Global IndianstoryBeyond Classrooms: SpaceBasic CEO Madhavi Shankar helps make campus life easy

Beyond Classrooms: SpaceBasic CEO Madhavi Shankar helps make campus life easy

Written by: Vikram Sharma

(March 11, 2023) Some decisions can change the trajectory of life, forever. For Madhavi Shankar, it was moving to Australia to study in 2012. Living independently and practising independent decision making, she realised her potential when she joined a technology startup and went on to work there for four years, juggling different roles. The experiences came in handy when she had a chance meeting with Indu Navar, a successful entrepreneur from Silicon Valley, during a trip to the US in 2016. Five hours of conversations later, Madhavi Shankar’s career had taken off. “I returned to Sydney, quit my job and flew back to India the following year with a goal to solve the real problem in the education space. The result was the birth of SpaceBasic.inc,” smiles the Co-founder and CEO of SpaceBasic, the ed-tech company which works on digitising student experiences for universities and campus housing communities.

Back to basics:

The idea behind SpaceBasic was to create a digital platform beyond the classroom for students and educators. “Today, over 50 colleges and universities use SpaceBasic to empower their campus housing communities by digitising everyday tasks and communications to deliver a better living experience,” Madhavi tells Global Indian.

With rigorous due-diligence, Madhavi learnt that over 80% of universities in India use little to no technology outside of the classroom. Campus operations like student housing, managing cafeterias and access control were ineffective and all performed manually with fragmented data sources. “We knew there had to be a better way,” says Madhavi, about the events that led to the launch of SpaceBasic.

Madhavi Shankar, CEO and co-founder, SpaceBasic

Under her leadership and entrepreneurial skills, SpaceBasic has grown 300% year on year. The AI-enabled SaaS platform digitises the non-curriculum life of a student by automating everyday tasks and communication within universities, schools and student housing communities, in one workspace.

Early life

A first generation entrepreneur from Bengaluru, Madhavi comes from a traditional South Indian family. Her parents, both doctors made sure education was the cornerstone of their children’s upbringing. “Throughout my school and college days, I would often get into trouble for my grades,” recalls the technology enthusiast, who enjoyed participating, curating and hosting events.

She did her schooling from National Public School and then went to Visvesvaraya Technological University for her Bachelor’s degree.

Sydney calling

Come 2012, Madhavi moved to Sydney to pursue her Masters and MBA from the University of Technology. “My passion for startups started in Sydney. I wanted to start a company from the experience I had in Australia as an international student and drawing comparison to my experiences in India. I was inclined to build something in the education space,” says the Forbes 30 Under 30, Asia 2020 awardee.

While working in the tech startup in Sydney, Madhavi handled different responsibilities, from front desk receptionist, door-to-door sales to finally product manager, Asia Pacific.

Madhavi and Indu Navar, co-founders, SpaceBasic

The entrepreneurship journey

Referring to her meeting with Indu Navar, with whom she co-founded SpaceBasic, Madhavi says their conversation made them realise they shared the common passion of bringing about a change with the use of technology in undeserved sectors in India.

“The goal was to bring together meaningful data sources from everyday tasks and communication and to provide universities actionable insights, leading to cost reductions and streamlined operations,” explains the entrepreneur, who was honoured with Global Australian Award – Advance.Org & Government of Australia 2022.

SpaceBasic is backed by early stage Venture Capitalists SucCeed, Turbostart and have prominent angels from India and the US. Presently, SpaceBasic is working with institutions like Manipal Academy of Higher Education, PES University, DY Patil University, Indus International Schools among others and enables 120K+ users.

The company is expected to accelerate towards a revenue goal of $25M by 2026. “Universities and colleges today want to digitize manual, redundant campus operations and adopt AI technology to make predictive data-driven decisions that will help with cost reductions, optimized operations and provide an amazing connected campus experience to students,” she explains.

Empowering women everywhere

As an empowering woman leader, Madhavi had the opportunity to speak at the United Nations HQ in Geneva in 2019. “Representing India as one of the nine youth speakers was an incredible experience. I interacted and learnt about the social initiatives by young entrepreneurs,” says Madhavi. The event was part of the one million youth leaders by 2030.

She has also been invited to speak at IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Chennai, ISB Hyderabad and TEDx talks as well. “The common theme around these talks have been women empowerment and the economic need for more women in the workforce and what we can do to support this,” informs Madhavi.

