A startup needs an idea and determination and not age and experience for success and that has been proved by 14-year old founders of The 12 States. Anya Kotecha and Jiya Rathi started with The 12 States to provide people the deliciousness of snacks that people end up forgetting once they migrate to different places either to study or to work.
This unique snack box covers snacks from 12 states of the country including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal among others. The startup works on a subscription basis and is aimed to connect people to their roots. It ensures that the customer receives a box of snacks every month at their doorsteps. The plan is flexible with customers having choice to sign up for three, six or 12 months or give the subscription as gift.
The duo performed an extensive research to select the delicacies from these states They have curated the box with utmost perfection and included best flavors handpicked from most popular stores of the states. Jiya explained other qualities of the box as,
“In addition to the snacks, the box also has a booklet with interesting trivia about the culture of that state, recipes, and other fun activities. This is a great way to get everyone familiar with the rich history and fun facts of that state,”
The journey started with their Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) classes in school where they learnt the basics of business and interacted with a number of entrepreneurs. The class helped them create a business plan which they still look back to. They presented their idea in YEA fair and received positive feedback which gave them confidence in their idea. They have already made a sale of 100 boxes from the money they won from the YEA stall.
The young entrepreneurs plan on upscaling their business by hiring a small team for the delivery and investing in digital marketing to reach a wider market. They also are expecting to get their venture on e-commerce website and at some point expand outside India.