Vimal has worked across the globe in Australia, Fiji, North America, Asia, and Europe. He has established 75 leading restaurant chains including KFC, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Brumbies Bakery, and Taco Bell. His passion for crafting SMOOR’s premium range of products, therefore stems from his extensive travels across the globe and exposure to the best-in-class international products. Now, he is creating a new benchmark for ‘Imagined in India’ finely-crafted foods.

SMOOR offers chocolates, signature cakes, gift hampers, desserts, and beverages. Bringing together authentic ingredients, passionate people, and a premium range of products, SMOOR leverages the finest chocolatiers and chefs from across the globe.  

Under Vimal’s able guidance, SMOOR has made tremendous progress, even under the COVID impacted economy. His entrepreneurship skills and vision enabled a brick and mortar anchored business to pivot into a digitally anchored business. 

On the food aggregator platforms, SMOOR grew about 10X, and on its D2C website SMOOR.in, the brand witnessed a growth of 20X last year. The brand expanded its reach to over 100 cities during the COVID and launched multiple new products, which doubled its product portfolio range in comparison to the pre-covid period.

At the pole position of a brand that develops experiences, Vimal believes that his employees are his strength and exceptional service the overarching goal. Some of the brand’s key members and department heads have been with Vimal since the very inception of the brand and are committed to its consistent growth.

In just five years, the brand’s production facilities have grown to three, the SKUs have increased from 30 to 350, and the team is 600-strong. Vimal envisions SMOOR accelerating in the next five years to 100+ locations with a presence in FMCG and modern trade outlets and online marketplaces. 

He is also aware of the market’s focus on health, sustainability, and packaging. So, the brand is geared up to ensure that at least 80% t of its product range is driven towards healthy eating and living in the next five years. This is actualized through recycled, sustainable packaging that can also be reused. 

Vimal also looks forward to implementing the bean to bar concept – creating support for local cocoa growers and local farmers and bringing them into the ecosystem so that within the next five years, at least 70-75% of the products are sourced within India.

The brand’s expansion plans include Middle Eastern and European markets, and it is working towards creating the largest plant that is also an experience centre spread across 30,000 square feet in  Bengaluru. 

A growth-focused leader, Vimal is also looking at VC investment to enable SMOOR to scale heights that no Indian luxury chocolate brand has reached before.