So what are her future plans ? “Our goal over the next three years is to digitise the campus experience of one million students with SpaceBasic.” She says her company believes in equal opportunities for all and giving back to the community. Affiliated with the movement ‘Pledge 1%’ where the company pledges 1% of their profits, time and software to invest back into the community, SpaceBasic works towards educating women each year, informs the entrepreneur.

Madhavi’s work involves lot of travel, something she loves. “I try to read half a dozen self-help books or biographies a year,” says the CEO.

Follow Madhavi on LinkedIn

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 11, Mar 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

Amazon conservationist Shaji Thomas rows deep into forests to help tribes

(April 5, 2022) The year at a training programme in Brazil was nothing short of a lifetime opportunity for Shaji Thomas. Little did the Kerala-born environmentalist know that in the dense forests of Amazon, he would find a home. In the past 32 years, Shaji has risked his life on numerous occasions, to not only save the tropical rainforests but also for the upliftment of over 60 communities living in the heart of the region. Despite the struggles, he wouldn’t want it any other way. "I intended to stay in this country only for a year when I arrived at Sao Paulo in 1989. But I could never return, and that is one decision I will always be proud of," shares the environmentalist, who lives in Belém, Brazil, during an interview with Global Indian. A green panther Growing up in Ramapuram village of the Kottayam district of Kerala, Shaji was third of the six kids in the family. His father was a local politician and his mother, a housewife. Home tutored in the initial years of his life, the environmentalist was brilliant with numbers. "I even passed the Indian Sainik School entrance exam, but my mother was not in favour

environmentalist was brilliant with numbers. "I even passed the Indian Sainik School entrance exam, but my mother was not in favour of sending me far away," he shares, adding that nature intrigued him even as a child. But he equally enjoyed school. “I was a good student and participated in scouts and guides and NCC. We had agricultural land on which we grew cocoa, rubber, coffee, coconut, paddy and pepper," says Shaji.

[caption id="attachment_22571" align="aligncenter" width="723"] Shaji Thomas[/caption]

However, when his father asked him to join local politics, he packed his bags and left for Mysuru University to pursue social science, politics and economics. At the same time, he received a degree in philosophy from the Institute of Vidyaniketan in Mysuru. “During college, I got an opportunity to visit Odisha, where I lived with tribal communities," adds Shaji.

Upon his graduation, he got the opportunity to do a year of an overseas training programme in Sao Paulo by the Religious Institution Society of Divine Work. With no direct flight to Brazil from India at that time, he spent a week travelling to his destination. "No one came to pick me up and I didn't have enough money to pay for a cab. Almost no one spoke English and I didn't know Portuguese. Fortunately, a taxi driver took mercy on me and dropped me at the institute," reveals the environmentalist.

Guardian of the forest

Although it was his dream, Shaji found Brazil “very strange” in the beginning. From falling sick after gulping down a cup of caipirinha, which he thought to be a juice to learning Portuguese from a Japanese teacher, he had his share of peculiar moments.

[caption id="attachment_22572" align="aligncenter" width="716"] Shaji during a forestation event[/caption]

But it was his institute’s involvement in social movements across Brazil that piqued his interest and understanding of the issues faced by various communities. He, too, dived into one of the largest movements in Latin America, Landless Workers’ Movement which “changed” his life. Upon completion of his training, the institute invited him to study theology, and he decided to stay.

In 1991, Shaji visited Amazon for a vacation, which took him four hours by plane and 12 hours by boat to reach. "I was visiting the Quilombola community, who are people of Afro-descent. I had heard stories about their hostility towards visitors. However, my experience was completely different. Their chief invited me over dinner and offered me the first plate of food - which is a mark of respect," he says.

That’s when he learnt about the several issues faced by the communities. "Most of Brazil is covered by the Amazon forest and many of the communities living here are Afro-descendants. At one point, their forefathers used to own these lands, but now these people are harassed by the land, mining, drugs, and timber mafia. They grab their land, and make them work for free. They do not have clean water, electricity, education, or even access to a medical centre," divulges the environmentalist.

In 1993, he returned to the Amazon forests to fight for the rights of indigenous people and environmental conservation. For the next six years, he lived on a boat in the Amazon river, visiting various communities and helping them in matters of land conflict.

Mafia, violence and gunshots

Though the environmentalist is happy living with his family in Brazil, the journey was not all peachy. Working with over 60 communities, fighting for their rights, while protecting the forest got Shaji in trouble with people, including the land and wood mafia. He wasn't only threatened but also attacked by them. "A few times the timber mafia even tried to sink my boat, but I was lucky to escape," says Shaji. Few of his friends, including famous Brazilian activist Dorothy Stang, however, weren't as lucky as him and were shot by the forest mafia. "I worked with Dorothy in the same organisation for the protection of Amazon’s residents. Her death was a big blow, but we knew we couldn't stop fighting," shares the activist.

