Vikas D Nahar’s story shows that failure does not always mean the end of a dream. More than 20 failed business attempts did not stop him from trying again. His big break came in 2016, when he started Happilo with just Rs 10,000 and two employees.
After finishing his studies, he first worked at a private company and then joined his brother’s business. These experiences helped him understand the food industry, but he wanted to create something of his own.
Before finding success, Vikas tried to start over 20 businesses, but every one of them failed. Instead of giving up, he used those failures to learn and kept moving forward. When he launched Happilo, his aim was to offer good quality dry fruits, nuts, seeds, spices and chocolates to Indian customers.
Also Read: Harsh Goenka Shares “KFC” Which Serves Only Vegetarian Food. Spoiler: It’s Not What You Think
Speaking with e4m, Vikas D Nahar explained, “Happilo was born in 2016, around September-October. When we started, we always took small steps, never thinking about what we’d become in terms of revenue or brand or valuation. The company was confident enough that it would make itself big; only time was needed.”
The company first built its presence online through sites such as Amazon and Flipkart. It later entered retail stores across India. As the business expanded, it also added more products.
The company continued to put money into its operations, which helped it improve production, delivery and range of products. This helped them reach more customers and become a larger food brand.
According to Nahar, the money Happilo earned in its early years was put back into the business. For the first four years, he did not take a salary from the company. He used the money to make more people aware of the brand, build its image and help Happilo become a leading name in the market.
Also Read: Video: Creator Spent A Day With Mumbai Dabbawalas Who Deliver 2 Lakh Lunchboxes. You Can Too
Happilo’s valuation reached over Rs 500 Crore after the company received funding from A91 Partners and Motilal Oswal.
Following his success, Vikas D Nahar also appeared on Shark Tank India Season 2 in 2023 as a guest shark. During his time on the show, he invested in several startups that he found promising.
