Meet man behind 'Chowman', who built Rs 1500000000 business empire from just Rs 15 lakh, left high-profile job of Rs..., his name is...

India.com

12 hours ago

Debaditya Chaudhury
New Delhi: Debaditya Chaudhury, who comes from a middle-class family in Kolkata, is an inspiration to millions of young entrepreneurs aspiring to build their careers in the food industry. His story is a perfect example of passion, hard work, and turning dreams into reality. Debaditya, who started his business from a small 350-square-foot space by investing Rs 15 lakh, has today become one of the country's most successful restaurant entrepreneurs. In this article, we will talk about Debaditya's journey to success, challenges he faced and more. Debaditya Chaudhury: Education Qualification
Debaditya Chaudhury spent his childhood in the Ballygunge area of Kolkata. He completed his 10th grade from South Point High School in 1999 and earned a B.Com degree from St. Xavier's College in 2004. After that, he pursued an MBA from IISWBM in 2006. Debaditya was also extremely passionate about music along with his studies. In his first year of college, he co-founded the Bengali rock band Lakkhichhara with his friends. As a keyboard player, he performed with the band in several countries. Debaditya's Love for Chinese Food:
While growing up the aroma of Chinese food coming from the nearby 'Kim Wah' restaurant left a deep impression on Debaditya. At the age of six, he first tasted the Chinese cuisine, and ever since he fell in love with the dishes. The family that owned Kim Wah became like an extended family to Debaditya. These experiences sparked a dream in him — to one day open his own Chinese restaurant. This dream always remained alive in his heart, even as he continued to pursue his interests in academics and music. Risked His Career:
Debaditya began working as the Brand Head at a PR agency called Blue Lotus Communications in 2006 after completing his MBA and earned a monthly salary of 1 lakh rupees. However, his childhood dream of opening a Chinese restaurant never faded. After saving enough money, he left his well-paying job and took a step toward entrepreneurship. Fully aware that a city like Kolkata already had many renowned Chinese restaurants, he still decided to take the risk. All You Need to Know About Debaditya's Business: Chowman is today one of the renowned Chinese food outlets in West Bengal.
Debaditya had decided to differentiate his first Chowman outlet by offering a fine-dining experience at affordable prices for middle-class customers.
His goal was to provide a five-star Chinese dining experience at the price of a roadside eatery.
To create an authentic atmosphere, he imported sauces, crockery, and cutlery directly from China.
The outlet was launched with two trained chefs and a menu featuring 70 dishes.
The restaurant offered meals for two people for just ₹300.
The restaurant remained packed with customers from the day it opened thanks to its pocket-friendly pricing.
In its very first year, Chowman achieved a turnover of Rs 20 lakh, encouraging Debaditya to open a second outlet in 2011.
By 2013, the business had grown to a turnover of Rs 1 crore. Expansion of the Restaurant Empire
Over the years, Chowman has gained massive popularity. Currently, Chowman has 29 outlets across Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi. Seeing the growing demand for Chowman, Debaditya implemented a home delivery system. Today, his restaurant not only partners with aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato but also maintains its own delivery team.
Following Chowman's success, Debaditya and his elder brother Shiladitya Chaudhury launched two more successful restaurant chains — Awadh 1590 (specializing in Awadhi cuisine) and Chapter 2 (offering continental cuisine with live music). As a result, by 2023, their restaurant empire reached a turnover of ₹150 crore.