Viraj Bahl did not begin with a single product idea. The starting point was more basic: the urge to build something of his own. Growing up in a business family, he had seen that process up close. His family’s earlier venture, Fun Foods, was eventually sold to Dr Oetker in 2008. “I saw how building something translated into a better life for the family,” he told FE. “It wasn’t one idea. It was the desire to build and see it through.”
His early career did not follow a straight entrepreneurial path. After studying industrial engineering in Singapore, Bahl joined the Merchant Navy. The experience exposed him to different markets and consumption patterns. It also shaped how he worked. “It teaches you discipline, resilience and how to operate in isolation,” he said.
The business idea took shape gradually. While travelling, he noticed the depth of products in the sauces and condiments aisles in overseas supermarkets. In contrast, the Indian market offered limited options. “For a country that takes pride in its food, that gap felt out of place,” he said. Over time, that observation became the basis of a business.
His first attempt at entrepreneurship, a restaurant, did not work. It shut down within a short period. The decision to start again came soon after, in a conversation with his wife. “On paper, it wasn’t the most obvious moment,” he said. “But if you’ve learned from an experience, you use that learning to build again.” He adds that belief at that stage mattered more than external validation.
Veeba was launched in 2013. In its early phase, the company focused on product fundamentals – taste, texture, and consistency. “A consumer may try you once out of curiosity, but they return only if the experience is the same every time,” Bahl said. Much of the early insight came from direct observation rather than formal research. Running a restaurant had shown him what consumers were willing to experiment with, and where supply lagged demand. “People were curious about global flavours, but availability was limited,” he said.
Quality Bet
A key strategic choice was to invest in in-house manufacturing from the outset. This was both a quality decision and an operational risk. “If you don’t have confidence in how your product is made, you don’t sleep well,” he said. The trade-off was upfront capital and the need to build processes internally. For a young company, that stretched both finances and execution.
That decision began to pay off with its first large institutional order from Domino’s. It required sustained effort to convince a global chain to work with a new domestic supplier. “It took months of persistence to show we could match global standards,” Bahl said. The order provided both scale and validation.
Scaling the Everyday Kitchen
Over time, the company expanded its manufacturing footprint and distribution reach. It now operates production facilities in Rajasthan with a combined area of over 500,000 sq ft and a distribution network that spans more than 700 cities. Its products are present across general trade, modern retail & e-commerce and it supplies to quick service restaurant chains and cinemas.
Financially, the scale-up has been visible. According to Tracxn, Veeba reported operating revenue of Rs 1,030 crore in FY25. The company has raised $58.16 million so far, with investors including Verlinvest, Saama Capital and DSG Consumer Partners. It is preparing for an initial public offering as it looks to fund its next phase of growth.
Beyond metros, demand has broadened in ways that were not fully anticipated at the outset. Bahl recalls an instance at a small-format retail event in a tier-two city where a single customer bought multiple bottles in one purchase. “That tells you something is working,” he said. The wider shift, he adds, is that consumption is no longer confined to large urban centres.
The product portfolio has also widened. Veeba now sells sauces, dips, spreads, nut butters and ready-to-cook offerings, reflecting a strategy to stay aligned with changing consumption patterns while retaining a focus on everyday usage.
For Bahl, the business has moved beyond the initial idea of filling a gap in the market. The marker of success is simpler. “Seeing the brand become part of everyday kitchens is the most meaningful milestone,” he said. Even now, he adds, the response from consumers continues to feel immediate. “I still feel a sense of excitement when I see someone use the product.”
The arc of Veeba’s growth is less about a single breakthrough and more about sequencing – spotting a gap, committing to product control early and securing institutional validation that allowed scale.