[caption id="attachment_22573" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Shaji Thomas[/caption]

Though he continued to fight for the locals, his status as a foreigner often worked against him. "To prove to them that I wasn't going to go away, I took Brazilian citizenship in 2003," says Shaji. Realising that understanding the law of the land will help him serve these communities better, Shaji decided to pursue law at the Estácio do Pará College in Belém in 2007.

Miles to go...

After three decades, Shaji continues to work with the communities. Living in Belém, with his wife Elysangela Pinheiro, a Brazilian lawyer, a 17-year-old son Santosh and four-year-old daughter, Sofia, Shaji feels there is still more to be done. "Until 2002 these people had no help from the government. While the situation was getting better after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came to power, the subsequent governments have not worked for the betterment of these communities. There are no measures in place to control the land grabbing. Several hydroelectric projects have been established in Amazon, due to which the region's massive biodiversity — the largest in the world — is going underwater,” he explains.

[caption id="attachment_22574" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Shaji with his family[/caption]

Currently he is working as a researcher at the Federal University of Pará, in natural resource management and climate change. He has been conducting several forestations drives and workshops on legal awareness for the indigenous communities. In his free time, he loves to tend to his kitchen garden with his son or take long walks with his family along the Amazon.

While the couple did visit India a few years ago, Shaji isn’t in touch with his family much. “My father is no more, but my mother was very happy with my visit," he concludes.

Follow Shaji Thomas on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Forensic scientist Risha Jasmine Nathan named a global gastronomy gamechanger

(July 13, 2022) In June 2022, Risha Jasmine Nathan was named one of the world's leading gastronomy gamechangers. She's one of only four Indians on the 50 Next 'Class of 2022' list, which was unveiled at the first live awards ceremony in Bilbao, Spain. As we speak, Risha (pronounced with an 'ai', she emphasises), who recently resigned from her job as an assistant professor at Galgotias University in Noida, is preparing for her move to the UK, where she will begin work as a lecturer in forensic chemistry at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. The research that landed Risha on the global gamechangers list took shape when she was a PhD student in New Zealand. The idea came about as she completed her master's thesis - "I had found a group of researchers using banana peels to remove lead ions from water," Risha tells Global Indian. Qualified in analytical chemistry and toxicology, she decided to take the idea further through biosorption, pitching the idea at the University of Otago. Many a late night at the lab followed, as Risha experimented with orange, banana, cucumber, apple, kiwi fruit and potato peels to remove heavy metals from drinking water. It’s an experiment with

[caption id="attachment_26856" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Risha Jasmine Nathan[/caption]

The road to forensic chemistry

Risha's career is enough to make any true crime aficionado wide-eyed with excitement. "It's not as glamorous as it looks," she chuckles. "It's all about bad smells and dead bodies." Even so, having grown up watching shows like Forensic Files and CSI, she does recall a time when she saw herself working for the FBI. Real life turned out to be far more prosaic, although, in Risha's case, not at all uninteresting.

Born and raised in Prayagraj (it was still Allahabad then), Risha was always academically inclined, encouraged very much by her mother, who was an associate professor at a college in Allahabad University. "I was a very involved student, I tried my hand at everything, including music and painting and I did well in class, too." Her mother hoped her bright daughter would choose a career in medicine. "I tried, I even prepared for the exam but I didn't qualify," Risha says. “Perhaps it was for the best, I would have been a horrid doctor. I think I'm better off working with dead bodies!"

Armed with an undergraduate honor's degree in Chemistry from Banaras Hindu University and a deep fascination for the hugely popular true-crime series, Forensic Files, Risha specialised in toxicology, analytical chemistry and forensic science. She then joined the Chemistry Division of the Forensic Science Laboratory, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This involved working with crime exhibits, which, although not-so-glamorous, meant analysing organs post the autopsy, to understand what poisons and toxins might have been administered or ingested.

Soon after, she joined the National Dope Testing Laboratory in Delhi, part of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. "We would test athletes for banned substances," she says. "It was an interesting job, I would have to test for narcotics, stimulants and plasma volume expanders."

