Produced by: Manoj Kumar
At a college fest, Tilak Pandit sold his mom’s thekuas on a whim. They vanished in hours. That stall—no budget, no brand—became the launchpad for a food startup now shipping across India.
No investors. No MBA. No kitchen but his own. Just a 20-year-old with a deep fryer, a childhood memory, and the determination to make Bihar’s thekua go national.
A snack once made only during Chhath Puja now hits doorsteps year-round—because one Bihari son believed nostalgia could be packaged, posted, and proudly priced.
Every Desi Tesi order begins at home—with Tilak's mother’s hands shaping dough and tradition. No factory. No preservatives. Just Bihari warmth in every crunch.
While most founders chase pitch decks, Tilak chases orders. He packs boxes, runs the site, talks to customers—building a business the old-school, grind-it-out way.
Once tucked into tiffins or temple offerings, thekua was fading into culinary memory. Tilak revived it—not with fanfare, but with pure, honest flavor.
Desi Tesi doesn’t adapt to trends—it defies them. No fusion. No "modern twist." Just proud Bihari food in a world that often forgets where taste really comes from.
He didn’t start with a kitchen but with a Facebook post and a Gmail inbox. Every new order was a class in e-commerce, every customer a vote of confidence.
From a puja-side staple to a pan-India snack brand, Tilak has made thekua cool—proving the power of food memories and one kitchen’s quiet hustle.