Bonvie Snacks, a leading healthy snacking brand in India, is transforming the snacking landscape with its innovative freeze-dried and air-fried technology using freeze-drying to preserve up to 98% of nutrients in their snacks. By offering nutrient-rich, freeze-dried fruit snacks, ice cream snacks, corn snacks, and air-fried chips, Bonvie ensures that consumers no longer have to choose between taste, nutrition, and convenience.
This innovative method allows them to offer convenient, long-lasting snacks like fruit and vegetable chips, maintaining taste and nutritional value.
Atul Gupta, a seasoned entrepreneur with 8 years of experience in the snacking industry, holds a B.Com (Hons.) from Delhi University and an MBA from La Trobe University. He is a CFA charterholder and has enhanced his strategic and financial expertise through executive programs at IIM Bangalore and ISB Hyderabad.
Questions and Answers
- What inspired you to start Bonvie Snacks? Was there a particular gap in the market you were aiming to fill?
The idea for Bonvie was born out of a personal struggle to find snacks that were healthy, convenient, and genuinely natural. Most “healthy” snacks in the Indian market still relied on additives or high sugar content, and fresh fruits, while ideal, weren’t always travel- or shelf-friendly. That’s when we saw a clear gap: people wanted real, preservative-free fruit snacks that didn’t compromise on nutrition or taste. Freeze-drying offered a way to bridge that gap and bring truly clean-label snacking to a modern, mobile audience. Bonvie is about making healthy choices effortless—no peeling, no refrigeration, just pure fruit in your pocket.
- Freeze-drying is a relatively niche technology in India. What made you choose this over other preservation methods?
We chose freeze-drying because it is scientifically proven to retain up to 98% of the fruit’s original nutrients—far superior to traditional dehydration or frying. In a market where processed foods often mean sacrificing nutrition for convenience, freeze-drying flips the narrative. It allows us to offer snacks that are just as rich in vitamins and fibre as fresh fruit, but far more practical for the average Indian lifestyle. While it’s a niche technology here, we saw it as a future-forward solution that aligned with growing consumer awareness around clean eating and long-term health benefits.
- What challenges did you face in maintaining taste while ensuring nutritional integrity through freeze-drying?
The biggest challenge has been the sourcing of high-quality raw materials and the need for specialised freeze-drying machinery. Unlike dehydration, freeze-drying is highly sensitive to the fruit’s original texture and moisture levels. If the raw fruit isn’t of top quality, it directly impacts both taste and appearance. We’ve had to be extremely selective with our sourcing partners and have invested heavily in R&D to fine-tune the process. Taste, texture, and nutritional preservation must align perfectly—and achieving that balance has taken both patience and precision.
- Can you walk us through the R&D process behind your product development?
Our R&D process begins with deep market research to identify flavour gaps, dietary preferences, and emerging trends in healthy snacking. We then collaborate with food
technologists to test freeze-drying profiles for different fruits—ensuring they retain maximum flavour, colour, and nutrients. Multiple trial batches are run, and we rigorously test for texture, crunch, and shelf life. Feedback loops are integral—we often send samples to a closed consumer group to gauge response before finalising a product. The goal is to marry science with sensory experience so that each snack delights while delivering on our health promise.
- What makes Bonvie stand out in a competitive space alongside brands like Farmley?
While other brands might focus on traditional dry fruits or mixes, Bonvie is distinct in its core technology and philosophy. We’re one of the first Indian brands to leverage freeze-drying for mass-market snacking. We focus on 100% real fruit, with no added sugars, preservatives, or fillers. That clean-label integrity, paired with taste and texture that mimic fresh fruit, gives us
a competitive edge. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone—we’re carving out a unique niche within the healthy snacking segment that speaks to the conscious, well-informed consumer.
- Bonvie operates on D2C, B2B, and B2C models. Which channel has shown the most promise so far?
While consumer response across D2C and retail platforms has been steadily growing, especially as awareness builds, our B2B channel has shown the most demand so far. Since freeze-dried fruits are still relatively new to the Indian market, educating individual consumers takes time. However, businesses in the hospitality, airline catering, and health retail segments have quickly recognised the value of our product’s shelf life, hygiene, and nutritional quality. It’s a win-win: they reduce food waste and offer healthier options, and we get access to high-volume, loyal buyers.
- What has been your biggest entrepreneurial learning since founding Bonvie?
One of the biggest lessons has been the importance of patience and consumer education. When you’re introducing a new category—especially in food—you can’t rush growth. It’s not just about building a great product; it’s about building understanding and trust. Listening closely to consumer feedback, tweaking messaging, and staying agile in our go-to-market approach has made all the difference. Entrepreneurship isn’t just about launching—it’s about
evolving with your audience and constantly reaffirming the “why” behind your brand.
- How do you see the healthy snacking and FoodTech industry evolving in the next 3–5 years?
The next 3–5 years will be a turning point for India’s FoodTech and healthy snacking industry. As urbanisation grows and lifestyle diseases rise, more consumers will seek out functional, nutrient-rich alternatives to traditional snacks. We’ll see innovations around plant-based, protein-rich, and low-carb formats, as well as AI- and data-driven personalisation. Freeze-dried, air-fried, and fermentation-based technologies will move from niche to mainstream. Brands that combine health benefits with taste, transparency, and convenience will thrive. The focus will shift from just low-calorie to smart-calorie choices—and that’s where we see Bonvie playing a pivotal role.
- With such a health-driven product, how do you educate consumers about freeze-dried technology?
Consumer education is key for us, especially since freeze-drying is still new in India. While we don’t lead with technology in our marketing, it’s always present as a USP. Our primary touchpoint is Instagram, where we share educational posts, blogs, and behind-the-scenes content about how freeze-drying works. We also regularly call customers for feedback and use those conversations to explain the benefits. Our advertising always includes subtle educational cues—so consumers feel empowered to make informed choices. By demystifying the process, we build both credibility and curiosity.
