The Makhana Boy Who Built a ₹3 Crore/Month Brand on Instagram: The Untold Startup Story of a 24-Year-Old from Bihar

Small Beginnings that Hid a Giant Dream

Makhana Boy Startup Story: In a small house in Bihar, where the smell of roasted makhana hung in the air like a familiar song, a young man watched his father tend a tiny iron vase that had been in the family for years. That vase was ordinary to everyone else, but to him it was a vessel of stories: of mornings when his mother rolled out chapatis, of evenings when neighbours gathered and shared news, of a slow, steady labour that supported a family and rooted them in traditions. It was the kind of life that rarely made headlines, a life where dreams were practical and ambitions were tempered by responsibilities. Yet, within that modestness, something different was stirring.

The young man, now twenty-four, was Nadeem Iqubal, who would later become the unexpected face of one of the most compelling Indian startup stories of the decade. He did not see the vase as merely a tool for livelihood; he saw in it a connection to culture, to nutrition, and to a product with untapped dignity. He saw a story that had been ignored, and he felt the urgent desire to tell it to a wider world. This was the unglamorous, intimate origin of one of the most arresting business stories in recent Indian memory, a tale that would travel from a Bihar hamlet to the screens of millions across the country.

The Quiet Question That Became the First Spark

There is a particular kind of curiosity born of proximity: when you grow up inside something, you begin to notice the small injustices and the overlooked values that outsiders take for granted. For Nadeem, it was the way makhana, an ancient Indian snack with notable health benefits, was tucked away on dusty shelves while imported chips and flashy biscuits dominated supermarket aisles. He wondered why a food that mothers recommended for babies and elders alike had no striking label, no narrative, and no reason to be chosen by a new generation.

That question was not a single moment of inspiration but a constant rumble, a dissatisfaction so persistent that it eventually translated into action. He did not have a background in marketing, nor did he have investors knocking on his door, as many assume of rising Indian entrepreneurs. What he had was an intimate knowledge of the product, the patience to watch his father roast batch after batch, and a stubborn belief that authenticity could be translated into attention if told the right way. The question “Why not makhana?” was the seed that would grow into an audacious plan to build a brand from nothing.

Finding a Stage in a Pocket-Sized Screen

The turning point arrived through a device that fits in a pocket. Instagram was no longer merely a place for selfies; it had become a theatre for modern entrepreneurship, where a single video could create affinity and transform strangers into customers. Nadeem discovered the platform not as a consumer but as an observant student of human attention. There, he watched creators craft intimate narratives around products, showing the soil, the hands, the traditions, and the tiny rituals that made a product meaningful.

It was not technical polish but heart that created resonance. He realised that makhana’s story could occupy the same space: people would care if they were invited into the process, if they could see the craft and the human faces behind the food. With a simple smartphone and a determination to learn, he began creating short videos that focused not on sensational claims or glossy packaging, but on exacting, human details. He filmed the little white seeds puffing in the iron vase, his father’s experienced hands turning them, the steam and the rhythm of a practice repeated over decades.

These visuals were accompanied by a voice that spoke with the sincerity of lived experience rather than rehearsed marketing. This was his first lesson in turning product into narrative, and it would form the backbone of the startup story he was about to live.

The First Videos: Unschooled but Unforgettable

His early videos were humble in production yet vivid in feeling. He did not use trending audio for the sake of virality, nor did he mimic influencers; instead, he spoke plainly about what makhana meant to his family and to the region. He explained, in simple language, how it was roasted and why it had a special texture. He did not lecture viewers on health benefits with scientific jargon; he showed the soft, slow process of roasting and allowed the visual truth to make the case.

People responded not because the content was engineered for algorithms but because it felt true. Comments and messages began to arrive, first a trickle and then a steady stream, asking for packets, asking for the recipe, and asking whether makhana could be a substitute for other snacks. He started responding to each message personally, packing the orders himself, and shipping them on the same day. This immediate, human connection converted viewers into customers and customers into advocates.

That early intimacy, more than anything else, proved that stories have economic power when they are rooted in authenticity.

From Direct Messages to a Brand Called Pride Vlog

As orders multiplied, Nadeem realised that what began as a side project needed structure. He could have chosen a complex brand identity created by an agency, but he wanted something that reflected the ethos of his work: simple, proud, and personal.

He chose a name that captured this spirit and launched the label under which his makhana would travel, Pride Vlog. The name suggested both the pride of the product’s origins and the format that had launched it: the video log. Packaging remained modest at first because the point was not to conceal the humble origins with luxury; it was to frontload the narrative transparent, honest, and evocative.

He prepared shipments himself, wrote thank-you notes, and filmed the packing. Buyers posted about their deliveries, often surprised at the care and the taste, and those user-generated posts became the most persuasive testimonials. As the brand grew, he invested slowly back into production, sourced better packaging, and built a tiny team drawn from his town.

This organic growth so often highlighted in celebrated Indian startup stories was deliberate, relentless, and deeply human.

The Work Behind the Shine: Long Nights and Hard Choices

Even as his reels racked up views and his inbox filled with orders, the operation remained gruelling. Building a three-crore-a-month brand from a small town involves decisions and sacrifices that never make it into aspirational profiles.

Nadeem learnt supply chain logistics by calling vendors and negotiating rates. He navigated quality control, ensuring every batch met the standards he promised on camera. He handled returns, refunds, and difficult customers with a temperament honed by patience, recognising that reputation can erode faster than revenue grows.