The eureka moment

India generates anywhere between 12 and 21 million tons of fruit and vegetable waste respectively, according to an NCBI study. It was one part of the problem that Risha hoped to tackle, along with the ever-present worry of contaminated drinking water. "The food industry generates tons of fruit and vegetable waste and most of it ends up in landfills, where it pollutes the land," she says. "On the other hand, we talk about contaminated water. My research is a solution to both problems."

It meant pulling many all-nighters at the lab. "Taking off from the experiment with bananas, I brought orange, cucumber, apple, kiwi fuit and potato peels together under the same environmental conditions." The peels are dried, pulverised and converted into a fine powder, "less than 240 micro metres and then mixed with sodium or calcium alginate," says Risha, who obligingly explains the science. “I introduced the mix into a calcium ion solution." Roughly the size of papaya seeds, the beads were dropped into water spiked with toxic ions like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and lead. "We tend to find elevated amounts of these substances in natural waters."

Risha published six papers in the three-and-a-half-years she spent doing her PhD research, altering the variables and changing the conditions to see how effectively the beads worked. Positively charged toxic ions were drawn to the negatively charged functional groups present on the beads, which could then be effectively removed from the drinking water after it is treated.

The expanding landscape of forensics in India

As she prepares for the next innings, as a lecturer of forensic chemistry in one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Risha reflects on the forensics scene in India - active and constantly growing. "Pending cases are a problem though," she remarks. "And while there's no dearth of crime happening every day, whether it's suicides, homicides or accidents, there is only so much infrastructure to deal with it." The scope for studies in various fields of forensics is also expanding, with the government proactively setting up regional Forensic Science Labs apart from the existing state and national branches. "They have also set up the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar and are training more people to get into the field, whether they are going in as adacemicians, crime scene investigators, forensic photographers, or working in the labs." As for Risha herself, she's never happier than she's in the lab herself, lost in her experiments.

Risha lives with her husband in Delhi and they will now shift base to the UK. The couple is "travel freaks" as she puts it - "Given any small chance, we pack our bags and leave." She also enjoys playing the guitar and synthesiser and is active within her church community. "I also like to paint in my free time, that's an important part of my mental well-being," she says.

Follow Risha on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

A giant slalom: Olympic skier Arif Khan’s aim is get a gold for India

(May 2, 2022) The snow-covered peaks of Gulmarg have been Olympic skier Arif Mohammed Khan’s playground since he was a child. At four, when he first tried skiing, assisted by his skier father Yasin Khan, Arif was thrilled. Soon skiing became an everyday affair. Growing up in the 1990s, one of the most turbulent times in the Kashmir valley, skiing down the slopes and curves gave Arif a sense of freedom. He turned to competitive skiing at 10, won his first gold in the slalom (an Alpine skiing discipline that involves navigating between poles) and the national championship at the age of 12. He was 16 when he made his international debut at the junior international AP Ski Federation event in Japan. Arif hasn’t looked back since. Since 2005, the Indian Alpine skier has competed in 127 international events and won two gold medals in South Asian winter games. He has also participated in four world championships, one Asian winter games and four Asian championships. Olympic tryst The recent feather in his cap was representing India at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, in which he clinched a 45th place finish in giant slalom -- the best ever result by

.jpeg" alt="Olympic Skier | Arif Khan | Global Indian" width="624" height="936" />

Olympic tryst

The recent feather in his cap was representing India at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, in which he clinched a 45th place finish in giant slalom -- the best ever result by any Indian in the history of the Winter Olympics.

“Being part of the Olympics and competing with some of the world’s best athletes was one of the greatest experiences. Holding my country's flag and walking at the opening ceremony on behalf of 1.4 billion people was the best feeling ever," Arif told Global Indian. He was the lone participant at the Olympics from India.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @arifkhanskier

The Indian alpine skier has now set his sights on the winter Olympics 2026 to be held in Italy. “In between, I would be competing in other international events. I would want to perform and win for India, that's the only goal,” says the 32-year-old.

How green was his valley

Born in March 1990 in Goiwara, a small village in Hajibal, Tangmarg of north Kashmir, Arif did his schooling from the Army school at Ziran, Tangmarg. “My childhood was simple and not much to do, unlike the life people lead in cities. I was not born in a rich family, so everything around us was limited," says the soft-spoken Arif, one of Yasin Khan’s four children. Gulmarg is about 12 km from his village.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @arifkhanskier

Arif says during his early years, Kashmir was going through difficult times. “The worsening security situation impacted our schooling and sports. Living in such an environment was a struggle,” he recalls.

