Rajshree Upadhyaya |Business Remedies | Tiggle was born from a simple personal craving that gradually transformed into a promising consumer brand under the leadership of Anuva Kakkar, a young entrepreneur from Agra with a keen eye for unmet market needs. The idea took shape in 2020, when Anuva, after completing her BBA and working in Gurugram, found herself repeatedly disappointed by the lack of genuinely rich hot chocolate options available in India. Most offerings felt overly sweet or artificial, leaving little room for a balanced cocoa-forward experience. Instead of accepting this gap, she began experimenting with recipes at home, driven by the belief that Indian consumers were ready for something more indulgent and thoughtfully crafted.
With an initial investment of roughly Rs. 20,000, Anuva decided to test her concept directly with customers. She started selling freshly prepared chocolate drinks outside a metro station, using real consumer reactions as her first validation metric. The response was immediate and encouraging, with batches selling out quickly and customers returning for repeat purchases. This early traction strengthened her conviction that the idea could evolve beyond a side experiment into a full-fledged brand.
The pandemic soon disrupted her street-level operations, but it also triggered a crucial shift in strategy. During this period, Anuva reworked her approach and transitioned from freshly prepared drinks to ready to make hot chocolate mixes that could deliver a similar experience at home. This pivot laid the foundation for the formal establishment of Tiggle in 2021, when the brand was officially launched as a direct-to-consumer venture. She focused on sourcing quality cocoa from Tamil Nadu and refining blends that balanced richness, texture, and ease of preparation. Early offerings included dark hot chocolate and light hot chocolate, followed by distinctive variants such as jaggery hot chocolate, which resonated with consumers seeking alternatives to refined sugar.
Beyond taste, Tiggle’s identity began to take shape around conscious choices and simplicity. The mixes were positioned to be vegan-friendly when prepared with plant-based milk, aligning with evolving dietary preferences while remaining inclusive for traditional consumers. Production was gradually streamlined through a manufacturing setup in Agra, supported by an all-women workforce that played a key role in maintaining quality and consistency. As online visibility increased, Tiggle expanded its reach through its own digital channels and e-commerce platforms, steadily building a loyal customer base.
Tiggle’s most defining moment came with its appearance on Shark Tank India Season 3, where Anuva presented her journey and vision on a national platform. She sought an investment of Rs. 50 lakh for 5 percent equity, valuing the brand at Rs. 10 crore. The pitch highlighted her grassroots beginnings, product differentiation, and clear understanding of her consumer. After deliberation and negotiation, Peyush Bansal and Amit Jain jointly invested Rs. 50 lakh in exchange for 20 percent equity, along with a 2 percent royalty until Rs. 1 crore was recovered, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s evolution.
The Shark Tank exposure brought Tiggle widespread recognition and opened doors to a broader audience. The brand expanded its portfolio to include iced chocolate mixes and higher cocoa-content variants, catering to consumers looking for bolder, more intense flavours. Customer feedback reflected a range of preferences, with many appreciating the richness and texture of the mixes, while others offered differing opinions based on individual taste expectations.
From its beginnings as a metro-station experiment to becoming a nationally recognised name, Tiggle’s journey reflects the power of persistence, adaptability, and founder-led clarity. Anchored by thoughtfully developed products and a strong personal vision, the brand’s story stands as an example of how everyday cravings can spark meaningful entrepreneurial ventures in India’s evolving food and beverage space.
