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Success Story: Success is not achieved overnight but one has to work hard for it. Imagine two little girls who wanted to start their own business, the shopkeepers used to laugh at them and gradually they did such a miracle that everyone was speechless.
Two sisters from Bengaluru did such a miracle that today they have made the lives of millions of people healthy. These two sisters, Suhasini and Anindita Sampat, were crazy about healthy food since childhood.
While growing up, along with studies at home, sports were equally important. The family taught him strong values and dedication to work, and gave him the freedom to choose a career, both of which had to be done with hard work. Then those sisters were students of top schools and colleges in the country and abroad.
At home, home food was preferred over restaurant food, everyone used to eat a lot of vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Fried foods were strictly prohibited, but to handle the cravings, mother would make healthy versions at home. Suhasini and Anindita got the idea of starting a yoga bar from here.
The story started in America, where these sisters were studying and working. I used to go to yoga classes in New York and felt hungry after my workout, but being a vegetarian and gluten intolerant, it was difficult to get healthy snacks. Would buy energy bars, which seemed convenient and nutritious. While snacking once, Anindita said, if I do business, I will make energy bars and name them Yoga Bar.
Suhasini liked the name so much that she immediately registered the trademark, that too four years before starting the business. Returned to India in 2012 and did research for three years. Launched its first product Multigrain Energy Bar in 2015, then Protein Bar in 2018.
Initially, I made it from my mother’s kitchen and sent it to friends and family as Diwali gifts, then started selling it through pop-ups at yoga centers in Bengaluru. After confirming the product-market fit, a colorful design was created, which shines on the shelves. When the shopkeepers around them came to know about this, they used to make fun of these two sisters. But gradually the sales of Yoga Bar increased significantly.
Today the products are US FDA approved along with Indian standards. Energy bar was a new concept in India, people did not consider health worth selling. Customers had to be convinced in the name of taste and texture. Turnover reached Rs 68 crore in 2021-22. In 2023, ITC bought 40% stake for Rs 175 crore. The first Series A funding round was $11.6 million from Elevation Capital and Fireside Ventures. The annual revenue run rate of Yoga Bar has exceeded Rs 100 crore.
This proves the truth that success does not come from money but from changing people’s lives. Today Yoga Bar is the face of health revolution. These sisters are contributing in making India healthy.
