[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Meet Kanu Priya Sharma who wants India to pick and mix candies

House of Candy is a well-known brand in the country. Close to a decade after its inception, it stands as one of India’s most known confectionery retail chains. 

At the helm of it is Kanu Priya Sharma, who along with her husband Sameer Bhatia, started the company in 2014. 

The duo decided to sell candies after they got in touch with a friend who was a candy importer in Bahrain. 

Conversations with him led them to think of starting a similar concept in India in collaboration with Haribo, an international confectionery brand.

They started with a distribution system for imported candies in India. And eventually introduced the retail confectionery chain House of Candy, which now has over 250 stores across the country. 

The store is also available online on marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, among others.

While there were initial doubts about the overall functioning of the brand, Sharma was confident about the step. Currently, she handles marketing, public relations, and social media for the company.

With House of Candy, Sharma introduced the “pick and mix” concept in candy retail in India. 

“If you go to a regular chocolate or candy store, you usually get packaged products, and you can just pick one variety, per package. Whereas in our store, we have about 70 to 80 varieties, and you can just pick and mix and make your own box,” she says.

Looking back, she shares that in the beginning of her journey, she did come across gender-based biases. However, she believes that times are changing now. “People are open to new ideas and new concepts,” she says. 

Drawing on her experiences, Sharma advises women leaders to not give up. “Don't let anyone shut you down. If somebody is not taking you seriously, it is their problem. You keep pushing forward,” she says.