It is a historically proven fact that the Britishers love to steal goods and money from countries like India but don’t want to admit that they enjoy doing so.
Something similar happened in the Dragons’ Den with an Indian snack company called Howdah.
Howdah offered the British Dragons a taste of the Indian snacks but did they think that their fellow Britishers wouldn’t like the Indian taste or did they follow the historic British policy of entering India?
Let’s find out.
Howdah at a Glance:
| Idea | Indian snacks |
| Founders | Falu Shah and Akash Shah |
| Asked For | £100,000 For 17.5% |
| Accepted Deal | Did not get a deal |
| Dragon | None |
| Business status | Active |
| Episode No. | Season 14, Episode 15 |
Index:
What is Howdah?
Howdah Snacks is an Indian snack manufacturing company. Howdah snacks are made using authentic and traditional recipes containing ingredients free from any artificial colors and flavors.
Its journey began with its launch in Harrods with a consequent expansion into more than 150 fine food and farm shops. Howdah secured a listing in Morrisons following support from Manchester’s Business Growth Hub.
It has also evolved into a social enterprise through its one-snack-one-meal pledge. It has partnered with India’s Akshay Patra Foundation which provides mid-day meals for government-run schools.
Who are the Founders of Howdah?
Howdah was founded by Falu Shah and her son Akash Shah in 2019. Falu immigrated to the UK from India in 1988 where she used to live in a small town near Mumbai.
The thing she missed most about India was the Indian snacks, which in turn led her to create Howdah. Akash on the other hand is a stereotypical Indian expat kid by education.
He got an MBBS degree from King’s College London and also completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Management from Imperial College London while pursuing medicine.
He also has an MBA degree from London Business School and worked as a business manager in multiple MNCs before he co-founded Howdah, where he currently serves as Managing Director.
Did Howdah get a deal on Dragon’s Den?
Falu made the Dragons aware of her delicacies which the Dragons liked and appreciated a lot.
She also shared the fact that she had an agreement with an airline company for in-flight supplies and a letter of intent from a supplier in Europe.
Nick Jenkins scrutinized these letters and found them to be inaccurate and therefore completely useless.
Falu also stated that she eyed the world food aisle of supermarkets as optimum selling spots for her company’s products which turned out to be a negative for her pitch as the world food aisle is a very niche marketplace that exists in only a few supermarkets across the UK.
To further alleviate the situation, Falu made the revelation that these products could easily be produced by any other person with just the correct amount of expertise.
This catalyzed the exit of all the Dragons and the Indian snack company had to walk out of the Den with no deal.
What happened to Howdah after Dragon’s Den?
The Dragons’ Den Effect showed up on Howdah and they experienced a surge in sales across the board but that was about it. Without the correct spots in the supermarkets and retail chains; not to mention that airline deal that Falu informed the Dragons of never took off.
The company secured a listing finally with Morrison’s due to the support from Manchester’s Business Growth Hub which was followed by a listing at Sainsbury’s. It has since transitioned itself into a Mainstream Snacking Aisle brand at Sainsbury’s on which Kamcity noted Falu’s comments,
“We’re delighted to move into the mainstream snacking aisle at Sainsbury’s following our successful participation in the Future Brands scheme and are already experiencing an accelerated rate of sale.
Demand for innovative and high-quality snacks in the UK has grown at a rapid rate and through this significantly increased distribution to 480 Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, more consumers can now access Howdah products and enjoy them in daily life.
This is particularly relevant in the current climate as more consumers are looking for high-quality, authentic snacks that they can enjoy at home, as well as products that give back to a strong social mission.
Our simple one-snack-one-meal initiative empowers consumers to feed the future: buying one meal for a school child in India, with every bag sold.
This increased distribution ultimately gives us the opportunity to help more children, who may otherwise miss out on education due to hunger.”
Product Details:
- It offers authentic Indian snacks.
- It offers a huge variety and flavors to choose from.
- It is available in Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s in London.
- It can be ordered online throughout the UK from the product website.
Competitors of Howdah:
The world food segment and within it the Indian snack segment itself is loaded with brands that spoil the customers with choice. Even India-based corporate giants sell their products in this segment in the UK.
Some of Howdah’s competitors are:
What is the Net Worth of Howdah?
Falu put forth an offer before the Dragons that valued her company at about £570,000 which was pretty baseless if the company’s previous year’s revenue was kept in mind.
Rightly enough, the Dragons did not even consider the business investible.
The company has succeeded to get itself listed in supermarkets in and around the Greater London area but the revenue has not grown in a significant way.
From what we can state, the company’s profit after tax was more than enough for Akash to leave his management job at Amazon and manage to maintain his living standards out of his salary from Howdah.
Is Howdah still in Business?
Yes, Howdah is in business as of 2023 with its website up and functioning.
The product’s presence is also growing but the fact that there is nothing unique in it is keeping the business from demonstrating staggering growth.
The task to make Howdah a resounding success is going to be even tougher than it was to kick the Britishers out of India but who knows? Maybe Falu and her son will eventually be able to achieve success, we wish them all the success!!
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FAQs:
What is Howdah?
Howdah Snacks is an Indian snack manufacturing company. Howdah snacks are made using authentic and traditional recipes containing ingredients free from any artificial colors and flavors. Its journey began with its launch in Harrods with a consequent expansion into more than 150 fine food and farm shops.
What's the net worth of Howdah?
From what we can state, the company’s profit after tax was more than enough for Akash to leave his management job at Amazon and manage to maintain his living standards out of his salary from Howdah.