There were nights he edited videos until dawn, then rose before dawn to pack orders with his father, feeling the dual pressure of content and commerce. The financial discipline required to manage rapid scaling was foreign to someone who had never run a business before; yet he taught himself by reading, asking mentors online, and learning from every mistake.

These invisible hours The unglamorous, uninterrupted work are what transformed viral interest into a sustainable enterprise. What looks like overnight success on paper is often the condensation of thousands of unseen hours, and his ascent was no exception.

Scaling Up Without Losing the Story

A crucial moment for any founder is the decision to scale without sacrificing the soul of the brand. Nadeem could have outsourced production to large manufacturers, replaced the old vase with industrial units, or chased aggressive fundraising. Instead, he chose a path that balanced expansion with preservation.

He invested in equipment that honoured traditional roasting, trained local women so the benefits of growth stayed within the community, and developed a distribution plan that allowed for wholesale while maintaining a strong direct-to-consumer relationship.

He knew the narrative of a son working beside his father, of a family’s heritage powering a brand, of visible labour behind every packet was the intangible asset that set Pride Vlog apart. Protecting that story became his anchor.

The Human Element: Why Customers Stayed

Food is sensory, but it is also emotional. Customers didn’t just buy his makhana; they bought nostalgia, memory, and ethical comfort. To urban buyers, Pride Vlog represented a break from processed snacks and a reconnection with handcrafted foods that spoke of home and honesty.

Nadeem used social media not to boast about numbers but to show the people behind the product—his father’s precise roasting, the sacks of raw lotus seeds, the farmers who supplied them, and the small team that helped him keep up with orders. This transparency built trust. Repeat purchases weren’t merely due to taste; they were acts of participation in a story that felt meaningful beyond consumption.

In a market crowded with indistinguishable products, Pride Vlog earned loyalty through authenticity.

The Moment When Numbers Declared Arrival

The day the business crossed the milestone of three crore rupees per month, Nadeem stood in the small packing room where it all started and felt a quiet, almost surreal confirmation. It was not just a financial victory; it was an emotional reckoning.

He remembered the first DM asking for a packet, the first reel that crossed a lakh views, and the unfamiliar customers who delightedly posted about receiving an order from a brand they discovered by chance. This milestone validated his intuition that small-town founders could build nationally competitive brands through storytelling, discipline, and transparency.

His journey was no longer simply one among emerging Indian entrepreneurs; it had become one of the notable business stories redefining what digital-first brands can achieve.

The Role of Community and the Responsibility of Growth

As Pride Vlog grew, so did the responsibilities around it. Nadeem felt accountable not only to his customers but to his hometown community. He expanded hiring locally, offered training, and ensured that rising profits translated into rising opportunities. He created an environment where mothers, workers, and students could participate in the growing enterprise.

This sense of shared progress was no marketing strategy; it was the natural extension of a brand born from a home and rooted in the land. Pride Vlog became a blueprint of how Indian startups can empower local economies while scaling digitally.

The Cultural Resonance of a Local Food in a National Market

Makhana’s rebirth as a modern snack is part of a larger cultural shift one where consumers seek identity, origin, and meaning in what they buy. Through videos, stories, and honest demonstrations, Nadeem elevated makhana from a regional staple to a national conversation.

His storytelling didn’t romanticise tradition artificially; it allowed viewers to witness it directly. This cultural resonance amplified the brand’s appeal, helping it enter urban diets and pan-India consciousness.

Looking Ahead: Consolidation, Innovation, and New Frontiers

Reaching three crore per month was not an endpoint but an invitation to grow further. Nadeem is now exploring new product lines, expanding distribution, refining packaging, and strengthening logistics. His plans involve small-batch innovations, deeper farmer collaborations, and educational content to help other creators and founders learn from his journey.

His roadmap extends beyond profit; it includes contributing to the cultural economy and inspiring future generations of founders from small-town India.

What This Means for Future Business Stories in India

This story deepens the ongoing evolution of Indian business stories, proving that the next major founders may come from unexpected geographies and overlooked industries. It shows that entrepreneurship in India is no longer restricted to metro cities or funded ventures; it can rise from tradition, storytelling, authenticity, and the simplest of digital tools.

For a nation striving for inclusive growth, these stories create hope, aspiration, and new role models.

The Quiet Legacy Being Forged

What began as a single person’s impulse to share a story has grown into a community-driven achievement. In his town, people now speak about entrepreneurship with fresh belief. Families dare to imagine their homegrown products one day becoming national brands. Workers who once earned daily wages now see themselves as part of a movement.

The legacy Nadeem is creating is therefore not merely financial; it is cultural and generational. He has shown that a business can emerge from heritage and rise on the strength of storytelling, discipline, and sincerity.

Conclusion: A Story About More Than Makhanas

This is a story of patience, curiosity, and a refusal to accept the limitations of circumstance. It is a reminder that greatness can grow from humility and that stories rooted in truth can build empires one reel at a time.

The makhana vase that once symbolised survival now stands for agency, culture, and entrepreneurial possibility. From packing small batches in a quiet Bihar home to managing a three-crore-a-month enterprise, Nadeem Iqubal embodies the evolving face of Indian startups, where ideas are judged by their purpose, resonance, and execution.

In the quiet of his packing room, surrounded by sacks of raw seeds and outbound parcels, the future feels close enough to touch. His journey is a living testament to what one person with a phone, a product, and a story can achieve in modern India.

This is a business story that will be remembered not for the numbers alone, but for the courage that shaped it, the culture that inspired it, and the entrepreneurial spirit that made it soar.