From destination wedding catering to premium mithai gifting, the entrepreneur discusses building Gurchini, tapping conscious consumption trends and taking Indian sweets to global markets
India’s organised mithai market is undergoing a transformation as consumers increasingly seek premium experiences, healthier indulgences and personalised gifting solutions. Among the brands looking to redefine the category is Gurchini, a premium sweets and gifting company founded by entrepreneur Gaurav Chauhan. Leveraging decades of experience in the catering business, Chauhan has built a brand that blends traditional Indian sweets with contemporary packaging, healthier ingredients and occasion-led gifting.
In a conversation with BW Retail World, he shares the story behind Gurchini, evolving consumer preferences, expansion plans and his vision of taking Indian mithai to the global stage.
What inspired you to start Gurchini, and what market gap did you identify in the Indian mithai and gifting segment?
My background is in catering. We handle some of India’s biggest weddings and account for a significant share of destination wedding catering in Rajasthan. While serving events across Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, we realised that transporting raw materials, staff and equipment over long distances involved considerable effort and cost.
We wanted to create a business that could operate from a central location while delivering strong value and margins. That led to the birth of Gurchini.
The name itself reflects my roots. I came to Delhi from a village, and growing up, sweets were made using either gur (jaggery) or chini (sugar). The name felt authentic, Indian and connected to tradition.
We also saw a gap in the market. Established brands offered quality sweets, but there was limited focus on packaging and presentation that reflected the emotions behind occasions such as Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, baby announcements, housewarmings or weddings. We wanted to create sweets and gifting experiences that celebrated these emotions. The pandemic period gave us the opportunity to conceptualise and build the brand.
Gurchini combines traditional Indian sweets with a contemporary approach to ingredients and packaging. How would you define the brand philosophy?
We are not just selling sweets; we are selling an experience. Today’s consumers are increasingly health-conscious. Often, people receive a kilogram of sweets, consume a few pieces and then distribute the rest.
We wanted to rethink that experience. We use alternative sweetening options such as Nolen Gur, stevia extracts and sugar-free variants where appropriate. We also offer assortments rather than single-product boxes. Instead of receiving an entire box of one sweet, consumers can enjoy a variety of flavours, including pistachio, cashew, fig and date-based sweets.
With a shelf life of 15 to 20 days, consumers can enjoy something different every day. The idea is to create indulgence without compromising on variety, experience or mindful consumption.
Consumers today are looking for indulgent yet conscious food choices. How has that trend influenced your product development and positioning?
We observed a significant gap between mass-market gifting and premium gifting. Large organisations purchasing sweets in bulk often prioritise price over ingredients and quality. However, when people visit relatives, celebrate a family milestone or host an important event, they want something more premium and memorable.
Luxury exists across categories—from automobiles to fashion—but there were very few truly premium mithai brands offering exceptional ingredients, presentation and craftsmanship.
During my travels to cities such as London and destinations across Europe, I saw how confectionery brands had elevated their products into luxury experiences. We wanted to do the same for Indian sweets. Today, customers seeking an experiential gifting solution or a premium hamper often approach Gurchini because of that differentiated positioning.
As the brand expands into new cities and retail formats, where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for organised mithai brands in India?
We already have a strong presence in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, both of which are performing well. We also attempted to enter Mumbai just before the pandemic, but unfortunately had to close the outlet due to COVID-related disruptions.
We are now actively exploring opportunities to re-enter Mumbai over the next few months. Beyond physical stores, we serve customers across India. Every day, we deliver between 1,300 and 1,400 boxes to cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and destinations across Punjab. During festive periods such as Diwali, we also ship internationally through partners in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai.
We receive considerable interest from prospective franchisees, but we are not pursuing that route at present. Maintaining quality requires daily involvement, from sourcing ingredients and dry fruits to innovating with packaging and product design. This is not a business that can be managed passively.
Our focus remains on creating occasion-specific gifting solutions. Whether it is a housewarming, wedding, baby announcement or festival, we design bespoke packaging and sweets that reflect the significance of that moment.
What is your long-term vision for Gurchini, and how do you hope the brand contributes to changing perceptions of Indian mithai among younger consumers?
My vision is to establish Gurchini as a global Indian brand. We are exploring opportunities in markets such as Dubai, London and other international destinations with strong tourism and Indian diaspora communities.
Consumers around the world recognise brands such as Ladurée and other premium confectionery labels. My question is simple: why can’t Indian sweets enjoy the same global recognition? Why can’t barfi, laddoo and other traditional Indian sweets be celebrated internationally?
I did not come from a business family. I started my career as a waiter at Olive Bar, earning ₹150 a day. From there, I built a catering business, launched related ventures and eventually created Gurchini. We have also recently introduced another brand, Veda Forest Organics.
With the right timing and resources, I believe Gurchini can establish a presence in global markets very soon.
What gives you confidence that Indian sweets can succeed internationally?
I once carried around 15 boxes of Gurchini sweets with me while travelling in Switzerland. As an experiment, I offered them to people outside my hotel in Lausanne. To my surprise, all 15 boxes were sold within 17 minutes.
That experience reinforced my belief that sweets are universal. Whether people consume chocolates, macarons, cookies or traditional confectionery, the desire for indulgence is the same. Indian sweets have the quality, diversity and heritage to compete globally.
The world already consumes products from multinational confectionery brands. There is no reason why Indian sweets cannot achieve similar success. That is the opportunity we are working towards.
