Hard work, even if eventually, always pays off: Aditya Churiwala, Co-Founder, Icekraft

Aditya Churiwala and his Co-founder Monil Shah launched Icekraft, a dessert company after eight months of dedicated R&D, experiments, trials and feedback. Though he is from a family of serial entrepreneurs, Aditya never knew what he would end tapping into the one industry his family had no presence in - F&B. After completing his MBA from NMIMS, Aditya completed his CFA and worked as an International Banker for almost 7 years. Simultaneously, he worked with Monil on Icekraft. His education and work experience have helped him build the business on stable financing and excellent health. However, he says that nothing in his past experiences could have prepared for the timeless hours and creative inputs required to start and expand Icekraft.

They began their business by setting out to be the first brand in the country to serve freshly made ice-creams with no preservatives or emulsifiers. Icekraft is now famous for its freshly rolled ice-creams, waffles, pancakes and freakshakes. Today, they have multiple brands like Icekraft (Icecream Cafes), The Secret Kitchen (Fine dine restaurants), and Doughsmith (a Chocolates and Bakes division).

They also have branches in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Raipur, Bhilai, New Delhi, Nagpur, Solapur, Surat, Ahmedabad, Bareilly, and will be expanding to another six more cities by the end of 2020.

Here are Aditya’s responses to our Proust questionnaire….

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

Spending time with my daughter.

What is your greatest fear? 

Destroying the planet.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 

When I’m working, I tend to make a mess around me.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Talking without thinking.

Which living person do you most admire?

Bill Gates.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Gaming on the big screen.

What is your current state of mind? 

Focused.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? 

Patience.

On what occasions do you lie?

Fibs are fine. I don't really lie.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

A bit more hair would have been nice.

Which living person do you most despise? 

No one in particular.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Principles.

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What is the quality you most like in a woman? 

A sense of responsibility.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 

Kar lenge, ho jayega.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My family.

Which talent would you most like to have? 

To make better tea.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

The inability to relax when there's activity around me.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

It hasn’t come yet.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I don't have that wish. I’m lucky to be me.

Where would you most like to live? 

I am not sure. I like the vibrancy of Singapore, but there’s peace in the smaller cities of India.

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What is your most treasured possession? 

My family.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Melancholy without hope.

What is your favourite occupation? 

I respect doctors a lot.

What is your most marked characteristic? 

Not sitting still.

What do you most value in your friends?

Availability. 

Who are your favourite writers?

Yuval Noah Harari and JRR Tolkien.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Sherlock Holmes.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? 

No one in particular. 

Who are your heroes in real life?

Bill Gates and Dalai Lama.

What is your favourite name?

Icekraft.

What is it that you most dislike? 

Dishonest people.

What is your greatest regret? 

I don't regret anything. Whatever happens, makes you better.

How would you like to die?

With loved ones by my side.

What is your favourite journey?

The vagaries of life.

What is your motto?

Hard work, even if eventually, always pays off.