Rajshree Upadhyaya |Business Remedies | Driven by a strong desire to create something new, Arpita Aditi founded Dil Foods, a technology-enabled food brand company, in 2022 and successfully carved out a distinctive space for herself. During her professional stint at Swiggy, where she worked closely with restaurants, she observed that countless kitchens with excellent cooking capabilities were struggling due to poor brand visibility, low margins, and underutilized capacity.
Dil Foods was born from this insight-not as a traditional restaurant chain, but as a technology-enabled food brand company. It was designed to help existing restaurants scale without heavy capital investment. The company operates on an asset-light model built around virtual restaurant brands, enabling partner kitchens to run multiple food brands from the same infrastructure.
Instead of owning kitchens or dine-in outlets, Dil Foods collaborates with local restaurants. It provides them with curated menus, standardized recipes, quality control systems, packaging, branding, and operational guidance. These partner kitchens then prepare and deliver food under Dil Foods’ brands via food delivery platforms, creating additional revenue streams without the burden of expansion costs.
Dil Foods’ portfolio features a region-specific collection of brands that celebrate everyday Indian food. Its offerings include Dil Punjabi, Bihari Bowl, Bhole Ke Chole, House of Andhra, Khichdi Bar, Ahaar, and The Chaat Cult, among others. Each brand focuses on comfort food rooted in local tastes, making them highly relatable to urban online consumers. By emphasizing consistency and repeatability, Dil Foods ensures customers receive the same flavor experience regardless of which partner kitchen fulfills the order.
Built a Network of Over 100 Operational Outlets in a Short Time
In its early phase, the company grew steadily, expanding into major urban markets such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad and onboarding dozens of restaurant partners. By leveraging existing kitchen infrastructure, Dil Foods was able to scale much faster than traditional food chains, reaching over 100 operational outlets within a short period. This collaborative model helped partner restaurants improve capacity utilization, enhance margins, and stabilize revenues in an increasingly competitive food delivery market.
Dil Foods gained national recognition when Arpita Aditi appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3 in early 2024. During her pitch, she highlighted the long-term potential of virtual food brands in India and sought Rs. 50 lakh for 0.5% equity, implying a high valuation that immediately sparked debate among the sharks.
What stood out was not just the ask, but the clarity with which Arpita explained the unit economics, the scalability of the brand-led approach, and its impact on partner restaurants. After detailed discussions, the sharks acknowledged both the opportunity and the execution. Vineeta Singh, Peyush Bansal, Radhika Gupta, and Ritesh Agarwal came together to make a joint offer of Rs. 2 crore for 2.67% equity, valuing Dil Foods at approximately Rs. 75 crore. The deal became one of the most notable investments of the season, validating the company’s differentiated approach in the food services market.
Focus on Building a Sustainable Food Brand Ecosystem
After Shark Tank, Dil Foods continued to operate and scale. The company had already raised external funding prior to the show, which it utilized to strengthen its supply chain, sharpen brand positioning, and expand its partner network. Revenues grew consistently, driven by increasing order volumes across its virtual restaurant services and deeper penetration in existing cities.
Today, Dil Foods remains operational, actively collaborating with restaurant partners and expanding its brand portfolio. Arpita Aditi’s vision is firmly centered on building a sustainable food brand ecosystem, where small and medium-sized kitchens can grow alongside a centralized brand platform.
Rather than chasing superficial expansion, Dil Foods has positioned itself as a long-term enabler in India’s growing food delivery economy, proving that scaling in food services does not necessarily require owning kitchens-but understanding how to make them work better and more efficiently.
