After spending two decades in the corporate and events industry, Anju Kalhan decided to start a business of her own at 60. What began as an effort to find healthier food options while dealing with her own health issues eventually led to the launch of Bliss by Anju, a plant-based snack brand now available across 41 stores in India.
Before starting the food venture, Kalhan held senior positions at ASSOCHAM and the Hotel Association of India and also ran an events business. Fitness has been a part of her life for years. She has completed eight marathons and is a qualified yoga coach.
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For several years, Kalhan dealt with hypertension, severe migraines and sinusitis. Her experience with these health issues prompted her to rethink her food choices and eventually explore the idea of making healthier snacks.
The COVID-19 outbreak proved to be a defining moment in Kalhan's life. In search of ways to improve her health through natural means, she adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet and removed ghee, cooking oil and highly processed packaged foods from her kitchen.
The changes began to show results within three months, with noticeable improvements in her blood pressure and migraine symptoms. Her mother's experience of achieving similar health gains in her eighties further strengthened her conviction. When Kalhan began exploring healthier snacking options in the market, she found that several products continued to use palm oil and other cooking oils.
"The healthy food is not tasty, and the tasty food is not healthy," she told YourStory.
The business took shape gradually, beginning with experiments in her home kitchen in 2018. Kalhan subsequently began selling her products at farmers' markets before taking the next step of setting up a dedicated manufacturing unit in Okhla.
Today, Bliss by Anju has a varied portfolio of plant-based snacks made from whole-food ingredients. Its offerings include granolas prepared with nuts and seeds, cookies made from chickpea flour, sattu and almonds, artisanal biscotti, traditional sweets and savoury favourites such as matthi.
A key feature of the brand's offerings is its manufacturing process. None of the products contains added oils, dairy, ghee or refined ingredients, reflecting Kalhan's emphasis on minimally processed food.
Having completed three years in the commercial market, Bliss by Anju has expanded its presence to 41 retail outlets across India. Its products are also available through e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Blinkit.
Kalhan has built the business without outside funding so far, but is now looking at investment to expand it further. Alongside running the brand, she also conducts community cooking sessions to encourage healthier eating. These sessions include demonstrations of oil-free recipes made with whole-food ingredients.
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