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This Alappuzha startup has a crisp plan with its banana chips

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Banana chips are truly an emotion for people in South India. Now imagine getting so hooked on the food item that you quit your corporate job to make it into a profitable business. That’s the story of Manas Madhu and Beyond Snack. 

A resident of Kerala, Madhu wanted to bring Kerala’s staple snack—crispy kaay upperi, popularly banana chips—to the world. He aimed to standardise the production process to ensure consistency in taste, texture, and thickness. 

In 2015, he quit his job as a senior consultant at Capgemini, shifted to Kerala, and studied the industry. “Currently, banana chips are seen as one of the fried chips, unlike potato chips, which is a category in itself. We plan to build in India for the globe,” Madhu, Co-founder and Managing Director of Beyond Snack, tells YourStory.

He, along with Jyoti Rajguru and Gautam Raghuraman, started the Alappuzha startup in 2020, which makes banana chips in a blend of flavours—original (salted), peri peri, salt and black pepper, sour cream onion and parsley, desi masala, and hot and sweet chilli.

Team Beyond Snack

Team Beyond Snack

With an eye on sharing the shelves with the likes of Lay’s and Bingo, Beyond Snack makes six varieties of chips, including the recently launched coconut oil-based banana chips and waves.

Madhu wants his customers to have the same experience each time they try Beyond Snack’s chips. To achieve this, the company has standardised the manufacturing process. 

With 95% of the process fully automated at its Tumkur facility at India Food Park, the startup’s production capacity has increased to 6.6 metric tonnes (MT) per month compared to 2-2.5 MT earlier. It aims to increase to 600 MT by 2027.

Sourcing the right ingredients

Consistency and quality play a major role in Beyond Snack’s operations, and it has partnered with 220 farmer groups in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka to procure high-quality ripe bananas.

At the facility, the bananas undergo a quality check, and the team selects only the Grade-1 crop—bananas that have reached proper maturity, which helps maintain the chip’s crunch and taste.

Beyond Snack chips

Madhu draws a comparison between Beyond Snack chips and the ones found locally saying the latter uses unhealthy oil, reused over and over again. The startup’s R&D team worked with various oil manufacturers to get the right kind of oil best suited for the cooking process of banana chips.

“Refined coconut oil can withstand higher temperatures, making it suitable for the frying of banana chips,” he explains. The startup offers six flavours, combo packs of 3X100 gms on its website, priced between Rs 199 and Rs 240. It sells single packets of 75 gms, priced at Rs 60, on ecommerce sites including Swiggy and Zepto.

“It takes time and effort to develop the flavours, and this brings excitement among customers… We want to make banana chips cool,” the CEO says.

The typical cream and onion flavour is not suitable for bananas, due to its slightly sweet taste. However, Beyond Snack adds more sourness to the flavour and creates a special blend that “works by complementing the taste of bananas.” Even the spicy peri peri flavour is “more tangier than the normal peri peri flavour.” 

Business operations

The startup started its offline retail in Bengaluru and expanded to some regions in Kerala in January 2020. However, as the pandemic struck, Beyond Snack shifted to an online retail model and started seeing increased sales.

Since then, it has slowly expanded its offline presence across India—from 20-25 distributors to now 125 distributors across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, and Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the south. 

Beyond Snack sees its highest traction from Maharashtra, followed by Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. 

It also exports to 15 countries, including the US, UK, Mauritius, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Kuwait, Sweden, Dubai, Thailand, and Malaysia.

In FY24, the company clocked a revenue of Rs 34 crore, almost double from about 17 crore in FY23. It projects Rs 100 crore in revenue for FY25. 

While it briefly touched profitability, the company is currently spending more on acquiring customers and ensuring its presence, aiming to be profitable by 2026.

According to data company Tracxn, Beyond Snack competes with Truly Kerala, Crizpo, and EnChipsu.

In July 2023, it raised $3.5 million in a seed round from NABVENTURES and has raised a total of $5.98 million in funding over six rounds, Tracxn data shows. It plans to raise more funds in a year.

Workforce and challenges

Beyond Snack employs a total of 220 people, of which 52 are permanent employees and the rest are on a contract.

Madhu wanted to be run entirely by a women workforce, however, challenges with the mechanical aspect of the production have deemed it to have a team of about 80% women.

“We have 11 women as shadows of the male workers in these areas so that by 2026, we can achieve a 100% women-run facility,” he adds.

Beyond Snack facility Tumkur

The company also faced challenges with standardisation across products. “The banana chips out there are sometimes soggy, hard, or give a foul aftertaste… It took us almost eight months to standardise the product,” he says.

