Gaon Success Story: Champaran meat, Rajasthani dal baati, Awadhi biryani, your mouth must be watering just thinking about it. The brand making all this has also reached Shark Tank India and has signed a deal worth Rs 80 lakh. Actually, the brand we are talking about was started by Alok Ranjan, a boy from Champaran, Bihar, who after doing B.Tech, left his job at Paytm, borrowed Rs 9.5 lakh from friends and served the taste of his village to the people of Delhi.
Alok’s family was afraid of what would happen if their son did business. Alok gathered courage and opened a small restaurant in Lajpat Nagar in 2018. He kept only Bihari and Rajasthani food in his menu. Champaran Mutton, Litti Chokha, Rajasthani Dal Bati Churma etc. Then came Corona and Alok’s restaurant was closed. Alok did not give up and shifted the entire business to cloud kitchen. Due to this, people started ordering from home, food from the village started reaching every home. This brand later added Awadhi food also.
Village growth gets wings
The growth of the village is also progressing fast like a rocket. Sales in 2020-21 increased by Rs 90 lakh. It doubled to Rs 1.62 crore in 2021-22. After this it reached Rs 3.86 crore in 2022-23. Then in 2023-24 they made a profit of Rs 5.5 crore.
The biggest moment for this brand came in Season 4 of Shark Tank India when Alok asked for Rs 80 lakh from the sharks and that too for 4% share, i.e. a valuation of Rs 20 crore. The Sharks examined the business, unit economics, growth and Anupam and Vineeta sealed the deal. Sharks made this deal for 8% stake for Rs 80 lakh. Means valuation of Rs 10 crore. Today Gaon is not just a brand, it is a business worth Rs 5.5 crore and is going to cross Rs 7.5 crore in the coming year.
Same brand giving different tastes
The village company is no longer just one brand, it has created many brands so that everyone can find their taste. Gaon which is the main brand, which offers Rajasthani, Bihari and Awadhi food. All the desi taste comes under this. Apart from this, there is Champaran Meat Company in which the focus is only on Bihari non-veg. Mutton and chicken are all provided in it. Apart from this, Dumara brand which offers biryani has also become the first choice of many people. Trihut is an upcoming snacks brand that offers breakfast and other snacks options.
Cloud kitchen started during Corona period
Gaon is not just a food company, it is a celebration of India’s heritage. The true flavor of the village was lost in the glamor of the cities, Alok Ranjan brought it back. A boy who grew up playing in the soil of Champaran is serving Champaran’s Handi Mutton in Delhi. In Alok’s restaurant, the magic of mother’s hand, the fragrance of the village and the culture of Bihar-Rajasthan-Awadh are hidden in every dish. This company is a bridge between city and village, where desi taste and modern kitchen go together.
Alok’s dream is to serve the soul of India in every plate. Customers don’t just eat the food, they also love the story of the village. When everything was closed in Corona, Alok created a cloud kitchen and took the taste to every home. People say that this is not food, this is the memory of home. This company is proving that true taste and true hard work never give up.
