Flavour Factory

In 2018, Raipur brothers Akash and Ashish Agrawalla founded ZOFF Foods—short for “Zone of Fresh Foods”—with a bold idea: revive the forgotten aroma of Indian spices using zero-human-touch processing and cool grinding technology. Early skeptics were silenced when a Delhi retailer toured their fully automated, dust-free plant and came away impressed. ZOFF now employs a workforce that is 70 per cent from Chhattisgarh, with senior leaders choosing Raipur over metro cities. Its spices travel far beyond the state, reaching homes across India and even the Middle East. Running a business from a Tier II city, CEO Akash admits, has its hurdles—limited packaging vendors, testing labs, and slower freight timelines—but the benefits are clear: lower costs, access to fresh raw materials, and a community that celebrates their growth as its own.

- Akash Agrawalla

The company has recently diversified into seasonings and ready-to-cook products with “5-Minute Gravies” and “1-Minute Marinades,” now sold in over 400 Reliance Retail stores nationwide. With revenue crossing ₹53 crore and targets of ₹100 crore i