Being in an impulse buying category, in the next five years, the company aims to become a global brand like Lay’s and reach a Rs 5,000 crore revenue.

“Banana chips are seen as a subset of namkeens. The category needs restructuring, and we want to take it out of the namkeens and create an independent category for it,” Madhu says.





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Ola Electric’s Q2 loss narrows as revenue jumps 40%

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Ola Electric‘s net loss narrowed in the second quarter of the current financial year (FY25) as the Bhavish Aggarwal-led EV maker reported a 39% jump in sales.

Ola Electric reported a net loss of Rs 495 crore for the July-September quarter, down from Rs 524 crore in the year-ago period. The company’s revenue from operations jumped to Rs 1,214 crore in Q2 from Rs 873 crore a year earlier.

However, on a quarterly basis, Ola Electric’s loss widened from Rs 324 crore in the April-June quarter. The company’s sales declined from Rs 1,644 crore in the previous quarter.

The results come days after the EV-maker’s share price fell below its listing price, two months after the company listed on Indian stock exchanges. On Friday, Ola Electric’s share price closed at Rs 72.67 apiece, down 2.53%. Ola Electric got listed on India’s stock exchanges on August 9 at Rs 76 per share. The company had hit an all-time high of Rs 157.40 apiece.

Ola Electric, currently the market leader in the E2W segment, has also come under intense scrutiny over rising consumer complaints pertaining to its vehicles. In October, the company received a show cause notice from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) seeking alleged violations of consumer rights, misleading advertising, and unfair trade practices.

The company, in a BSE filing on October 22, said it has provided all requested information and clarification sought by the consumer watchdog. Additionally, Ola Electric said it resolved 99.1% out of 10,644 complaints it received from the CCPA.

The SoftBank Group-backed firm has since doubled down on expanding its service centers and hiring service technicians to help streamline operations and clear backlogs.





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Workplace boundaries: 5 things not to share with coworkers

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In today’s workplace, building relationships and open communication are highly encouraged. A collaborative environment can foster trust, creativity, and productivity among colleagues. However, there is a fine line between being friendly and sharing too much. Revealing certain personal information to your coworkers can blur professional boundaries and even affect your career negatively. In a world where first impressions and professionalism matter, knowing what to keep private is crucial to maintaining respect and credibility.

This guide highlights five essential things you should never share with colleagues. From sensitive financial details to personal beliefs, these are boundaries that every professional should respect for the sake of both personal privacy and workplace harmony.


1. Financial information

Discussing your financial situation at work—whether it’s your salary, debts, or even that new loan you’ve taken out—can lead to misunderstandings, envy, or resentment. Salary disparities, in particular, are a sensitive topic and can create friction in the workplace if colleagues perceive unfairness. Moreover, sharing details about your finances could unintentionally set you up for gossip or judgment from others, which could alter their view of your professionalism. If you’re asked directly, a polite but firm response, such as “I prefer not to discuss personal finances,” can help maintain boundaries.


2. Political and religious beliefs

In an era of heightened political polarisation and strong opinions on various social issues, discussing your political or religious beliefs at work can be risky. Even casual remarks can lead to disagreements and, in worst cases, workplace conflicts. This doesn’t mean you should hide your identity, but it’s wise to avoid diving into discussions that might alienate or offend others. Maintaining a neutral stance on sensitive topics can help create a respectful, inclusive work environment.


3. Personal health issues

Your health is deeply personal, and sharing too much about any physical or mental health challenges can lead to unintended consequences. While close friends may share personal health information, colleagues don’t need to know the specifics of your medical history. Revealing health information might result in unwanted sympathy, awkwardness, or even doubt about your ability to perform your job effectively.


4. Negative opinions about colleagues or management

It might feel cathartic to vent about a difficult coworker or a strict manager, but sharing these thoughts with other colleagues can easily backfire. Not only can it damage your reputation, but it could also harm your professional relationships if your words get back to the person in question. Criticising team members or managers can make you seem untrustworthy or negative, both of which can hinder your career progression. Maintaining a neutral or positive stance will reflect professionalism and emotional maturity.


5. Ambitions for a new job or career move

Sharing your plans to apply for a new job or change careers might seem harmless, but it could shift how your colleagues or managers view your commitment. If your supervisor learns that you’re planning to leave, it could lead to fewer opportunities or even less favourable treatment as they prepare for your departure. To protect your current position, focus on your work, and wait to share the news until you’re ready to make a formal exit.


