From Khana Khazana to FoodFood: Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor on his entrepreneurial journey
In this episode of the 100X Entrepreneur podcast, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks about his entrepreneurial journey through his food-focused ventures.
Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor is a household name in every Indian home. The Padma Shri awardee has donned several hats, including that of an entrepreneur!
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor began his entrepreneurial journey with the launch of his TV channel FoodFood, premium cookware and appliances brand Wonderchef, and 65 restaurant chains under different brands in nine countries.
[Image Credit: 100X Entrepreneur Podcast]
Sanjeev Kapoor — who hosted the popular Indian cookery show Khana Khazana in the early ‘90s for over 19 years — says he has always been “a content person.”
During an interaction on the 100X Entrepreneur podcast, the celebrity chef says, “My first extension of the television show was my books, which we used to publish and continue to do so. Then, we took content onto digital platforms, the sanjeevkapoor.com website, which led to creating communities on social media.”
He adds that the journey continued with the YouTube Sanjeev Kapoor Khana Khazana channel, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. And, about 11 years ago, he took content to the next level when he started his own TV channel FoodFood.
In fact, the celebrity chef says he started receiving queries from several of his viewers regarding the appliances he used. Realising this opportunity, he launched a premium cookware and appliances brand called Wonderchef.
Focus on food
However, the chef continues to focus on food for all his every venture. He also adds that he has his own production house, which produces food-related TV content, digital content, and films.
“I also dabble with newer things that keep coming up. For example, I have a venture where we are looking at how content can become smarter for users and consumers, and we bring in AI and a lot of machine learning into that, ” he shares.
Realising the need for nutritious food amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, chef Sanjeev Kapoor also reveals that he is working with two pharma companies and has signed two joint ventures to create new tasty food products with high medicinal benefits.
Moreover, he is also operating a meal kit brand called KitFresh via Amazon, which includes pre-prepared ingredients, and recipes to help people cook fresh food without preparation hassles.
“I am a very impatient person, and I need something new every time as I get bored with routine. So, for me, learning is my passion, and when you learn more things, it also creates opportunities,” he adds.
He believes that if someone does things that give them pleasure, satisfaction, and a purpose then it is not work rather it is something one gets to enjoy all the time.
In this episode of the 100X Entrepreneur podcast, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks about his entrepreneurial journey through his food-focused ventures.
To know more, listen to the podcast here.
Notes:
02:30 – Getting nostalgic with the Khana Khazana show
04:54 – Being a content person at heart via books, website, social media, and TV channel
07:48 – Working with pharma companies to bring nutritional foods of medicinal value
08:21 – KitFresh via Amazon: Ready to cook fresh meal kit
09:19 – 4000+ employees under the Sanjeev Kapoor brand
11:12 – Family background and early career
16:38 – Being comfortable with discomfort
18:57 – Drive to start working on something new
23:45 – “If you continue to do things that give you pleasure, satisfaction, and a purpose, then it is not work; it’s something that you’re enjoying all the time.”
26:34 – Deciding ownership of actions in a partnership
33:43 – Understanding numbers and building scalable businesses
36:55 – Building comfort and trust before entering into a partnership
Edited by Suman Singh