From A Corporate Job To Shark Tank India To Becoming A Millionaire; Meet The MBA Grad Who Made Banana Chips Global!

Manas Madhu started as a normal middle-class man- a normal education, then an MBA from SIBM Pune, followed by a stable corporate job- nothing out of the ordinary! Yet he always fostered a spark in him, the propelling thought of starting his own company.   

All through his journey, he never lost touch with his homeland, Kerala, which later proved to be instrumental in his success. In an interview with The Better India, he said “I always knew it should be something related to the food industry. But it wasn’t till I read an article about the value addition that I thought of opting for Kerala’s traditional fruits”. 

 And soon, he realized the potential of plantain chips, and success came in millions!  

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Quitting His Job To Shark Tank India

Plantain chips are a beloved staple in every Malayali household. No trip or family event is complete without a plateful of these chips. And their popularity has spread far and wide; all across India. But traditionally, these are made within households or by small-scale street vendors, thus, their availability was limited.  

Manas looked for a way to globalize this local delicacy and quit his job in 2018 to launch his company - Beyond Jak, which later transformed into Beyond Snacks.  

SIBM Pune congratulates Mr. Manas Madhu, Founder and Managing Director at Dr. Jackfruit India Pvt. Ltd. and our dear alumnus of the batch of 2013, for receiving acclaim and funding on Shark Tank India.#SIBMPune #SharkTankIndia #BeyondSnack #Batchof2013 pic.twitter.com/CCtGloLWqo

— SIBM Pune (@SIBMPune) January 29, 2022

His company purchases plantains (nenthrakaaya) from local farmers during the season, which are processed and packaged without human interference. It is then bought by consumers from supermarkets, retail stores, and e-commerce platforms.   

Beyond Snacks also brings a twist on the conventional salted chips by offering them in 3 additional flavors including peri-peri, sour cream & onion, and salt & black pepper.   

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He was an avid watcher of the popular show Shark Tank on American TV where entrepreneurs would pitch their ideas to a panel of investors called ‘sharks’ seeking investment in exchange for equity.   

When he learned that a version of the show was making its debut in India, he didn’t hesitate for a moment and signed up right away. And after several tedious rounds of selection, he was ready to go on set with his product- Kerala Banana Chips.

Aakhir kis Shark ki deal badlegi Kerala Banana Chips ke Manas Madhu ka future? Dekhiye #SharkTankIndia, Mon-Fri raat 9 baje, sirf Sony par! pic.twitter.com/DoOBWJPj64

— Shark Tank India (@sharktankindia) December 29, 2021

His idea was hit among the sharks, who applauded the idea, and of course, the flavours as well. In the end, sharks Ashneer Grover and Aman Gupta finalized the deal for ₹50 lakhs and 2.5% equity. Manas made history with his idea, which was Shark Tank India’s first-ever deal.   

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What’s Manas Madhu Doing Now?

His success on the sets of Shark Tank India resulted in a huge promotion for his business. And he was walking on a path strewn with roses with the help of Ashneer Grover and Aman Gupta. While Ashneer Grover helped him with the distribution, Aman Gupta took care of the branding of the product.  

Just six months since his appearance on Shark Tank India, Beyond Snacks is now a big hit and has grown nearly threefold.  

A week ago Ashneer Grover shared a picture with Manas on his Instagram where he said that the company has grown 3 times in scale within six months.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ashneer Grover (@ashneer.grover)

Manas is still focused at work; thinking about better ways to market his products and achieves higher revenues. He wants to turn Beyond Snacks into a household name in India and is trying to target INR 100 Crore revenue in the next two years.   

His journey has piqued the interest of the whole country, and while we wait for more news, let's not forget to run to our nearest supermarket, and grab a chips packet off the shelves!  

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