, and much more. The collective passion and commitment at Hachi is contagious.
“In one word, entrepreneurship has been fulfilling for me. Entrepreneurship may not be easy, but you gather the strength with time. Seeing the work that we do at Hachi and the lives we have impacted, it’s extremely satisfying and gives us the motivation to keep going and spreading the joy!” says Dheep.
