Success Story: Success stories often start with big and bold decisions. Sudarshan M.K., resident of Bengaluru. And the story of Pravalika V. is also similar. After a brilliant career in the IT sector for more than a decade and an annual package of Rs 60 lakh abroad, Sudarshan said goodbye to the corporate world. Along with his wife Pravalika, he started a D2C startup called ‘The Pickls’, which is taking traditional pickles and healthy food of Andhra Pradesh to the world.

Left corporate career and chose the path of entrepreneurship

Both Sudarshan and Pravalika are highly educated. Both have done engineering and MBA. Sudarshan was working as a successful IT professional in UAE, while Pravalika was also in the IT sector. Due to a family emergency, Sudarshan had to return to India and from here his life took a new turn.

The decision to leave a good job was not easy, but both of them started an IT consulting firm together. Despite this, his mind remained focused on giving global recognition to the traditional pickles and desi taste of Andhra Pradesh.

Foundation of ‘The Pickls’ laid in December 2023

Finally in December 2023 he started ‘The Pickls’. He invested Rs 25 lakh of his hard-earned money in this startup. The goal was not just to do business, but to build a trustworthy brand while maintaining traditional taste and purity.

Model of purity, taste and social empowerment

‘The Pickls’ is not just a brand that sells pickles, it is a mission. Most of the products of this startup are manufactured by rural women of Andhra Pradesh.

The brand focuses on ‘clean-label’ products—meaning no artificial colors, no preservatives. Along with pickles, the startup procures organic millets directly from farmers in Karnataka, so that farmers can get fair prices and the local economy is strengthened.

The initial journey was full of challenges

Like every startup, the path has not been easy for Sudarshan and Pravalika too. Initially, problems like logistics, poor delivery and huge commissions of e-commerce platforms came to the fore.

Instead of relying solely on Amazon and Flipkart, they adopted a D2C model and focused on connecting directly with customers through their own website. Despite limited working capital they never compromised on quality, resulting in rapid increase in customer confidence.

More than 8,000 customers in a year, more than 75 products

In just one year, ‘The Pickls’ has reached out to more than 8,000 customers in the US, UK, Canada and Gulf countries including India.

The startup’s product portfolio has increased from 50 to more than 75 items. It now includes pickles as well as ready-to-cook millet products like upma, khichdi and pasta.

Big plans ahead

With revenues of around Rs 12 lakh in FY 2024-25, Sudarshan and Pravlika are now planning venture capital funding and expansion into new health-food categories.