With her company, Heka Bites, Divya Arora Musaddi is redefining the snack market right here in Malda, West Bengal. Heka Bites, which debuted in December 2021, is a line of wholesome snacks made from conventional superfoods such as jowar, makhana, quinoa and chickpeas. Musaddi’s business venture is in line with the growing customer demand for healthier snack options because of its commitment to sustainability and health.
A Journey of Transition and Innovation
Divya, who was born in Delhi, moved to Malda before to the COVID-19 outbreak when her husband left his corporate job to work for the family company. With this relocation, Musaddi had to adjust to living in a smaller town, which was a big change. She remembers, “It was a complete transition,” adding that her original intention had been to carry on working remotely while thinking about relocating to Delhi or Kolkata.
Still, the epidemic changed her course. She started Heka Bites because she wanted to make something significant because she worked from home. Musaddi’s experience at Deloitte and her business background gave her the tools she needed to succeed in the highly competitive snack market.
Crafting Nutritious Snacking Alternatives
The idea for Heka Bites originated with Musaddi’s own health experience. Having dealt with health problems like high blood pressure and cholesterol since a young age, she started to pay more attention to what she ate. Her quest to discover healthy snack options that made use of conventional superfoods—which she saw were being overlooked in the market—was rekindled by the pandemic.
Her interest for making nutritious snacks was further stoked by Musaddi’s studies into agricultural techniques in the area, especially in Malda, which is home to India’s main makhana-producing belt. She says, “People were starting to pay more attention to what they ate, so it seemed like a good sector to explore.”
A Commitment to Healthy Choices
Heka Bites is committed to making tasty and nourishing snacks. Musaddi is committed to revolutionising typical snacking by substituting less healthful ingredients with healthier ones, with each serving having less than 100 calories. “I’m simply using a seasoning that you adore and switching up the base from maize or potatoes to quinoa, jowar, makhana and chickpeas. She explains, “I’m switching from frying to roasting as the method.
Heka Bites now has 20 stock-keeping units (SKUs) with a variety of snacks, trail mixes, and raw seeds. With items ranging in price from Rs 30 to Rs 500, the brand has effectively entered an expanding market of customers who are concerned about their health.
Empowering Women Through Business
The fact that Heka Bites employs only women is among its most noteworthy features. The team began with just three female employees and has since expanded to 35, all of whom were hired based on referrals. Musaddi stresses how crucial it is to establish an environment that is encouraging for women in business. She says, “I think it’s very important to create an ecosystem where women help each other grow, and I am very grateful to have strong women supporting me.”
Heka Bites first introduced its products on online retailers such as Amazon and Flipkart. But Musaddi realised the difficulties and expenses of physical retail, so he turned his attention to online sales and speedy commerce, which helped him achieve remarkable success. We have completed a net revenue of Rs 3 crore and had a 10x growth in just three years.
Looking Ahead
Heka Bites is growing, with intentions to enter Tier II and III markets and launch three new products every six months. Young professionals and parents looking for healthier solutions for their families are the target audience for Musaddi’s well-planned use of performance marketing and awareness initiatives.
Musaddi recognises the constant struggle of striking a balance between marketing expenses and profitability as she manages the complexity of building a brand. “The challenge we are currently facing is awareness creation,” she acknowledges.