Going pro

Having started skiing in 1994 in Gulmarg and trained in the basic and intermediate level until 2002, in 2003, Arif started competing at the junior national level. Soon, he became a medal-winning athlete in every category. “My father was the reason behind all successes. He pushed me into conquering new heights,” he says of his father, a mountain ski guide, ski instructor, who owns a ski equipment shop at Gulmarg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug8K8Ivqprs

To foreign shores

“Earlier, I used to train for four months in Gulmarg. Since 2008, I got the opportunity to travel to central Europe where I could train in the summer months. Now, I mainly train in Austria, Switzerland and Italy. I do 260 days of skiing a year,” informs Arif, who was the national champion for five consecutive years and a national champion in slalom for 14 years. From Austria, China, Lebanon, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Germany and USA, skiing has taken Arif across the globe.

Olympic Skier | Arif Khan | Global Indian

Up at the crack of dawn, “It takes an hour for preparation, two hours of workout and four hours of skiing. During off season, I train at the gym for three hours,” says Arif, who also indulges in mountain biking, swimming and running. His other interests include trekking in the high mountains, and driving through the high passes.

What does it take to be a good skier

“It takes a lot of physical effort like, keeping up with your body's strength, high intensity exercises, muscle building, quickness, endurance, a strong core and back fitness. The most difficult part is chasing the cold weather below 20,” explains the ace skier who completed his graduation in sports science, and then went on to do an MBA from the Sports University, Switzerland.

Learning to balance at high speeds, maintaining angulation, crushing and getting up again with risks down the slopes on icy surfaces are challenging. “There are many mental challenges. One has to remain focussed while going down the hills at great speeds. It requires great concentration, during practice and games, failing any one, and you are out of the race in no time,” adds the skier who won 12 medals at national competitions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @arifkhanskier

Raising funds

Travel and training costs alone can go up to several lakhs of rupees (each trip). Thus, skiing came with its share of financial problems for Arif too. “Without proper financial support, I struggled to keep doing what I love. I did not give up and kept my dream alive while living through the most difficult times in Kashmir,” informs the skier. His father put a major part of his earnings into his son’s career.

When not skiing, Arif helps his father in the business, operating a tour company for adventure activities in summer and winter. He also doubles as a skiing instructor when time permits.

Lack of infrastructure in India

Arif has crowd funded to cover training expenses. “Not having proper infrastructure for training in India, I always had to arrange funds to go abroad for training,” informs the skier who was determined to represent India at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He even put his marriage on hold for the sport.

Olympic Skier | Arif Khan | Global Indian

Arif hopes the government helps develop better infrastructure for training winter sports athletes and holding international skiing events. “There are thousands of young people already into this sport and want to pursue it,” he says.

Ask him who is his idol and pat comes the reply: “I am my own idol."

Follow Arif Mohammed Khan on Instagram

Reading Time: 7 mins

Country’s first certified chocolate taster Nitin Chordia serves ‘Made in India’ chocolates in the truest sense

(September 16, 2022) When people get to know that Nitin Chordia is a chocolate taster, they can’t help but be curious. What could be a better job than that of a chocolate taster’s is the most common reaction. Though Nitin seconds their opinion with a smile, India’s first certified chocolate taster dons other hats too. As an entrepreneur, he has his work divided between Cocoashala, an academy that trains chocolate makers from around the globe, and Kocoatrait, the chocolate manufacturing company that has his wife, Poonam at the forefront. [caption id="attachment_29429" align="aligncenter" width="903"] L Nitin Chordia, chocolate taster and entrepreneur[/caption] Chocolates that are literally ‘Made in India’ Since long India’s large share of the chocolate market has been claimed by big foreign brands. Thanks to the efforts of chocolate makers like Nitin, we can now enjoy made-in-India chocolates. In a conversation with Global Indian, he elaborates: Chocolates in India have been made by big players in the industry for decades. I have tried to revolutionise the concept of made-in-India chocolates in the sense that the ingredients (cocoa beans) that we use for chocolate making are being sourced from Indian farms instead of being imported from outside - Nitin Chordia

an>Global Indian, he elaborates:

Chocolates in India have been made by big players in the industry for decades. I have tried to revolutionise the concept of made-in-India chocolates in the sense that the ingredients (cocoa beans) that we use for chocolate making are being sourced from Indian farms instead of being imported from outside - Nitin Chordia

That’s what makes his chocolates unique in comparison to the popular brands that have been ruling the market for years now.

