A 25-year-old engineer in Pune has turned a side project into a small bakery brand by reworking the classic French croissant for Indian palates. Rather than importing a rigid Parisian template, he experiments with local spices, fillings and fermentation schedules suited to the city’s humidity.
Trained through online courses and apprenticeships with visiting pastry chefs, he balances laminated dough technique with flavors familiar to neighborhood customers. Offerings have included variants inspired by regional sweets and savory combinations built around staples such as paneer and chutney.
Food writers following the venture note that India’s growing cafe culture has created room for artisans who can explain craft without pricing out office workers. Weekend pop-ups and delivery partnerships helped him test demand before committing to a fixed storefront.
Suppliers of imported butter and flour still pose cost challenges, yet the project illustrates how young professionals are using engineering discipline to scale a creative food business block by block.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/archive/2026/06/13/