From IT engineer to health food innovator: Fit & Flex founder's journey to building a sustainable brand

As India's health food market continues to evolve, entrepreneurs face the dual challenge of creating nutritious and appealing products for the Indian palate. Understanding this delicate balance and the complexities of building a sustainable food brand in today's competitive market requires more than just a good product; it demands mindful entrepreneurship. This was the focus of a recent webinar in the iStart Inspire series, where Parthik Patel, Founder of Fit & Flex, revealed how his journey from IT engineering to revolutionising the health food market exemplifies mindful entrepreneurship.

The webinar, presented by iStart Rajasthan—one of India's largest startup initiatives—in partnership with YourStory, offered valuable insights into building a sustainable health food brand.

Finding the right market gap

Patel's entrepreneurial journey began unconventionally in the cotton and chemical industries. His passion for fitness and healthy eating, combined with identifying a gap in the Indian market for better-tasting, nutritious cereals and snacks, led him to establish Fit & Flex in 2019.

“Indian consumers are ready to compromise on health, but they are not ready to compromise on taste,” Patel emphasised, highlighting the importance of understanding market dynamics.

The company faced significant hurdles early on, with COVID-19 hitting just months after launch. Despite having to shut down their factory for four months and managing a team of 60-70 people during the pandemic, Fit & Flex demonstrated remarkable resilience. It expanded to 12 cities and 22,000 stores within three months post-lockdown, showing impressive adaptability in crisis.

Innovation at the core

What sets Fit & Flex apart is its commitment to innovation. The company utilises proprietary baking technology that ensures products remain crunchy longer than conventional alternatives. "We are known for innovation,” said Patel, mentioning unique variants like mango and coconut flavours not commonly found in the Indian market.

Despite facing pressure to reduce costs, Patel maintained his commitment to quality ingredients. He shared how the company continues to use premium components like freeze-dried fruits, which cost ten times more than conventional alternatives, to maintain product integrity. This dedication to quality has helped build a loyal customer base, with retention rates of 33% in general trade and modern trade channels.

Appearing on Shark Tank India proved transformative for the brand, resulting in an 11x increase in sales for several weeks. “Being on national television is massive,” said Patel, explaining how the exposure helped increase brand visibility not just in India but internationally.

Keys to success for aspiring entrepreneurs

During the Q&A session, Patel offered valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the health food space. He emphasised three critical factors: product-market fit, pricing strategy, and patience. "You need to have uniqueness in your product," he advised, stressing that entrepreneurs should focus on the basics rather than trying to do everything at once. He cautioned against the common mindset of expecting quick success, noting that "branding takes 10-15 years".

For customer retention, he recommended a multi-channel approach combining WhatsApp marketing, email campaigns, and telemarketing, achieving a 22% retention rate online and 33% in offline channels.

Looking ahead, Patel sees enormous potential in India's packaged food industry, particularly with the increasing workforce participation of women. Fit & Flex continues to innovate, recently launching ready-to-eat oats and protein puffs, while maintaining monthly growth rates of 20-30%.

This webinar was part of iStart Rajasthan's comprehensive startup support programme, which has registered over 5,100 startups, including more than 1,700 women-led ventures, and sanctioned over Rs 35 crore in investments since its launch in 2017. Through initiatives like these, iStart continues to provide valuable mentorship, access to market and procurement opportunities up to Rs 25 lakhs to entrepreneurs across India.