Indulging India with Premium Chocolates ft. Vimal Sharma, founder of SMOOR | That One Idea S03 E03

In this episode, we have Anjali Sosale, Partner at WaterBridge Ventures chatting with Vimal Sharma, founder of SMOOR (‪@smoorchocolates‬) SMOOR opens up a world of True Couverture Chocolates made with authentic and high-quality ingredients concocted by master chocolatiers from around the world. Vimal’s passion for crafting SMOOR’s premium range of products stems from his extensive travels across the globe and exposure to best-in-class international products & experiences. Today, SMOOR has world-class chocolate lounges and stores across Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurgaon, and the brand is available in 50-plus cities in India. We dive deep into Vimal's childhood in Fiji Australia and Tasmania, his journey building and scaling SMOOR as an EBO-led premium chocolate brand adapted to suit India, his advice to founders, his support system and his plans for a SMOOR 2.0 in 2024. Key moments in this episode - (0:00): Behind the Scenes (2:08): Childhood and early days of Vimal in Fiji, Australia and Tasmania (3:45): How building a chocolate brand in India became That One Idea (6:09): Why Vimal chose to position SMOOR as a premium chocolate brand (8:11): Tailwinds for Smoor in the initial days (10:05): Assembling the early team, at a time when India lacked skilled chocolate artisans (14:24): Phenomenal growth story since 2013 (16:50): How offline first, EBO-led business model elevated Smoor to a luxury brand (19:10): Smoor’s resilience in the face of challenges posed by Covid  (24:07): Footprint of Smoor, two years after the pandemic (25:53): How consumption patterns have evolved over the years (28:21): Adapting the chocolate business to suit India (32:16): Vimal’s robust support system (35:37): Vimal on the dream team that built SMOOR (37:17): Vimal’s advice to founders (43:33): SMOOR 2.0 in the works for 2024 Relevant Links: WaterBridge Ventures: https://www.waterbridge.vc/ SMOOR Chocolates: https://smoor.in/ Linkedin Profiles: Vimal Sharma: www.linkedin.com/in/vimalsharma72/ Anjali Sosale: www.linkedin.com/in/pinkamma/ WaterBridge Ventures: www.linkedin.com/company/waterbridgeventures You can also listen to this podcast on Spotify: https://rb.gy/f4vlez Apple Podcast: http://tinyurl.com/ytd9npur Disclaimer: The information in this podcast (“Content”) is solely for educational and information purposes. The content does not reflect the views or opinions of WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members. The content is not intended to be legal or other expert advice or services and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate professionals. The content shall not be reproduced, distributed, shared, or relied upon in any manner whatsoever, in whole or part, without prior written permission of WaterBridge Ventures. In no event shall WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members be liable for any liability, loss, injury or risk which is incurred or suffered as a direct or indirect result of the use of the content.