SURUCHI

A bright afternoon at an office on Karve Road in Pune .. women gathered around the dining table during lunch time. Purses unzipped, bags opened, and lunch boxes found their way on to the table. They shared their tiffin boxes as they gossiped about the day. Vidya Dixit, one of the ladies in the office served the vegetable curry she’d prepared to her colleagues. So began lunch time followed by comments such as, “Vidya! The curry tastes amazing”, “Excellent!”, “Very tasty”. Next day, Vidyatai brought ‘Usal’ (lentil curry) which was equally appreciated. Soon this turned into a daily ritual … everyone loved food cooked by Vidyatai. Ultimately, a friend requested Vidyatai for her ‘Masala’(spices) she used in her dishes. The others, without wasting a minute, asked her for the same. As the demand increased, a friend suggested that she brand her product. After brainstorming together, her family suggested the name ‘Suruchi’ and thus Vidyatai’s product got its brand name. This is the story of the origin of the now well known ‘Suruchi’ brand. 

Once, Vidyatai’s friend brought a packet of ready to make ‘Bhel’ (a snack made from puffed rice, crispy chickpea noodles, onions and potato and tamarind sauces) and challenged her to replicate the taste, which Vidyatai instantly accepted. Within a couple of days, Vidyatai made instant Bhel that was tastier and ‘yummier’. She distributed her very own packed and instant ‘Bhel’ to her colleagues, and that too was appreciated a lot, which led to increased demand. Her offering of ‘Masala’ now had ‘Bhel’ for company. Something that started as a simple sample demand was now blooming into a growing business.