Today’s millennial generation is buzzing with passion – to do the invincible and conquer the unachievable. Their ideas are nouveau which add the flaring, dynamic dimensions to existing family businesses. After all, isn’t the next generation supposed to bloom and make a family business a blockbuster hit.

We came across Nikita Desai during one of our Gifting collaboration series. What impressed us was her innate passion, the fire to do something new – and that’s why we included her family brand ‘DBG Sweets’ for our Holi special series. We were impressed with the dynamism added to the ‘rasgullas’, the branding was perfect unlike the artificial designer sweets which are marketed. We did love the flavoured rasgullas and other mithai which we reviewed with great joy.

Over to Nikita Desai, who shares some wisdom nuggets about her journey with taking the family legacy forward.

Tell us more about DBG Sweets that has been a family business for long.

Desai Bhaishankar Gaurishankar is a mithai shop started over 100 years ago by my great grandfather. Our family grew in number and so did our branches. Each branch belonged to the brothers separately. My father and his brothers own the Desai Bhaishankar Gaurishankar branch at C P Tank (Charni Road), which is a landmark.

Over the years that passed by, Bhaishankar got to be known specially for its Bengali sweets, namely Rasgullas. People would refer to it as ‘rasgulawalas’.

So how did you get into your family business?

Personally, I have always been interested in business. Even though I had my own event management company, I believed that there was so much more that can be done with our family legacy. But as usual, it took me some time to be taken seriously. Also, it was my grandfather’s dream and vision to have one store in the suburbs of Bombay always. It took me five long years to convince my father and finally we started our first store started in Kandivali.

Do read this story too:

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A millennial is buzzing with ideas which normally clash with the seniors in the family. Did you face such situations?

Our business was based on strong principles of quality. Yes, there were some idea clashes which is normal within the generations. I persisted and kept giving them ideas to take the business to the next level. Seven years passed, and I was back to forcing my father to open another store in Malad.

This time, I realised that just giving suggestions won’t take me places. I had to get myself full-time into the family business environment. Every businessman would take you seriously only if you put your heart, soul and sweat into the day-to-day mechanics. Finally, I took the plunge and now it’s been four years we opened our new store in Malad.

What are the changes you have introduced to the product line-up of DBG sweets?

For me, every day has been a learning process. The food industry has fine nuances which you get to learn from only if you ask questions and find quick-time solutions. I am constantly experimenting fusion mithai and increasingly shelf life of existing mithai range. People prefer food elements which are preservative-free.

Since people love rasgullas at DBG, I started organic and natural flavours for rasgullas. Our new range was an instant hit, our clients love the baby favours (the pink and blues), the original rasgullas too continue to rule the sales charts. As you are aware, our Holi special series of thandai, strawberry and mango flavours created magic with our customer base.

For Gift ideas, do click on the links:

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Sustainable lifestyle themed, affordable Gift boxes for Him and Her!!

What have been the learnings from your father?

For every girl, her father is a Super Hero. For me, my father is not just my ideal Super Hero but also an encyclopaedia to learn from. I, too, have always looked up to him with awe. People say he has a ‘strong holistic aura’ and I totally agree with that. Now, I do understand his stand when it comes to making business decisions. There are other learnings which I will silently imbibe and ensure that our family legacy forges ahead and is a brand to reckon with. I have got a whiff of the customer pulse, and although there is a market for diet-free and sugar-free sweets (which we also make), I can bet that not many can resist our rasgullas. Once you have tried them, you will be surely yearning for more.

Where do you see the ‘DBG Sweets’ brand in the next five years?

My ultimate goal is to make all the DBG stores (all over Mumbai) one again.