In an ode to the cherished recipes of his grandmother, Janaki, Anand Bharadwaj, along with his wife Nalini Parthiban, embarked on a culinary journey to bring authentic South Indian sweets and snacks to the world. Established in 2015, their Chennai-based direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, Sweet Karam Coffee, is on a mission to offer a diverse range of traditional delicacies without the use of palm oil and preservatives.
The brand's name reflects the essence of a complete South Indian snacking experience—starting with a sweet dish, followed by karam (namkeen), and concluding with a hot filter coffee, an integral part of South Indian celebrations. Nalini and Anand, who initially bootstrapped the venture with just Rs 2,000, identified two critical issues in the South Indian snacking market: the lack of well-packaged, preservative-free traditional snacks and the growing preference for Western snacks among the younger generation.
Sweet Karam Coffee addresses these concerns by offering a wide range of snacks from Tamil Nadu and Kerala through its website. From Madras Mixture to Ribbon Pakoda and Peanut Chikki, the brand's products stand out for their taste, clean ingredients, and local sourcing. As the demand for millet-based and sugar-free snacks grows, the brand is actively experimenting to cater to evolving consumer preferences.
Setting itself apart from homemade snacks in South India, Sweet Karam Coffee emphasizes zero palm oil and preservatives, utilizing ingredients like rice bran or groundnut oil and jaggery. The brand also collaborates closely with farmers, establishing a direct connection with the source of ingredients to ensure organic and authentic flavors.
Beyond offering healthy snacks, the brand contributes to the empowerment of small farmers and womenpreneurs, with 35 employees, mostly women, involved in the production process. Nalini highlights the importance of ingredient-conscious consumers seeking products that replicate the taste of home, with an increasing adoption of South Indian snacks even among non-South Indians.
Having garnered over 100,000 customers across 32 major countries, Sweet Karam Coffee has experienced remarkable growth, doubling its revenue year on year since 2020. A recent $1.5 million pre-Series A funding from Fireside Ventures aims to propel the brand offline into retail stores, explore B2B opportunities, and expand globally. With plans for pan-India presence and global outreach, Sweet Karam Coffee is not just a contemporary twist to age-old products but a culinary journey connecting people to the comforting flavors of home, no matter where they reside.
