Sirish Kothapally

Walk through any supermarket aisle and chocolate appears to be everywhere. Yet behind the familiar packaging lies a reality that few consumers fully understand. The harsh reality is, many commercially available products rely on substitute fats, fillers, and cost-driven formulations that prioritise affordability over ingredient integrity. As these alternatives become increasingly common, the distinction between genuine chocolate and chocolate-flavoured substitutes has become harder for consumers to recognise.

Having spent more than 14 years immersed in chocolate sourcing, manufacturing, and product development, Sirish Kothapally witnessed this challenge firsthand. Instead of accepting it as an industry norm, he set out to build something more deliberate — a homegrown brand that would bring bean-to-bar rigour to an industrial scale, channelling the best of Indian cacao into the hands of the creator community. This vision led to the creation of BYOND, a premium chocolate ingredient brand dedicated to serving chefs, bakers, chocolatiers, and food creators through products built for consistency, sourcing integrity, and professional performance.

The Foundation of BYOND

Sirish Kothapally has spent over 14 years immersed in the world of chocolate, building expertise across sourcing, manufacturing, and the broader baking and confectionery ecosystem. His experience has given him a deep understanding of both the technical aspects of chocolate production and the requirements of the professionals who work with it every day.

Over the years, this experience shaped a conviction that would eventually lead to the creation of BYOND. As he explains, “I genuinely believe India has the inherent potential to create chocolate that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with global standards, not merely as a cheap alternative to European brands but as a serious, premium force of its own.” With this vision, he founded BYOND, a premium chocolate ingredient brand serving professional creators across bakeries, cafés, chocolatiers, HoReCa, dessert brands, and food manufacturing businesses. The company’s portfolio includes couverture and compound slabs, chips, buttons, bars, spreads, and cocoa by-products, including cocoa powder, cocoa mass and cocoa butter

From the beginning, BYOND’s focus extends beyond the products themselves. The company is deeply invested in understanding cocoa, process, and performance, from sourcing and processing through to how chocolate behaves in professional kitchens. This emphasis allows the brand to develop ingredients that deliver consistency, reliability, and premium performance, particularly within the unique operating conditions faced by chefs, bakers, and chocolatiers in India.

The Pursuit of Better Standards

For Sirish, the journey towards building BYOND began with a simple belief about the role chocolate plays in people’s lives. He says, “The inspiration came from a fundamental human truth: indulgence is a universal need. Joy, celebration, and comfort are all intertwined with a sweet palate, making chocolate a staple in everyone’s life.” At the same time, he was witnessing a shift within the Indian chocolate industry. Consumers were increasingly seeking sophisticated alternatives to traditional sweets, turning towards premium chocolate for gifting and personal indulgence. For Sirish, this presented an opportunity to build a brand that combined quality, honest sourcing, and trust.

However, this shift also exposed a challenge. Despite growing consumer interest, honest sourcing and ingredient integrity remained largely absent from how Indian chocolate was made and marketed. Many commercially available products relied on fillers, hydrogenated vegetable fats, and excessive sugar, while the story of where the cacao came from and how it was processed went largely untold. Recognising this gap, Sirish founded BYOND with a clear purpose: to champion ingredient honesty and establish higher standards within the category.

He adds, “I wanted to change that narrative because if Indian cacao and Indian chocolate are to be taken seriously — at home and on the world stage — then the manufacturers building this industry have to hold themselves to a higher standard first. Our creators, our consumers, and this origin deserve nothing less.”

This conviction became the foundation upon which BYOND was built. At the heart of the company are three enduring values that Sirish considers non-negotiable: integrity, quality obsession, and customer empowerment. Guided by these principles, BYOND seeks to empower chefs, bakers, and creators with uncompromising quality and consistent performance while building a brand rooted in integrity, innovation, and imagination. At the same time, it aims to elevate everyday creation into an experience of distinction. Underlying these efforts is a larger vision: to redefine India’s place in the global chocolate landscape by crafting ingredients that inspire creations beyond borders, beyond conventions, and beyond time.

Redefining Industry Standards

Building a premium brand in a highly competitive market has not been without challenges. Entering a market dominated by low-cost alternatives meant that BYOND had to compete against products that had already become familiar and widely accepted among consumers.