[caption id="attachment_29430" align="aligncenter" width="788"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Cocoa pods on a cacao tree in the farm - cocoa beans are inside these pods[/caption]

Having begun just a few years back, the revolution ushered by Nitin is ‘benefitting the farmers cultivating cocoa beans in India’ and it’s the most satisfying part of the business for him. Talking about the second satisfying aspect, “I can assure you that no child labour is involved in cocoa farming in India, unlike in some other countries,” says the bean-to-bar chocolate maker.

What’s bean-to-bar chocolate making?

A question that’s often posed to Nitin. “Many big companies that make and sell chocolates in India just do the last mile thing, buying chocolate slabs, adding fruits and nuts, and giving them shapes and packaging.” While the bean-to-bar chocolate makers like Nitin are involved in the process right from the beginning – cocoa beans cultivated by the farmers on the cacao trees,” he explains.

[caption id="attachment_29458" align="alignnone" width="1040"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian From bean to bar[/caption]

However, big brands, on the other hand, follow cocoa liquor-to-bar or mass-to-bar chocolate production processes. “All they do is buy chocolate paste which is known as cocoa liquor or cocoa mass, bypassing several processes like dealing with the farmers, trying to select the best fruit, getting the cocoa beans fermented, dried, roasted and then turned into paste. They outsource the initial processes,” tells Nitin. Such has been his close association with the farmers that he often sees himself getting into the shoes of the mentor for them to ensure quality produce.

[caption id="attachment_29435" align="aligncenter" width="923"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Interaction session with cocoa farmers[/caption]

It all began when…

Though Nitin dipped his toes in the world of entrepreneurship in 2015, his tryst with confectionery dates back to 2005 when he was working for KSA Technopak, one of India’s largest retail companies and was heading its client Godrej’s Nature Basket project. Nitin was entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the Nature Basket chain of stores across the country for the corporate giant. “In that process, I developed a grasp on several categories of food products. Chocolates particularly interested me from the economic, and business standpoint,” says the Chennai based entrepreneur.

[caption id="attachment_29436" align="alignnone" width="1029"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin conducting a chocolate appreciation session[/caption]

Nitin hails from a family that has been into entrepreneurship since generations, and to be in that space was his ultimate goal as well. However, he wanted to dabble in something new as opposed to his family business in trading, finance and real estate. That’s when he decided to pursue an M Sc in retail management from University of Surrey and later worked for a couple of retail consultancy firms with the plan to eventually foray into entrepreneurship one day.

Expensive lessons

Over the years, Nitin found himself intrigued by the world of chocolates, a business domain he was keen to explore. However, he wanted to do some research before soaking into the world of entrepreneurship, and that’s when he decided to go on a backpacking trip to Belgium, the European Mecca for chocolate. “It took me 20-days to discover that thousands of chocolate sellers actually don’t make chocolates at all. They don’t go to cocoa farms, they don’t buy cocoa fruit, they don’t process or make chocolate in bulk. All they do is buy slabs of chocolate from some manufacturer, put some nuts into it and sell.” This discovery was a gamechanger for Nitin as for him ‘a myth got uncovered.’

[caption id="attachment_29448" align="alignnone" width="1079"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin in one of the sessions abroad[/caption]

However, there was more as it was on the same trip that he met his mentor Martin Christy, who runs the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting in the UK, the only institution of its kind and affiliated to the Government. “We happened to meet in a chocolate museum. Within two weeks, I was back attending a chocolate tasting certification course at his institute, becoming India’s first certified chocolate taster,” Nitin tells. After a few months of clearing the first certification level, he returned for level two getting assured that the chocolate business has huge potential to click. Martin became his mentor.

[caption id="attachment_29469" align="aligncenter" width="877"] Fermented cocoa beans - in the process of chocolate production[/caption]

“People had just started understanding speciality tea, coffee, wine but chocolates had never been spoken about,” and he got determined to bring his discoveries and gained knowledge to the forefront.

Making a difference

There were some people making bean-to-bar chocolates at a very small scale in India in places like Puducherry and Mysuru, but the practice was not popular - Nitin Chordia

With the purpose of making cocoa bean farming a profitable venture in India, he opened a franchisee of his mentor’s institute in the country giving fuel to business ideas of other entrepreneurs to start chocolate making ventures with ingredients produced in the country.

