In this episode, we have Anjali Sosale, Partner at WaterBridge, chatting with Vimal Sharma, founder of SMOOR.
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 -
(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