How Motorcycle Trip Inspired Habanero's Hottest Sauce

It’s always a delightful surprise to spot Habanero products at places I’d never imagined. I still remember being in Jodhpur at a small, remote hotel where the chef was using our tortillas to make wraps, and that's when I found out that Blinkit was delivering our products there in just seven minutes. Another time, while I was exploring Meghalaya, I walked into this small restaurant tucked away in the hills, and found out that our hot sauce was being served with Momos. For me, these are special moments as they reflect on Habanero’s journey and how far the brand has travelled, sometimes reaching places before I do.

One International flavour I see gaining popularity in Indian Kitchens is the use of smoky and fermented chilli pastes like Korean gochujang or sriracha-style blends. They add heat and tang to food, exactly the kind of bold flavour profile we love in India. When I was in Spain, I happened to try dishes that carried this deep, rustic smokiness from paprika, charred peppers, or slow-grilled vegetables. That same profile is now creeping into Indian homes through sauces like chipotle and barbecue, and soon will be kitchen staples alongside our traditional masalas.

The wildest origin story in our lineup has to be the one behind our Aji-inspired Chilly Sauces. Back in 2019, I was on a motorcycle ride through Patagonia, the breathtaking southern tip of Chile and Argentina. In one of the remotest stretches, we stopped at a small cafe that carried quite a bit of history; legend has it that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once hid out there.

As we sat down to enjoy empanadas, their version of our samosas, I asked the owner if he had a sauce to go with them. He came back with a simple bottle of his homemade Aji, a fiery, locally loved sauce made with capsicum and spices. I was blown away by how good it tasted and before leaving, I slipped the bottle into my riding jacket and brought it back home with me. When I returned, I handed it over to our R&D team and asked them to recreate a version tailored to the Indian palate. A few months later, we had our own localised spin on that unforgettable Patagonian flavour. That’s how one adventurous ride gave birth to a chilly sauce that’s now part of the Habanero family.

Indian food is rich with bold flavours, but what makes it exciting is how well it adapts to global influences. One dish that I think would taste better with an International sauce is Butter Chicken. It is loved everywhere, but imagine giving it a smoky Chipotle or a Korean gochujang twist. The creaminess of the dish pairs beautifully with the heat and depth of these international flavours. With food trends becoming more about fusion and experimentation, I truly believe classics like these will only get more exciting when given an international sauce makeover.

One of the quirkiest pairings I have come across is how customers use our spicy salsa as a base for curries. I once tasted an egg curry made with nothing more than boiled eggs, our salsa, and a few dry red chillies, and to my surprise, it was delicious. It’s amazing to see how people experiment with our products in ways we have never imagined, and sometimes those experiments turn into the most heavenly and memorable meals.

We are on an ambitious growth journey, from our current revenue target of INR 35 Crores this year, we are aiming to scale up to INR 100 Crores by 2027. We have built a strong pipeline of products. Over the next few months, we plan to double our SKUs from 25 to 50, with an exciting mix of new offerings. One of the most exciting moves is our bold foray into the snacking market, where we see a huge opportunity to bring the same authentic, flavour- forward approach that has defined our sauces and dips.