Deepak Daryani [MD at Asha Confectionery] Opens Up On Struggles And Success

Deepak Daryani is the widely known Managing Director of the equally reputed confectionery line, Asha Confectionery. Asha Confectionery, under the brand name of SR25 has become a successful business which manufactures, produces and sells a wide range of products which include hard boiled candies, jellies, chocolates, butter and strawberry waffles, moulding chocolates and cakes and even cookies, bubble gums and Nariyal Pani flavoured toffees.

We sat down with Mr. Deepak Daryani for an informal chat with the aim to discuss his ideas of success and the struggle and work that go behind it.

What made you choose this line of work? And what were the early struggles?

Throughout my childhood, my father was the most influential person in my life. It was on his advice that I decided to initiate something of my own. As a teenager, I started selling chocolates on my bicycle. It was a difficult time but I always had a feeling that I’m doing something that will add up in the future. It was that goal which kept me moving forward. At that time, I remember, we didn’t really have a lot of resources to our disposal but my father instilled the values of quality and taste in the early days of the business itself. In 2013, the brand SR25 was launched and ever since, the empire has been on a continuous expansion mode.

In the context of the business world, what change have you noticed over these years?

The one thing that is different now is that there is a lot of competition in the market. A large number of confectionaries have opened up and there are international brands as well.

In the rise of intense competition, how does SR25 manage to hold a significant place in the market?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, my father insisted on the prioritization of quality and taste. I won’t take names but a lot of chocolate businesses have been in the news for not adhering to certain food standards. At Asha Confectionery, SR25 has always steered itself away from the issues of non-compliance of rules and regulations. We’ve given paramount importance to quality raw materials and ingredients. We have the accreditation of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

Now that your brand is pretty established and successful, how do you see it?

I feel about it the same way I used to when I was a child. It is a venture that yielded into an entire empire and I’m very grateful for everything and everyone that contributed to it. However, it is not the end. There are more plans of expansion and diversification which need to be fulfilled and SR25 is constantly working on realizing these goals.