[caption id="attachment_29432" align="alignnone" width="1006"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin at one of the training sessions at Cocoashala[/caption]

Nitin’s Cocoashala has not only provided training to some of the most successful bean-to-bar chocolate makers of India but has also enabled their businesses by hand-holding them throughout the process. Through his consultancy venture, Nitin has helped them out with machinery, raw material, recipe development, being instrumental in ensuring their transition from learners to professional chocolate makers. There are 12 well-known bean-to-bar chocolate entrepreneurs in the country who have been successful in their businesses under Nitin’s mentorship. One of them being Paul and Mike, India’s largest bean-to-bar chocolate makers.

[caption id="attachment_29466" align="alignnone" width="1193"] Different types of cocoa pods[/caption]

All the entrepreneurs whom Nitin has mentored have been sourcing cocoa beans from farmers in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra and Tamil Nadu, giving a boost to the economy.

Strong partnership

Poonam Chordiya, Nitin’s wife has had a significant role behind the success of both Cocoashala and Kocoatrait. “It was she who was instrumental in the idea of me starting Cocoashala. When in 2015 we talked about bean-to-bar chocolate making, everyone laughed at us. Poonam coaxed me to monetise the insights I gained through extensive travels and expensive mistakes.”

[caption id="attachment_29442" align="alignnone" width="930"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin with his wife, Poonam Chordia[/caption]

Once Cocoashala got stable, they started Kocoatrait in 2019, manufacturing chocolates and coming up with the end product with an all-women’s team. “Poonam is the brain, soul and heart behind the Kocoatrait brand,” Nitin says. The couple has been working diligently to let the quality of the products and services do all the talking. “We do not engage in any advertising and PR,” he remarks.

Measuring success

The only way Nitin and Poonam measure success is through the fact that they have saved more than 200 kgs of single use plastic from entering landfills. Their chocolate brand does not use paper or plastic in packaging.

The wrappers are biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, and upcycled in the first place. They are made with cocoa shells which are a by-product of our roasting process that would have otherwise gone into landfill. Apart from that, cotton waste generated by the garment industry in places like Coimbatore is being used for making the wrappers - Nitin Chordia

To compete with established brands is hardly the goal for Nitin. He finds happiness in the fact that he has been able to drive in the point that India is capable of producing internationally acceptable chocolates with Indian-origin ingredients.

Follow Nitin Chordia on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

Reading Time: 7 mins

King Cannes: Chef Manu Chandra shines at top film festival

(July 12, 2022 ) When Chef Manu Chandra stepped down from the Olive Group after 17 years to branch out on his own, it seemed like a dicey detour. He didn’t let that stop him, founding Single Thread Catering in 2021. One year later, Manu took his new venture to the Festival de Cannes 2022, after the Ministry of External Affairs invited the culinary maverick to join their contingent at the India Pavilion. It didn’t end there. Manu was also asked to cater the inaugural dinner, a big order on very short notice – just the sort of challenge he enjoys. Giving local products an Indian twist, in an attempt to bridge Rajasthani and French cuisines, the menage-a-deux menu included Pyaaz ki kachori en Croute, made with roasted shallots and wrapped in croissant dough and served with chutney and creme fraiche. There were also the wildly popular Paniyaram Madelines, served with podi and coconut chutney and vada pav made with French brioche buns. “There’s an interesting backstory to the whole thing,” Manu Chandra tells Global Indian. “I’m involved with Diageo’s latest endeavor, their craft counsel. It’s an endeavor that aims to change how people perceive locally-distilled brands and Godavan, a single-malt made in Rajasthan, was one of their

Global Indian. “I’m involved with Diageo’s latest endeavor, their craft counsel. It’s an endeavor that aims to change how people perceive locally-distilled brands and Godavan, a single-malt made in Rajasthan, was one of their biggest, recent launches.” Shortly after the launch, they received a call from the Government of India, asking them to be pouring partners at the India Pavilion at Cannes, to showcase a story that is “so inherently Indian.” The Ministry also inquired if Manu would be open to coming along. “I jumped at the idea,” he says. “I can’t turn down a chance to go to the South of France for a couple of days!”

[caption id="attachment_29289" align="aligncenter" width="527"] Manu Chandra | Single Thread Catering | Global Indian Manu Chandra, founder, Single Thread Catering[/caption]

The big invitation

The journey ahead was fraught with surprises. When the list of names was sent to the Ministry, someone recognised Manu’s name and asked if he would be “open to doing some of the dishes at the India Pavilion.” It was short notice, but do-able and Manu agreed. “My thought process was to create something that represents the country in interesting ways – a confluence of traditional Indian offerings and a little bit of France, given I would be working with a lot of local ingredients. I wanted to play with form and make it something people would remember because it was a landmark festival for so many reasons. It was taking place after a long break, India’s 75^th year of independence and 75 years of Indo-French diplomatic relations.” The Ministry loved his suggestions.

