With the rise of robust e-commerce businesses in India, plant-based food has be-come one of the most popular food trends recently. And the vegan market is poised to grow in the coming years, with India positioned to be-come the global capital of vegan products due to its easy access to raw materials. Vegan businesses have a lot of potential as customers become more ethical and ecologically conscientious. This change is especially beneficial for a company like Vijay Sweets, which has been analyzing the industry and, as an ethical vegan company, is more concerned with what matters to its customers than big-box retailers. Vijay Sweets is a family run business dedicated to bringing delicious and affordable plant based sweets to people everywhere. “Our goal is to bring cruelty free sweets to consumers without sacrificing taste or quality, and we are constantly curating plant powered sweets that are appreciated by vegans and non-vegans alike," signifies Aravindan V.

While working on a new product, Vijay Sweets considers the flavor, texture, color, and smell, as well as testing it with a variety of audiences, in order to make it as close to dairy as possible. Vijay Sweets keeps the brand affordable and accessible by procuring raw materials locally and using products like Coconut milk, Karuppati, Palm Jaggery, and Chickpea Flour from well known vendors with whom the company has formed long term

connections. The products are regularly put through quality tests in an ISO-certified laboratory and are always open to feedback from its customers. Further, the company ensures that sweets have a shelf life of up to 7 days and has tie-ups with one of India's leading shipping partners to ensure prompt delivery.

A Noteworthy Journey
Aravindan V always loved animals and had been volunteering with animal shelters for over 10 years and his family has been in the sweets industry for 30 years producing all kinds of dairy sweets. However, he did not want his family to be a part of the cruelty, so he worked hard to replace all dairy based delicacies with vegan alternatives. It was tough for him to persuade his family to perform R&D for Vegan versions at first, but it has now paid off handsomely. The goal from the start had been to produce affordable and accessible sweets, and the easiest way to decrease overheads was to pursue the online route, therefore an online store. Aravindan has tried to bring in the 21st century aspect of the business such as the online presence, digital marketing, getting the word out by building engagement and community around the brand and making it ecoconscious and ethical.

The products are regularly put through quality tests in an ISO-certified laboratory, and are always open to feedback from its customers

The core pillar of the firm is built by Aravindan's parents whose foundation and product expertise is why the firm is running smoothly. Further, his wife, Rhea has an active role in the creative aspects of the business such as building the narrative, social media presence, photography, story ideas, and much more. In all sense, it is a family run business.

Vijay Sweets has grown exponentially over the last four years, and it has been acknowledged as Peta's Best Vegan Food Awards 2020, as well as being featured in The Better India, The Hindu, The Indian Express, Times of India, Huffpost, Economic Times, and Dina Mani. Vijay Sweets stands tall in the Indian Vegan Market (and many others across the world) who adore them and will vouch for them. And as it forges ahead, the firm is looking to attract investors who can help Vijay Sweets to dive into key dairy sweets like Gulab Jamun, Ras Malai, and Rasgulla and veganize it, open retail shops in Mumbai and Bangalore, and expand globally by producing and packaging shelf stable sweets.