Founded by the former Vice President at Credit Suisse, Sagar Malhotra (a graduate from Cambridge University), Chakh De Chole was started to bring back the nostalgia for the authentic taste of chhole kulche. Leaving his 14-year banking career was by choice because he wanted to pursue his passion for food. That’s brave, I wonder how many of us can ever take that risk.
| Year | Milestone |
| 2023 | Inspiration during University of Cambridge program |
| Mar 2024 | Began prototyping the vending machine |
| Nov 2024 | First successful prototype ready |
| Dec 2024 | Officially quit banking job; launched two Delhi outlets |
| 2025 | Expansion plans for Jaipur, Bengaluru, and beyond |
The Realilzation
While relocating with every corporate posting, it is evident that finding better and hygienic food is nearly impossible. And sometimes when Sagar craved for the taste of chhole kulche from his childhood in Janakpuri, Delhi, he always returned heartbroken. WHY?
He couldn’t find a place where the taste was anywhere near the one he was looking for. He realized that even the best chefs were unable to retain consistency in taste.
It is possible that a couple of times the taste can be the same, but mostly it was different from the before batch. This sparked the idea of bringing machines instead of human chefs.
Working on the Dream
Commerce wala banda jise engineering ka ABC bhi nahi pata hota wo kaise machines ke sath kam karta.
But Sagar was determined to turn his vision into reality, thus he spent a year in learning about motors, electronics, and most importantly food-grade machines.
RESULT: He failed 40 times.
But he learnt with every failed prototype and finally developed a machine that could prepare a plate of chhole kuclche in just 60 SECONDS. 🫨🤯
He was doing all this while pursuing his banking job. However, in November 2024, when the prototype was ready, he quit his job the next month and dedicated his time towards the venture.
The Most Anticipated Launch and Reception
After achieving his most sought-after prototype in November 2024, Sagar launched Chakh De Chole’s first two outlets in Delhi (Vikaspuri and Rajouri Garden) in December 2024.
The vending machine was an instant hit. People praised it for delivering authentic taste—without compromising on hygiene, and convenience—in just 60 seconds.
Designed to Perfection
This machine allows us to choose the spice level to match our tastes preferences. I am about to cry 🥹 Bas kar pagley rulaega kya! Personally, this is something that we never get to choose when eating outside.
Well, despite making said changes to the dish, the machine ensures that the flavors and quality in each plate is consistent. Moreover, Chakhdechole prioritizes fresh ingredients and hygiene as the machine is daily cleaned and reloaded each morning.
Struggles and Challenges
Challenge #1: Technical and Knowledge Barriers: Not having an engineering background, he had to self-learn everything. As expected, he was often criticized by his peers who, instead of supporting him, always doubted his ability to build such a machine.
Challenge #2: Trial and Error: He had to keep trying because the initial machines could only handle 30–40 plates before needing a reset. This was not what his vision was; a scalable, maintenance-free solution.
To overcome this, he spent months refining the system so that hundreds of plates could be served without manual intervention or recurring resting time.
Challenge #3: Market Acceptance: The concept was new because we are all habitual to taking chhole kulche from the shop and not from a machine. After all it is not an ice-cream!
And people were hesitant whether to try it or not. To encourage people to try this machine-made food, Sagar initially withheld the fact that the food was machine-made, letting customers experience the taste first.
People loved it, and the positive response helped him reveal his innovation with confidence.
Challenge #4: Resource Constraints: Since the venture was bootstrapped and had only a team of 5, there were resource constraints, limiting his chances to attain his goal. Earlier, his mother and a core team member Poonam Thakur along with Sagar were the ones working on everything from ingredient preparation to expansion strategy.
Spreading the Kulchas
After conquering the hearts and taste buds of Delhites, Chakhdechole moved towards Jaipur and Bengaluru. Not only this, while the startup was planning to expand nationally, Sagar was getting international enquiries from Canada, Dubai, and Norway.
Wo kehte hain na ki ache kam aur saman ka charcha dooooor tak hota hai.
Moreover, not only team members but every time a customer tries the machine-made chhole kulche, they are mesmerized by the taste, plus the hygiene, which does not involve any manual intervention.
Maintaining a Close-knit Team and Culture
Sometimes the success mantra, along with good products, is also in choosing who you work with. Chakhdechole has a small, passionate team that prioritizes authenticity, hygiene, and customer experience.
Additionally, the venture is fully licensed and incorporated, with FSSAI and GST certifications in place. So, they are not compromising legally also.
Currently, the team is working on bringing authentic North Indian flavors to new markets while maintaining their promise to themselves and their customers.
From Sagar’s journey to establish Chakhdechole, we can learn how courage to innovate and a passion to learn and grow, never fails. Sagar has used today’s technology and successfully created a scalable, hygienic, and consistent food experience that is set to revolutionize India’s street food culture.
