Hyderabad start-up couple Saandeep Jogiparti and Kavitha Gopu’s sweet connect with ladoos

Saandeep Jogiparti and Kavitha Gopu
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

What is that traditional sweet that is loved by all? “The ladoos,” say Saandeep Jogiparti and Kavitha Gopu in unison. Ladoo is not just the favourite sweet of this Hyderabad-based couple but is also a vehicle to fulfil their entrepreneurship dreams. Unlike regular sweet ventures that offer a wide variety of sweets, the startup Laddubox sells only ladoos.

“We set out to make a healthier option of this globally known sweet by making it with only jaggery and dates” says Saandeep on foraying into this business in 2019.

Women make ladoos at a unit in Pocharam
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

From sunnunda (urad dal), coconut, multigrain, sajja (pearl millet), to ragi with almond, flax seeds including one made of only cashew nuts there are a variety of options. Laddubox assorted comes in sets of nine (₹250) and 24 ladoos (₹770). It started with 11 varieties of ladoos and now has around 18 with each ladoo weighing 28 grams. The boxes are shipped across India.

The ladoo-making unit started in a four-room house in Pocharam with a team of three. While the couple sold these at stalls in IT companies, the running around helped them to understand market needs before launching an online store in 2020. “The coconut and besan ladoos were made after customer enquiries. We also mixed ingredients such as urad dal and ragi with peanuts and almonds to create healthy flavours,” says Kavitha, a native of Siddipet.

Laddubox unit at Pocharam
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

Saandeep was 27 when the venture was launched. “It was a huge risk but only risks give the reward. My goal was to be an entrepreneur and I worked towards it with my wife’s support.”

Simple recipes and less ingredients to retain original flavour remains their mantra even after expanding. The second wave of COVID hit them badly leading to fewer orders but gradually picked up with Deepavali in 2021. From its initial 200 online orders a month to 400 and even 1000 orders during festivals Laddubox’s gradual success encouraged the couple to open its first physical store in Sainikpuri in July 2022.

Collaborations and more

Saandeep Jogiparthi
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

The 1000-square feet store is in collaboration with another brand called Chakkinaalu known for its Telangana sweets and savouries. “It is a big space for us,” says Saandeep on reasons to collaborate. The store modelled as an experience store for customers to eat here at their own pace showcases the company’s plans to create an experiential ladoo cafe at a new location.

Assorted laddus in Laddubox
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

Laddubox partners with Feeding India, a subsidiary of Zomato to provide food to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. As part of a six-month tie-up since January this year, Laddubox is supplying one lakh ragi and peanut laddus to children of anganwadi centres of Eta and Khushi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Laddubox sources jaggery from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Maintaining uniform taste is a challenge, observes Kavitha. “Our main ingredient is jaggery whose taste depends on the grades. We are trying to standardise the procedure so that the taste remains the same, irrespective of scale.”

Women make ladoos at Laddubox unit
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

Laddubox’s next physical stores will be at Kondapur, followed by Nallagandla and Kompally. The couple have decided to go slow for personal reasons. “We are also enthusiastic about our ladoo premix. Customers can add their own binding agent like milk, ghee or even oil to prepare ladoos at home. Even if they don’t want to make ladoos, they can just eat it in powdered form,” says Kavitha.

The first-generation entrepreneur couple has its task cut out with expansion plans but for now they enjoy little moments to welcome a new member in the family soon.