NSRCEL Startup: ChocoWishes

A way to gift from the heart through the tastebuds

ChocoWishes is a boutique chocolaterie that, according to the Founder Surbhi Singhania, specializes in high quality, artisan chocolates and healthy bakes with an increasing focus on sustainable and reusable packaging. “Our stash is full of chocolates, cookies and healthy bakes. The treats are eggless, artisanal and handcrafted fresh in small batches. Our products lie at the sweet spot between price and quality and add value to working millennials with a hectic schedule. We are one of the very few brands who have brought the famous Edible Cookie Dough to India, keeping our indigenous ingredients intact. We also specialize in food-grade edible printing over chocolates and cookies.”

Talking about their journey so far and future plans, Surbhi says, “We want to build a truly global brand with Indian roots. We have worked with clients like M&S, IFF, Gulab and Stonex to name a few, and our products have travelled to places like Canada, Venice, Atlanta, Singapore and Dublin. ChocoWishes is associated with Boost with Facebook Leaders Network. We are also an incubatee and grant recipient under the Women Start-up Programme 3.0 of IIMB’s NSRCEL, sponsored by Goldman Sachs and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Founder Surbhi Singhania, who calls herself a solopreneur, started out in 2017 and is now working with a team of four women. Before she set up ChocoWishes, she was a business strategy consultant. She shares, “I have been empaneled with Bizstart to guide aspiring chocolatiers start their own small business anywhere in India and am also associated with Katalyst to mentor and empower young under-privileged girls to realize their full potential.”

Surbhi says that NSRCEL’s Women Start-up Programme came to her at a time during the pandemic when their corporate orders had dwindled, and they had to go retail. “Right from the idea listing to the customer validation in the MOOC, to the Lean Canvas and Sprints in the Launchpad and Incubation stages, the entire structure gave me a much-needed clarity of vision and the discipline to break strategies into smaller achievable tasks. The faculty, mentors, facilitators, guest lecturers, the NSRCEL team and my batchmates constantly inspired me with their achievements and helped me whenever needed. The diverse cohort helped me learn a lot and grow not only as a businessperson but also as an individual. I have also been lucky enough to have access to the IIMB start-up network and to have found some valuable clients in them.”