Sirish shares, “Our biggest challenge has been fighting the market dominance of ‘economical versions’ of chocolate products that rely on cheap palm oils and inferior substitutes to lower costs, which frankly misleads the customer about what true chocolate tastes like.” Educating consumers accustomed to such products while maintaining a strict commitment to ingredient quality and sourcing integrity proved to be an uphill battle. At the same time, the company had to balance an uncompromised ingredient philosophy with a sustainable business model.

Honest craft continues to define BYOND’s approach today. As a homegrown, bean-to-bar operation built to an industrial scale, the company differentiates itself through rigorous sourcing and process integrity — placing ingredients and origin at the forefront of its identity rather than treating them as an afterthought. Alongside its focus on ingredient integrity, BYOND continues to strengthen its position through innovation in product applications and technical support for the culinary community.

Rather than simply supplying chocolate ingredients, the company aims to build long-term partnerships with chefs, bakers, chocolatiers, and food businesses, helping them achieve consistent quality and performance across their creations.

The Real Measure of Growth

For BYOND, success extends beyond revenue growth and market expansion. While sustained, profitable growth remains important, Sirish believes true success lies in influencing how people think about chocolate and quality. According to him, success is achieved when consumers become more conscious of what they are buying and when professionals actively choose ingredients that elevate their creations. For the company, the real measure of progress is the standard of quality it helps establish within the industry.

The brand’s rapid growth has been one of its most significant achievements to date. In a relatively short span, BYOND transformed from an emerging player into a recognised name among professional creators. A defining milestone came through its participation at the Aahar Exhibition, which strengthened the company’s market presence and contributed to substantial sales growth. Reflecting on this journey, Sirish notes, “This journey taught me that when your core product is inherently superior and your team is aligned on quality, market adoption accelerates exponentially. True leadership is about holding the line on quality, even under intense growth pressure.”

While business milestones remain important, some of BYOND’s most meaningful recognition has come directly from the culinary community. The company takes particular pride in the validation it has received from pastry chefs, independent bakers, and chocolatiers who have embraced its products and incorporated them into their creations. The trust earned from professionals who work with chocolate every day serves as both recognition and motivation, reinforcing BYOND’s commitment to quality, consistency, and craft.

The same philosophy extends to the organisation’s internal culture. BYOND seeks individuals who are passionate about the craft and aligned with its vision, recognising that meaningful work cannot be driven by targets alone. By celebrating shared milestones, encouraging creativity across teams, and giving employees the freedom to innovate, the company strives to create an environment where people feel invested in the larger mission. As Sirish puts it, “When people feel that they are part of something larger — building a homegrown standard for what Indian chocolate can be, motivation follows naturally.”

Positioning for the Future

Sirish believes the future of the Indian food industry belongs to premium, purposeful indulgence — products grounded in genuine craft and origin. As consumers grow more discerning, he sees a gradual shift away from low-grade substitutes towards ingredients that have an honest story behind them.

“The future of Indian chocolate is being written by creators who understand their cacao — where it comes from, how it is processed, and what it is capable of. The era of low-grade substitutes filling that space is drawing to a close,” he shares.

For BYOND, this future aligns closely with the principles upon which the company was founded. Built as a bean-to-bar brand with deep roots in its agricultural supply chain, the company traces its story from farms to finished products. It believes chocolate should be appreciated not merely as a confectionery product but as a rich culture shaped by ingredients, origin, and craftsmanship, much like fine wine or coffee.

To remain ahead of changing market expectations, BYOND closely monitors global pastry trends, maintains dialogue with industry experts, and studies evolving consumer preferences and health behaviours. Rather than waiting for change to occur, the company focuses on responding proactively through continuous product development and innovation.

Today, one of its primary areas of focus is expanding its intellectual property around cacao origin and ingredient education. This includes deep-dive workshops with industrial bakers, sourcing-led content initiatives, and digital campaigns that tell the story of Indian cacao — its growing regions, its processing journey, and its potential on a global stage. Through collaborations with culinary influencers and industry experts, BYOND is working to raise the profile of Indian cacao worldwide and deepen appreciation within the creator community for what genuinely crafted chocolate can achieve.

Leadership Mantra

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Sirish advocates clarity of purpose and an unwavering commitment to quality. He says, “My advice is simple: be unapologetically honest in your craft. Deliver the right product with the right taste, and never compromise your core ingredients for short-term margins. Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) early, anchor yourself to it, and have absolute, unwavering belief in what you do.”