In a short span of four years, Sairaj Dhond, the brain behind Wakao Foods, a jackfruit-based vegan food company, has made waves in the food industry. This Goa-based company, launched in 2021, is India’s first plant-based product company. It has made successful business out of jackfruit, considered to be one of the most wasted fruits in the country. With jackfruit the company is offering ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products which are 100% natural, without any artificial colouring, chemicals or preservatives. His range of offerings like Teriyaki Jack, Butter Jack, BBQ Jack, and Jack Burger Patty found easy takers as it was nutritious and delicious. Interestingly, the food needs no refrigeration and has a shelf life of nearly a year. His products are available in the USA, Singapore, Dubai and the Netherlands. Now, emboldened by this success he is now exploring the UK market. UK’s MH12 Foods which runs an e-commerce retail platform has expressed keen interest for a tie up. Dhond will soon begin manufacturing Jackfruit flour. With demand on the rise, the company which already operates a plant in Kerala is setting up a new plant at Kudal in Maharashtra. It recently introduced the ready-to-eat Jackfruit Biryani that is delivered through Zepto in India. Dhond, it is learnt, dabbled his hands in one too many things, before he found his life calling in the food industry.