The story doesn’t end here. Even bigger things were brewing – an extended invite at the festival. “Before I knew it, another request came in from the Ministry, asking if I would be open to the doing the inaugural dinner, as well.” Now this was a big ask – Manu would be very short on time. “As a chef, you tend to shine brightest in adversity. I took on the challenge and put together a menu that paid tribute to Rajasthan.” He explained the Rajasthani-French confluence on the menu and it was very well-received by the Ministry. Manu was told that he would be cooking for 25, and be provided a venue with a kitchen.

India Pavilion — the most buzzing pavilion!

As someone who’s hands-on, Manu believes he works best in situations where all hands are on deck. That wasn’t meant to be, for Manu’s visa was the only one stamped ahead of time. He arrived at the venue alone, standing before a team of French chefs eyed him with apprehension, “thinking the Indian chef would come with pots of curries.” They realized soon enough that it was all very French and very innovative. It was an adventure all through, which began with trying to source dosa batter in the South of France. “Not a joke,” Manu remarks. A Sri Lankan grandmother came to their rescue – “the only one who could make it.” Manu also worked with a local caterer in Nice.

Manu is a process-driven chef, with an eye for detail. He began with a mad rush for local ingredients, then putting them together, building flavours and creating presentations. His team arrived an hour before the dinner began. “It was like a suspense thriller,” Manu recalls. “I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to have to do 30 plates alone’.” It was an “exciting and daunting task,” but exhilarating, especially when the guests walked in – the invitees included A-listers like A.R. Rahman, Madhavan and Nawazuddin Siddique. The moment dinner was done, the team raced to begin prepping for the India Pavilion.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manu Chandra (@manuchandra)

A menu that married comfort with contemporary aesthetics

“It was comfort food married with contemporary presentations, comfort married with using local products with that classic Indian twist. That manifested in a Baingan Bharta caviar passed through vodka and garnished with asparagus – this was popular with people from the Bangladeshi pavilion, who stopped to dig in and told Manu it reminded them of home. Snacks like kodubale, pepper cashews, small chaklis, and khakhras “sold like hot cakes,” Manu said. “We had guests from the Dutch, Irish, Ukrainian and Columbian pavilions alike. The India Pavilion was the most buzzing – we actually had a crisis situation in the pantry!”

Inside the mind of the master chef

“I’m philosophy-agnostic,” Manu says, about how he plans his menus. “I don’t want to be tied down to a single process when I think of food and menus. I believe evolution is key, to be able to engage with your customer on an ongoing basis.” There’s always “merit in repetition,” he says, but as a creative professional, that’s not always a priority. “I need to be able to create. I have always believed in that.”

Does he have creator’s block? “There are a lot of moving parts in the food business. There’s too much going on for that.” Perfectionism, however, is Manu Chandra's trademark. “It doesn’t always bode well for me as I scale because I want things to be done a certain way and so much is in the hands of others. Does that make me insecure? No. But it does make me worried.”

The Next Big Move: Single Thread Catering

Seventeen years of being closely associated with the Olive Group was followed by Single Thread Catering, a bespoke catering venture. “So far, our event have been well-received,” Manu says. “It’s a challenge to create something new but when you have an amazing team, the effort is worth it. Offering a consumer an outstanding meal is always worth it.”

Manu Chandra | Cannes 2022 | Single Thread Catering | Global Indian

At home...

At home, Manu prefers a homely bowl of curry and rice., “I like a bottle of red wine and a good OTT show. I don’t binge-watch because I’m an early riser,” he chuckles. He doesn’t always have the time to go home and cook, because he doesn’t have help at home. “My time in New York taught me self-reliance, though.” When he does cook, though, it’s a “nice curry, made in advance, with freshly-ground masalas and eaten at night with a steaming bowl of rice, which appalls my family in Delhi!”

Manu comes from a large family with lots of aunts who were accomplished in the kitchen. “They call and take tips from me,” Manu gloats. “I say, ‘Bua, you’re an amazing cook and there’s nothing I can teach you. Still, they continue to ask! It’s a big compliment!” More so because his decision to be a chef raised eyebrows at home. “There wasn’t a restriction as such but I knew they were thinking it – a son in the family wanted to work as a cook!” Today, they value and appreciate him, a sign that life has come full circle for master chef Manu Chandra.

Follow Chef Manu Chandra on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 mins