Conclusion

In a professional setting, boundaries are essential for a healthy work environment. While sharing parts of your personal life can help build connections, knowing where to draw the line is equally important. By keeping your financial matters, health concerns, personal beliefs, and career ambitions private, you’ll be better able to maintain a positive reputation, foster respectful relationships, and ultimately advance your career without unnecessary complications.

Remember, in the workplace, less can often be more. Protect your privacy, and you’ll find it easier to focus on what truly matters—your professional growth and contributions.





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Taming the restless ‘Monkey Mind’: 6 signs and calming tips

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Do you ever feel as if your thoughts are racing, jumping from one idea to the next without pause? This restless state of mind, commonly known as the “monkey mind,” can leave you feeling overwhelmed, distracted, and unable to focus. Imagine a monkey swinging from branch to branch—never still, always moving. The monkey mind does something similar, dragging your attention in multiple directions at once. In a world filled with constant notifications, endless tasks, and overstimulation, it’s no wonder our minds are often buzzing with a mix of unfinished thoughts, worries, and ideas.

Recognising and managing a monkey mind can be a game-changer for mental clarity, productivity, and peace. In this article, we’ll dive into six telltale signs of a monkey mind and explore proven strategies to calm it down and regain focus.

6 Telltale signs of a monkey mind


1. Constant overthinking

A classic sign of a monkey mind is constant overthinking. You may find yourself analysing every detail, reliving past conversations, or stressing over hypothetical situations that may never happen. This mental loop can keep you from moving forward or making decisions, trapping you in a cycle of what-ifs.

Try to channel overthinking into action by setting a time limit for worrying or planning, and then move on. Journaling can also help you process your thoughts and release them from your mind. Practicing mindfulness by focusing on what you’re doing right now can redirect your attention away from endless what-ifs.


2. Difficulty focusing on a task

If you find yourself switching tasks frequently, unable to concentrate on one thing for long, it’s a clear sign your mind may be restless. The monkey mind is easily distracted, often drawn to anything that promises novelty or instant gratification.

Implementing techniques like the Pomodoro Method—where you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break—can improve focus. Create a designated workspace, eliminate distractions, and try using noise-cancelling headphones or listening to concentration-friendly music to help you stay on task.


3. Procrastination and avoidance

A monkey mind often leads to procrastination, especially when faced with big or daunting tasks. The mind can become overwhelmed by the task’s complexity, prompting you to avoid it entirely and instead focus on smaller, less important activities.

Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps to make them feel less overwhelming. Set a specific goal for each work session, even if it’s just to complete a small portion. Reward yourself for each accomplishment, no matter how small, to keep your momentum going.


4. Heightened anxiety or stress

With the mind constantly jumping from one thought to another, stress and anxiety levels can increase. A monkey mind often dwells on worst-case scenarios and hypothetical fears, causing a continuous cycle of worry and tension.

Incorporate regular deep-breathing exercises or meditation into your day. Slow, mindful breathing can help activate the body’s relaxation response, lowering stress levels and bringing a sense of calm. For some, a quick physical reset—such as stretching or walking—can break the anxiety loop and help you feel grounded.


5. Trouble sleeping

If your mind feels like it’s in overdrive at night, it could be because of a monkey mind. Endless thoughts and worries can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, leaving you feeling exhausted the next day.

Establish a calming bedtime routine to signal your mind and body that it’s time to wind down. Avoid screens at least an hour before bed, and consider listening to a guided meditation or calming sounds to lull your mind into relaxation mode. Journaling before bed can also help you clear your mind by putting your thoughts on paper.


6. Feeling constantly distracted

A monkey’s mind craves stimulation and often finds it challenging to stay present. You may find yourself constantly checking your phone, seeking out new content, or even daydreaming when you should be focused on a task at hand.

Practice “mindful breaks” during your day—short intervals where you put down your devices, observe your surroundings and ground yourself in the present. Limiting the number of things you try to multitask can help, too. Start by giving your full attention to one task, and slowly build your focus endurance from there.


Conclusion

Our minds are naturally curious, and having occasional restless thoughts is normal. However, when the monkey mind takes over, it can disrupt our peace, productivity, and well-being. Recognising the signs of a monkey mind and incorporating calming strategies—like mindfulness, structured work sessions, and relaxation techniques—can help you regain control over your mental landscape. The next time you find your mind swinging wildly, try one of these calming techniques to bring yourself back to a state of balance and clarity.

By making mindfulness a habit and addressing the monkey mind head-on, you’ll be able to cultivate a deeper sense of peace, focus, and contentment in your daily life.





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