NEW DELHI: Sugandha Malhotra, founder of Amashaa Masala, today earns ₹15–20 lakh every month through online sales. Her journey, however, began with a shop that generated just ₹3,000 in revenue against monthly expenses of ₹1.5 lakh. Today, her brand has customers in Canada, Australia, the United States and New Zealand, with 200–300 biryani products sold every month.
Her journey to success was far from easy. Her first venture, a boutique, ended with losses of several lakh rupees. Despite working day and night, she struggled to find success and began questioning her abilities.
In 2019, she decided to start again with a homemade food catering business. The opportunity came in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic increased demand for homemade food and home celebrations. Orders gradually started coming in. To build customer trust, she distributed homemade premixes for free, allowing people to experience their taste before purchasing.
However, the second Covid wave in 2021 brought another difficult phase. Her mother-in-law became seriously unwell and required complete bed rest. Sugandha temporarily shut down her business to take care of her. During this period, she also lost her sister-in-law, followed by her mother-in-law just 15 days later. With the family going through immense grief, business and income came to a standstill.
Despite these personal setbacks, her passion for cooking and feeding people kept her motivated.
In November 2021, with her husband’s support, she opened her first shop and started selling fresh juices. One of her reels went viral, bringing attention and customers to the business. However, the financial numbers were still challenging. On her husband’s suggestion, she explored pulses, which eventually became an important part of her business journey.
Today, Amashaa Masala offers ready-to-cook dal and gravy premixes for people who want homemade flavours without spending hours preparing spices. The brand also introduces a unique range of pulses, available exclusively through Amashaa Masala for the first time in the world.
According to Sugandha, the products are prepared through processes involving drying, washing and grinding, without preservatives or chemicals. They have a shelf life of 11–18 months, with prices starting at ₹230.
The name Amashaa Masala (Eat For Live) combines the names of her husband, Aman, and son, Shaan. Her vision is to help busy families save time while enjoying the taste and nutrition of home-style food.
With growing online sales and international customers, Sugandha now plans to expand into more international markets and introduce franchise opportunities.
Her journey reflects how consistency, family support and the courage to start again can turn difficult beginnings into meaningful success. For Sugandha Malhotra, every setback became another reason to keep moving forward.
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