In this episode of *Conversations on the Business of Brands*, Sudeep and Sharan sit down with Sneh Jain, co-founder of *The Baker’s Dozen*, to discuss his journey of building one of India’s largest artisanal bakery brands. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Founding Story & Vision: Sneh shares how he and his wife Aditi co-founded *The Baker’s Dozen* in 2013 with a mission to deliver high-quality, authentic bakery products across India. He talks about their decision to focus on product quality as their marketing strategy and how they identified a gap for a national bakery brand. From Consulting to Baking: Sneh recounts his transition from McKinsey to entrepreneurship, the thought process behind the leap, and how his consulting background helped shape their approach to business. Market Challenges & Innovations: The brand introduced several innovations, like Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), to solve the challenge of shelf life without adding preservatives, making *The Baker’s Dozen* the first in India to use this technology in the bakery segment. Artisanal vs. Mass Market: Sneh discusses the meaning of “artisanal” and how they stay true to the product’s essence while scaling the business. He emphasizes that being artisanal is not just about premium pricing but about product integrity. Building the Brand: Sneh explains how partnerships with retail chains like Nature’s Basket and Big Basket helped increase visibility and accessibility, and the brand’s unique expansion strategy, starting in Bombay, Pune, and then Bangalore. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Product-First Approach: Sneh highlights that the product is the marketing—if you get it right, the brand will speak for itself. Complementary Skillsets: Sneh credits the complementary strengths he and Aditi bring to the business as a crucial element of their success. Technology & Quality: Adapting innovative packaging technology to maintain product quality allowed them to scale while staying true to their principles. QUOTES: “The genesis of *The Baker’s Dozen* was to take a high-quality, true-to-its-origin bakery product and make it available pan-India.” “It’s not just about being artisanal—it’s about being true to the product and its process.” Stay tuned for Part 2, where Sneh delves deeper into *The Baker’s Dozen’s* growth journey and future plans! RESOURCES Connect with Sneh The Baker’s Dozen Website SHOW WEBSITE CONNECT WITH OUR HOSTS Sudeep Chawla on ⁠Linkedin⁠ Sharavana Raghavan on ⁠Linkedin⁠ FOLLOW US CoBB - ⁠LinkedIn CoBB - Instagram⁠ CREDITS - Album Art & Design by ting.in - Voiceovers by Anjale Stephanos - Music from Zapsplat.com *************************************** Please tell us what topics you'd like to have discussed on the CoBB, by filling in this ⁠CONTENT SUGGESTION FORM⁠⁠ It only takes a few minutes, and it will help us provide you with the content most relevant to you.