Nitin Kalra, an entrepreneur from Delhi, began his professional journey under rather modest circumstances. During his college years, he took up a part-time job at McDonald’s, where he was paid ₹20 per hour for cleaning tables.
Speaking to Local18 at the Startup Mahakumbh held at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, he recalled, “I used to clean tables and washrooms at McDonald’s during college and earned ₹20 an hour.”
Turning down a
₹1 crore rupee salary for business
After gaining over a decade of experience in the food industry, working with reputed companies, Nitin observed a significant gap in the market. While there were numerous brands offering packaged snacks, very few focused on health-conscious products.
This realisation led him to take a bold step, he left a job that offered him an annual package of ₹1 crore to launch his own venture in the healthy snack segment.
Read more: Amitabh Kant calls for a deeptech push, government as first buyer at Startup Mahakumbh
Stepping into the market
In 2021, Nitin introduced his first product: ready-to-eat golgappas. The unique offering received a positive market response and soon gained widespread attention.
His innovation eventually landed him a spot on the first season of Shark Tank India, where he secured funding for his business idea.
Reflecting on the experience, he noted that the opportunity helped him expand his product line into other healthy snack options such as namkeens, makhanas, etc.
Let’s Try: A homegrown healthy snack brand
Today, the entrepreneur’s venture, Let’s Try, offers over 50 varieties of healthy snacks, including biscuits and cookies. What sets his brand apart is its homemade approach and focus on health.
Read more: Piyush Goyal reacts to startup row, terms backlash ‘unfortunate’
“We try to add a healthy element to every product so that it does not harm the consumer,” he told News18 Hindi. His efforts have helped scale the company’s turnover to ₹120 crore within four years.
Nitin’s journey from a part-time cleaner to a successful business owner is inspiring, but he remains grounded in his advice to others. “Those who truly want to start a business should give 100%,” he said.
“You should not give up easily after starting. Patience is extremely important because success doesn’t come instantly. It takes time and consistent effort to grow,” he concluded.
(With inputs from media reports)