“Dabbling with Belgian handmade chocolates, I realized that people sought something more than just sugar laden chocolates. That’s when I made my first batch of handmade dates and fig energy bars for some wedding orders and that became an instant hit. That was when the idea of taking it to a commercial scale came about.” This is what Neha Gupta, Co-Founder of TREKK Nutrition stated flashing back to her first memory of a journey that changed volumes in her life and others too. Today Neha serves as the head of production, R&D and Q&A departments at TREKK Nutrition.

A graduate from the reputed IHM Pusa & Delhi University, Neha held a passion towards food science and health, and aimed to bring out a blend of both, pouched into healthy packs of protein filled and granola bars. Banking on the $185 million opportunity that the snack bar industry holds in the country, Neha’s journey was one of a frontrunner’s facing every possible loss and gain that a successful & dedicated entrepreneur experiences. Incepting TREKK Nutrition (earlier Indyah! Granola Bars) along with her husband cum business partner Apoorva Rajendra, who together started the business from scratch, the company’s products received acceptance at institutional markets and several leading hotels & chains yet under very less volumes.

Carrying over expertise from her previous venture at Western Food Impex, an import and distribution agency, and her academic excellence into creating hope for the ever growing health conscious buffs and time lacking busy bees, Neha invested her ambitions into launching TREKK Nutrition. Today the company profiles a list of products that include Granola based Snack bars, breakfast cereals like oats-based granola, multigrain muesli, protein bars, trail mixes and nut butters among many others and strives to provide its customers health with every bite.

Striding an Unflinching Quest
As a trained dietitian, serving her first major client Spice Jet, TREKK Nutrition products fared well for six months (Dec 2017-May2018), post which the duo launched a range of protein bars that received large scale orders from one of the country’s largest private airlines. However, this success soon

met failures caused by machine breakdowns, lack of skilled man power and poor funding. But Neha was determined to never compromise on product quality. Finding light at the end of the tunnel, Neha stated, “The growth potential for healthy snacking is immense. We have come to a stage where just about everyone is health conscious and wants to at least follow a healthy diet if not a workout routine. Inculcating these habits in children is important today more than ever due to rising obesity and easy availability of junk food, and these granola and protein bars are the ultimate go to.”

Even though we are still considered as newcomers in the industry, we have positioned ourselves well enough and have created a niche space in the institutional market

Despite holding a nascent retail footprint, TREKK Nutrition (GMP compliant) has initiated its process of becoming ISO:22000 certified. Moreover, while there is an experienced team to back her up, Neha’s unflinching quest for best quality products is reflected in product formulations as she well understands the need for best practices in production and scales to pursue further. Neha avers, “Even though we are still considered as newcomers in the industry, we have positioned ourselves well enough and have created a niche space in the institutional market. Moreover, with bigger brands like Nestle and Kellogg’s launching their products in the cereal bars category in India, it certainly looks like the perfect place to be in currently.”

When Support Backs Success
The journey of an entrepreneur is never a smooth trek and Neha was no exception. Nonetheless pursuing the calling of her dreams, Neha’s strength and motivation came from her family, whom she calls her pillars of support. She goes on to boast, “My in laws as well as my own parents have been supportive of my decision to embark on this entrepreneurial journey. Despite being from a typical conservative ‘Baniya’ family and married to a ‘Marwadi’, I have always been given the freedom to focus on my work instead of household chores. They have supported me not just financially but also emotionally and in more ways than words can describe. My husband, who I have known since my childhood, has forever been my partner in all my ventures.”

Understanding the significance of balancing out her domestic and professional life, Neha ensures to leisure out on Sundays with family. She practices Kathak, adorns the walls of her home with artistic painting and enjoys cooking Indian and oriental cuisines to treat her loved ones. And if time permits, she would snooze out of town for a quick trip to Goa to soak up some sun and breathe in the aromas of the beach. Beside these, Neha partakes in interactions with students of Food Technology Institutes in India and has helped several in the F&B industry to find a business stature. She is a stickler for compliances and stays bent on creating a world class manufacturing facility and constantly stays updated with latest innovations, spending at least three four hours weekly on dabbling new products emerged in the west.

Key Management:
Neha Gupta, Co-Founder
An unflinching entrepreneur, Neha initiated her career dabbling Belgian chocolates before moving to the Granola Protein bar industry. As a dietitian, heading the production, R&D and Q&A departments, Neha through TREKK Nutrition provides unsurpassed topquality healthy granola bars to its customers

Office: Noida

Offerings:
Nutritious Granola Bars, Protein Bars and Breakfast Cereals