Global Journey of Panipuri from Street of India to Global Retail ‘Gujjuben 7 Flavor Panipuri’, Back to India with new impressive NRI look ‘Safepoori SAFE HAI’ with Guarantee of ‘SWAD, SWACHHTA, SUDDHATA’.
To make this impossible dream, Amit Kumar Balecha C Yojana Balecha Founders of ITF Foods Private Limited and their team are continuously working day C night to make this happen.
With a mission of “Thoda Sa Bharat Har Plate Mein,” Amit Kumar Balecha, An IIFT Alumni has been dedicated to showcasing Indian food products on a global platform for over two decades. Following a successful career spanning various renowned companies like Dabur, Bikaji, Rasna, Bambino, and others, where he led their international markets, he embarked on a new journey.
Recognizing a gap in the market for authentic Indian street food flavors, especially among the NRI community, particularly the Gujarati diaspora known for their diverse culinary preferences, They spent on such snacking options, Amit took a bold step. In early 2021, he left a lucrative package of 1.25 Crore to join forces with his wife, Yojana Balecha, A renowned celebrity chef in UAE to expand her 2 year old Indian food distribution business i.e. Indian Traditional Foods FZCO, UAE Considering Amit’s experience and knowledge, Together, they founded ITF Foods Private Limited in Ahmedabad in May 2021 with a vision encapsulated in the motto “ITF – Pardesh Mein Laaye Desh.” Their dedication bore fruit when their very first product range, “Garam Kadai”, was
recognized as the product of the year at the prestigious Indus Food Show in its inaugural year. Simultaneously, a venture focusing on street food products, particularly in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Baroda, took shape. Embracing the brand name “Gujjuben – Taste of Gujarat”, honouring the culinary skills of Gujarati women, the business expanded globally. Starting with trial shipments to Dubai, the journey evolved based on feedback, culminating in a significant milestone – the first shipment to Walmart Canada was on 11.11.2022. Today, Gujjuben delights consumers across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and NZ with Innovative products i.e. Gujjuben 7 Flavor Panipuri Kit, Ragda Panipuri Kit, Bhel Puri , Sev Puri, Instant Bhel, Ready to use panipuri pani in 16 Flavors …etc.
By breaking Two World Records in Single Day on Gth Jan 2024, First World’s Largest Panipuri Pani Flavors (122) and the second Fastest Instant Bhel (18 seconds), by ITF through Amit shows his passion and dedication for the Indian Street Food Industry.
With an international sales office in Dubai and a supply chain office in Ahmedabad, ITF’s plan venturing into India in 2024 posed a challenge to sell panipuri kit, Hence in Jan 2025 introducing a panipuri vending machine in a market accustomed to street vendors. The innovative “Safepoori – Safe Hai” machine, offering 7 flavors, revolutionized the street food experience with hygiene and safety as top priorities. Safepoori running in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Singapore, Considering overwhelming response, soon ITF expanding to global hubs like Dubai, New York, London, and more, the Safepoori machine aims to capture a significant share of the USD 4 Bln panipuri market in India. ITF’s ambitious goal includes deploying 10,000 Safepoori Machines across 78 metro cities, targeting strong disruptions in the street food market of India.
A venture started by husband C Wife duo has now a team of 14 people including Naveen, Ketan , Krati, Suresh etc. Recently Vibhor Rastogi joined as COO in their team. Vibhor, A professional Chef with his magical hand in the field of culinary arts, with additional ultra commercial skills. He had been featured in Shark Tank India during his past stint and everyone knew that Sharks approved the deal due to the taste which he had developed.
ITF, A profitable bootstrap startup achieved remarkable success, surpassing the 10 Crore mark in FY 23-24 only through exports. Currently raising their first round of investment through HNI and VC funds for scaling up Gujjuben presence in international markets and to convert each panipuri to Safepoori in India.
Convert each and every panipuri to Safepoori , A Global Panipuri Men – Amit Kumar Balecha and his team will surely make huge noise in the Indian food industry.