Viraj Bahl is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder and managing director of VRB Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. (Veeba),[1][2] a company that manufactures and distributes sauces and condiments.[3] In 2019, he was featured in The Economic Times 40 Under 40 list.[4] He is a judge and investor in Sony Entertainment Television's business reality show Shark Tank India in season 4.[5][6]

Early life

Viraj Bahl was born in Chandigarh, India to Rajiv and Vibha Bahl and attended Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. He later moved to Singapore, where he earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic.[7][2]

Career

Viraj Bahl's early exposure to the food industry came through visits to his father’s factory and involvement at the Fun Foods stall in Aahar, Delhi. Although interested in the family business, his father, Rajiv Bahl, encouraged him to establish financial independence before joining the company.[8] After graduating in 2002 with a degree in marine engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, Viraj began his career as a second engineer with Maersk, working on oil rigs and merchant navy ships.[1] Later, Viraj joined Fun Foods, a company founded by his father, and was involved in its operations. In 2008, Fun Foods was acquired by the German company Dr. Oetker for ₹110 crore.[9] After the acquisition, he entered the restaurant industry, launching 'Pocket Full' in 2009,[10] which operated for four years before closing in 2013.[11][12]

In 2013, Viraj founded Veeba Foods in Neemrana, Rajasthan,[13][14][15] initially as a B2B supplier of condiments to QSR such as Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.[16][17] Veeba later expanded into the retail market with products like ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressings.[18] In 2014, Bahl raised ₹3 crore for Veeba at a valuation of ₹105 crore.[19] The company expanded its product range to include various sauces and condiments.[11][20][21][22] As of 2024, Veeba had 85 stock-keeping units across 700 cities.[23][24]

In 2024, the company introduced another product, Tasty Pixel. Under his leadership, it also expanded into the Chinese and pan-Asian sauces and dressings segment with the launch of its new brand, WokTok.[25]

Television

He is one of the sharks and investors in Shark Tank India in season 4[26] which is being aired on Sony Entertainment Television.[5][27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b "Appetite, Food And Hunger: Is There More To Veeba's Secret Sauce?". Forbes India. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  2. ^ a b Divya (2025-01-28). "Viraj Bahl: India's FMCG Tycoon and the New Face of Shark Tank India Judge". Business Outreach. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  3. ^ "Sauce is the unsung hero of the Indian food industry, says Veeba founder". The Times of India. 2019-07-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  4. ^ "Winners 2019 - 40 under Forty: Celebrating Young Leaders". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  5. ^ a b Saeed, Umaima (2025-01-07). "Shark Tank India 4: Here's all you need to know about Viraj Bahl — the founder and managing director of Veeba". GQ India.
  6. ^ Kochra, Nawaz Javed (2025-02-05). "Shark Tank India 4 judge Viraj Bahl reveals why deals fizzle out after the show: 'Sometimes founders are there just for the marketing'". The Indian Express.
  7. ^ "Meet man, whose fulfilled father's condition, still his father sold family business, he sold his house, built business of Rs…". www.india.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  8. ^ "Meet Viraj Bahl: The new judge on Shark Tank India Season 4 – know all about his entrepreneurial journey". Financialexpress. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  9. ^ "Our success shows consumers are value conscious: Viraj Bahl". 2023-05-29. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2025-02-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ मौर्या, अनुज (January 9, 2025). "Viraj Bahl Success Story: बुरी तरह फेल हुआ रेस्टोरेंट, घर तक बेचना पड़ा, आज हैं ₹1000 करोड़ की कंपनी के मालिक". Zee Business (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  11. ^ a b "Meet new Shark Tank judge Viraj Bahl! From selling his house to fund his startup to creating Rs 1,000 crore empire, a look at his entrepreneurial journey". The Economic Times. 2025-01-05. ISSN 0013-0389.
  12. ^ "Shark Tank India 4 judge Viraj Bahl recalls selling wife's home to start Veeba, had no orders for 2 years: 'I had no money for salaries'". The Indian Express. 2025-01-30.
  13. ^ "From Vikram Sarabhai's Legacy To Uday Kotak's Resignation, Here Are Our Most-read Stories Of The Week". Forbes India. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  14. ^ Mondal, Sukarna (2025-01-27). "Exclusive: Shark Tank India 4's Viraj Bahl on the failures as an entrepreneur; says 'I had to shut the entire business, wrap it down'". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  15. ^ Raj, Neha (2024-08-09). "From Restaurant Downfall to Sauce Success: Veeba Foods' Viraj Bahl Shares His Journey". PUNE.NEWS. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  16. ^ "The Story Of Veeba & Viraj Bahl: The Maker Of Sauces". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  17. ^ "Spreading it thick and fast". Outlook Business. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  18. ^ Naidu, Pavan. "Meet man who failed in his restaurant business, sold house to fund new startup, built Rs 811 crore company, he is…". DNA India. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  19. ^ Kashyap, Hemant (2022-09-16). "D2C Founders Should Enter Food Retail Only If They Have Deep Pockets: Veeba's Viraj Bahl". Inc42 Media. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  20. ^ www.ETRetail.com. "Veeba founder on building a Rs 1,000 cr co, profitability, and more - ET Retail". ETRetail.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  21. ^ Singh, Akshita (2025-02-01). "Veeba Foods founder Viraj Bahl reveals he sold wife's home to start his business". India Today.
  22. ^ Paul, Iraa (2025-01-13). "Who is Viraj Bahl? Veeba Foods founder and Shark Tank India judge who bounced back from failure". Indiatimes. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  23. ^ Pushkarna, Akshit (2024-08-08). "Failed Restaurant Business Propelled Inception Of INR 1K Cr Veeba: Founder Bahl". Inc42 Media. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  24. ^ "THIS Shark Tank India judge sold his house, faced failure, and built a Rs 1000 cr empire; He is..." ET Now. 2025-01-07. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
  25. ^ "We Are Getting Our Act Together In Quick Commerce: Veeba's Viraj Bahl". Outlook Business. 2024-10-21. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  26. ^ "Exclusive: From having to shut down his business to being a part of the reality show; Shark Tank India 4's Viraj Bahl on his journey". The Times of India. 2025-01-08. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  27. ^ "New Shark Viraj Bahl On The Reality Behind Shark Tank India: 'Most Deals Fizzle Out & The Chequ". news.abplive.com. 2025-02-06.
  28. ^ Upadhyaya, Ananya (2024-12-10). "Veeba Foods' Viraj Bahl Joins Shark Tank India". Inc42 Media. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viraj_Bahl
No tags for this post.