How Two Friends Turned Bihar’s Traditional Makhana Into A ₹2.4-Crore Food Empire After Three Startup Failures

From three failed ventures to a thriving food brand, Shhe Foods is rewriting Bihar’s makhana story through innovation, farmer partnerships, and global demand.

What began as a moment of self-reflection in Bengaluru has now become one of Bihar’s most inspiring entrepreneurial success stories. Syed Faraz, an engineer who spent nearly a decade in the tech hub, decided one day that if he didn’t return home, Bihar would remain nothing but a distant memory. Within two hours, he quit his job, packed his bags, and moved back to Patna, a decision that set him on a path of repeated failures, hard lessons, and eventually, a breakthrough that now employs thousands and exports India’s traditional superfood across the world.

By 2021, Faraz had already seen three startups collapse, a retail experiment, an events firm, and a delivery venture. But instead of giving up, he teamed up with his friend Shishir Shubham to build something rooted in their home state. With just ₹3 lakh between them, they launched Shhe Foods, aiming to give Bihar’s iconic crop makhana, a credible, modern identity.

What they quickly realised was that the biggest gap wasn’t production, it was trust. Retailers refused to stock an unknown brand. Intermediaries dominated supply. Farmers felt cheated and had abandoned cultivation. So the duo pivoted to B2B white-labelling, supplying makhana to established companies while secretly building their own backend strength.

Their robotics background became their competitive edge. Faraz and Shishir engineered a prototype processing machine to fulfil early orders including their first major one worth ₹4 lakh in 2022, completed after nights spent repairing the machine themselves.

That small win sparked momentum. From catering to four brands in 2022, Shhe Foods scaled to 12 by 2023, 30 by 2024, and over 41 clients today across India, the UAE, and the US.

The turning point, however, was their decision to rebuild trust at the grassroots. Shhe Foods established direct partnerships with more than 2,500 makhana farmers across Mithilanchal. When they began, nearly 70% of local cultivators had given up the crop due to unstable prices. Today, nearly 80% have returned, thanks to Shhe Foods’ steady procurement and transparent payment system.

Government support followed. The startup secured a ₹10 lakh loan under the PMFME scheme and raised ₹15 lakh from an angel investor at a ₹3 crore valuation. This capital helped set up their first 10,000 sq. ft. processing unit, hire local labour, and expand product lines.

Their revenue journey tells the story of their grit:
• FY23 – ₹8.3 lakh
• FY24 – ₹45.4 lakh
• FY25 – ₹2.4–₹2.5 crore

The company now reports an average monthly revenue of ₹1.5 crore and aims to close FY26 at an ambitious ₹20 crore.

By late 2024, after years of contract manufacturing, Shhe Foods launched its own retail brands  Makhanza, Nutrimix, and Maket offering flavoured makhana, millet-makhana cookies, and makhana flour. Within weeks, these products entered 80+ stores across Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, and Bengaluru, powered mostly by word-of-mouth and near-zero marketing spend.

But competition is tough. The makhana segment today features deep-pocketed FMCG players and high-visibility wellness brands. Faraz acknowledges the challenge but insists the company’s priority is clear, strengthening Bihar’s food ecosystem before chasing aggressive branding.

Today, Shhe Foods operates across 11 states and exports to the US, Australia, Dubai, and New Zealand. What began in a rented 8×10 room now supports a farmer network that is reviving local livelihoods and transforming Bihar’s position in the global superfood market.

For Faraz, the mission goes far beyond profit. His dream is to build a ₹200-crore company entirely from Bihar proving that the state’s traditional crops can create modern, world-class businesses.

It took three failures, one friend, and a long-ignored crop to build an empire.

But for Shhe Foods, the journey has only just begun.