Meet the Office Employee Who HyperScaled the ‘Desi Chinese’ Code… from Marketing Agency to Rs 5,100 Crore Tata Acquisition!

Meet the Office Employee Who HyperScaled the ‘Desi Chinese’ Code… from Marketing Agency to Rs 5,100 Crore Tata Acquisition!

Ajay Gupta’s extraordinary journey from a regular office employee to building one of India’s most beloved food brands 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 begins in the mid-1990s, when he was working as an advisor and later running a marketing agency, dreaming of something bigger.

Chinese food was gaining popularity across India, but there was a glaring gap – Indian households wanted to recreate these flavors at home. Gupta noticed that Indian women preferred cooking at home rather than dining out, and realized he could tap into this massive untapped market.

In 1996, Gupta took the entrepreneurial leap and established Capital Foods with Ching’s Secret. The brand initially offered three Chinese sauces – Soy Sauce, Green Chilli Sauce, and Red Chilli Sauce, followed by Hakka Noodles.

This wasn’t just about products – it was about creating an entirely new category: “Desi Chinese.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

Gupta’s genius marketing strategy included giving away free samples at roadside food stalls – a grassroots approach that paid off tremendously. As demand grew, he established a factory in Nashik and made Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh the brand ambassador.

The company systematically expanded its portfolio, introducing Hakka Noodles (1998), Tomato Ketchup (2007), Instant Noodles (2008), and the game-changing Schezwan Chutney (2013), which became the company’s most popular product.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁

In 2004, Gupta partnered with Big Bazaar, and in 2006, Kishore Biyani invested Rs 13 crore, later selling his stake for Rs 180 crore. By 2014, turnover reached Rs 350 crore. General Atlantic also acquired a 27% stake at Rs 1,500 crore valuation.

By 2023, Ching’s Secret was available in 5 lakh stores across India. The ultimate validation came when Tata Consumer Products acquired 100% stake for Rs 5,100 crore in 2024 – one of India’s largest food industry acquisitions.

From a marketing agency employee to building a Rs 5,100 crore empire, Ajay Gupta proved that identifying the right consumer insight and executing relentlessly can create extraordinary success.

→ 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗷𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗮’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆

1. Spot the Gap, Fill the Need: Gupta identified that Indian households wanted to cook Chinese food at home but lacked the right ingredients – and built an entire business around solving this problem.

2. Start with Core, Then Expand: Beginning with three essential sauces, he methodically expanded the product range based on consumer demand and market feedback.

3. Create Categories, Don’t Just Enter Them: Instead of competing in existing segments, he created the “Desi Chinese” category and dominated it.

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