Anurag Mehta - The Entrepreneurs of India Magazine

Most of us have heard the expression, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman." In this case, the tables turned appreciatively. A son, behind the scenes of a rising FMCG brand, took the legacy of his mother and reimagined it in a new form. Anurag, son of Indian culinary legend Nita Mehta, the renowned cookbook author, was not chasing the limelight. He was quietly building something that would one day find its place in kitchens across the world. His entry was not dramatic. In 2000, fresh out of Sri Venkateswara College with a degree in Economics, he found himself involved in an age-old publishing business that showed little movement. SNAB Publishers had opened in 1995 and had published a few cookbooks by then, but sales had not exactly surged. He was expected to follow the traditional career path. He chose not to. Distributors did not take him seriously. Some chuckled. One even asked whether he planned to write cookbooks himself. He did not, but that did not mean he backed down. Something in that moment sparked an insight.

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, he witnessed the scale of the international cookbook market. The Australian Women’s Weekly titles stood out. That diversity was missing in India. Apart from a few recognizable names like Tarla Dalal, the space was sparse. Anurag spotted the gap, and the idea lingered. SNAB kept publishing. Over time, it became Asia’s biggest cookbook publisher, with over ten million copies sold. But another idea had already begun to simmer. One day, Anurag asked his mother which brand of spices she used in her recipes. Her answer was simple. None. She made her own. That chance remark sparked a larger question. Wouldn’t her thousands of readers want to use those same spices? That is when the seed of Nita Mehta Spices was planted. There were no celebrity endorsements or glamorous campaigns. Branding was built on authenticity and trust. In 2015, when a major food brand approached Nita Mehta to endorse their spices, she refused. She did not believe in their quality. That no became a stronger yes. She would create her own.

Product development was not easy. Everything had to be learned from scratch. Formulations, packaging, shelf life, vendor coordination, pricing, and logistics. Mistakes were frequent in the beginning. But Anurag was not in a rush. He was focused on building a solid foundation.

Even before people called him a founder, he was pitching like one. First, get the product right. Then scale. Online sales showed promise. Customers came back for more. Repeat buyers confirmed that something was working. In 2019, Nita Mehta Industries Pvt Ltd was officially registered. From spices, the product line expanded. Pickles, honey noodles, poha, oats, besan, soya chunks. Every recipe was rooted in Nita Mehta’s original kitchen techniques. She still tastes and approves every batch.

The brand did not try to appear market-friendly. It remained family-friendly. Its slogan, “Homemade taste, made with care,” was not just a tagline. It was a truth. While other brands raced to collaborate with influencers, this one stayed true to the kitchen. And people loved that. According to him, preparing the food was not the hardest part. Getting it to reach people was. Wholesale distribution, shelf space, and credibility with suppliers took years to build.

By 2025, the brand had expanded its presence in India and began selling in over ten countries, including the US, UK, Europe, and parts of Asia. NRIs in particular felt connected to it. They craved home food that did not feel packaged or commercial.

Anurag respected his mother’s reputation but knew he could not rely on it forever. He was not running a legacy business. He was building one. Every sale was earned, not inherited. One purchase is marketing. The second purchase, that is trust. That is the brand’s philosophy in a single line. The feedback phase was intense. They welcomed criticism and made detailed notes. Consumers wanted resealable bags, better labeling, and clearer instructions. Changes were made quickly. Now each packet is not just about spices. It is about stories. True kitchen tales. Decades of experiments. Shared meals. Countless hours with books. The company does not boast about growth in the press. It talks about taste. Customer reviews are not just about product satisfaction. They capture emotion. Taste memories. That is a different kind of branding.

The brand stays humble even as it grows. It is more of an attitude than a mission. Anurag still operates like it is Day One. Loyalty is not assumed. It is earned. New products are on the way. More regions are being added. Demand continues to grow. For him, it was never just about business. It was about capturing the aroma of his mother’s spice blends and gifting that experience to the world. Letting childhood flavors migrate and find new homes. Whether it is masala noodles or mustard pickle, it still tastes like someone is cooking for you.

Today, it fills shelves in kitchens everywhere and it is no ordinary product. It is a quiet revolution crafted from recipes, respect, and repeat customers.