Sairaj Dhond is the Founder and CEO of Wakao Foods. It is the first Jackfruit Meat brand that makes products that are not only healthy and tasty but good for the planet too. He is from Goa, India.
WAKAO FOODS:- https://wakaofoods.com/
EDUCATION
Sairaj earned his schooling education from Sharada Mandir School. After that, he joined Mushtifund Higher Secondary School for further studies. Then, he completed his Bachelor of Laws from V.M. Salgaocar College of Law.
HONORS
- Sairaj featured in The Better India, YourStory, The Hindu, and many more platforms as an entrepreneur
ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY
When Sairaj was a child, he could not differentiate between jackfruit and chicken for the longest time. He had to savor his grandmother's prized recipe of chickanchi bhaaji, without realizing that the gravy contained pieces of the fruit.
Indians have been smitten by the giant fruit for decades now, but it is only in the recent past that it has caught the globe's attention albeit as a vegan alternative to meat.
Jackfruits have several health benefits, such as being high in potassium and fiber content, which helps lower elevated blood pressure and having high antioxidant properties, as well as the capacity to absorb iron. When Sairaj, formerly a criminal lawyer, learned of these benefits, he decided to launch Wakao Foods during the COVID-19 lockdown in November 2020.
Sairaj started a business from scratch in uncharted territory is not simple, but the lockdown and the economy taking a hit made it that much more difficult. Jackfruit-based mock meat can revolutionize the way they look at healthy foods, and gluten-free foods in particular and his belief in the vision is only helping him to be in the business with doubts about turning the table. Small research, consultation with chefs and farmers, and some YouTube videos helped him to plan and execute the process.
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Although the bootstrapped startup is only four-month-old, it has already created waves in the vegan community. Wakao food items are on the shelves of close to 30 vegan-based stores in Goa. High-end restaurants and hotel chains in including the Grand Hyatt and JW Marriot are also fans of his products.
Sairaj Dhond launched his startup with three ready-to-cook and two ready-to-eat products. He claims that all products are 100% natural, without any artificial coloring chemicals, and preservatives. With 27 offline stores across Goa, online sales(pan-India) and partnerships with 30 resorts and restaurants, the venture generates 2-3 tonnes of jackfruit meat every month.
My ultimate goal is to see every restaurant in India have a vegan menu besides the regular one.
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