Turning Indian Nostalgia into a Scalable Brand

Nikhil Doda

Co-Founder, Director & COO

Archian Foods Pvt. Ltd. (Lahori Zeera)

Turning Indian Nostalgia into a Scalable Brand

Nikhil Doda

Co-Founder, Director & COO

Archian Foods Pvt. Ltd. (Lahori Zeera)

Nikhil Doda-Asia's 40 Under 40 2026

India’s local flavours have always had a story to tell. Nikhil Doda saw the possibility of taking one of those familiar tastes far beyond its traditional boundaries. As co-founder & COO of Lahori Zeera, he has helped turn the nostalgia of desi drinks into a modern, mass-market beverage proposition, built around a flavour consumers already knew and loved. The insight was simple: traditional drinks had strong cultural recall, yet many remained largely local and unbranded. Lahori sought to change that equation by giving an unmistakably Indian flavour a scalable brand identity while keeping it accessible at the ₹10 price point.

The early consumer response reinforced the founders’ belief that familiarity could become a powerful foundation for growth. What began with Lahori Zeera has since been shaped as a larger beverage platform rooted in Indian tastes and everyday consumption. Discussing with TradeFlock, Nikhil shares the thinking behind Lahori’s unconventional beginning and the opportunity he saw in taking a local favourite to a much wider market.

What were Lahori’s biggest early challenges, and how has the business evolved since?

Our early years were shaped by two hard realities: limited capital and the challenge of building backend capacity fast enough to keep pace with demand. Beverages require significant investment across manufacturing, inventory, distribution and market expansion, while building a strong supply network takes years. There were several instances when consumer demand was ahead of our manufacturing capacity, making execution just as important as ambition. Distribution presented a similar challenge, requiring sustained investment in people, processes and market relationships.

As we have scaled, the way we operate and make decisions has evolved significantly. In the early years, we relied heavily on instinct, resourcefulness and the need to solve immediate problems. Today, our larger distribution footprint and access to much more data allow us to make more structured and forward-looking decisions.

Yet, our fundamentals remain unchanged. Product quality, availability, pricing and execution continue to guide us. Scale has only made these basics more important.

How are you using AI and technology to scale while preserving its traditional recipes and flavours?

Technology is becoming central to our ability to scale, with automation, data and AI increasingly embedded across our operations. In manufacturing, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enables us to remotely monitor multiple plants, giving us real-time production data and greater visibility across our geographically distributed network. We are also applying technology to demand forecasting, distribution planning, inventory management, sales productivity and business analytics, helping us improve efficiency and make faster, more informed decisions.

Yet technology has a clear boundary. Our recipes, flavour profiles and the elements behind Lahori’s distinctive taste remain sacrosanct. Our objective is to modernise how we operate and scale without altering what consumers recognise and value in our products. For us, innovation is therefore as much about strengthening the infrastructure behind the brand as it is about adopting new tools. Technology can give us greater efficiency, visibility and scale, but the character and soul of our products remain firmly rooted in their traditional identity.

How has people’s perception of Lahori and its marketing evolved since the early days?

The biggest change is that Lahori has moved from being seen as a regional or unconventional beverage to being recognised as a serious Indian consumer brand.

In the early days, we had to explain who we were and why a desi beverage could become big. Today, the conversation is very different. Consumers recognise the brand, our distribution has expanded significantly, and our marketing has helped us build a much stronger emotional connection.

But I think the most important change is in our own ambition. We started by trying to build a great product. Today, we are thinking about how to build a great Indian brand that can remain relevant for the next generation while staying rooted in what made people love Lahori in the first place.

What innovations and new products will shape Lahori’s next phase of growth?

Our next phase is being shaped by a steady pipeline of new SKUs, variants and formats, with product development continuing at the backend. Among the upcoming launches is a zero-sugar, stevia-based version of our flagship Lahori Zeera, along with products in the ready-to-serve juices segment.

While we will continue to innovate and expand our portfolio, our focus will remain firmly within beverages. We believe there is significant headroom to build a diversified beverage portfolio without diluting Lahori’s identity.

For us, innovation starts with understanding changing consumer preferences and translating those insights into products that retain the taste, accessibility and distinctiveness consumers have come to associate with Lahori. As we scale, we want to keep expanding the choices we offer while staying true to what consumers already love about the brand.

POWER PROFILE CARD

Age: 37
Country: India
Industry/Sector: FMCG / Beverages
Years in Leadership: 9+ years
Leadership Philosophy: Stay close to the consumer, obsess over the fundamentals, and build for the long term. Empower people, move fast, and let data strengthen, not replace, entrepreneurial instinct.
Motivation: Building a homegrown Indian brand of significant scale while staying rooted in consumer insight, product authenticity and strong execution.