In the heart of Kozhikode, where tradition runs deep, a sweet revolution was born. Four childhood friends—Shabas, Sanu, Thesreef, and Irfan—came together with a bold mission: to bring the authentic Kozhikode Halwa, a beloved traditional sweet, to the national stage. Their startup, Fulva, didn’t just stop at preserving tradition; they modernized it.
It all began when Shabas , Fulva’s CEO, realized the halwa was not being treated with the respect it deserved. Sold in large blocks and poorly packaged, this cultural delicacy was losing its charm. Determined to change that, he reached out to his three friends, and together they took on the challenge of revolutionizing the way Kozhikode Halwa was made, packaged, and sold.
🔸Breaking Traditions to Empower Local Artisans
Convincing local halwa manufacturers to upgrade their practices wasn’t easy. The friends introduced better packaging, quality checks, and used superior ingredients to ensure a product that could travel across India with ease. Fulva transformed not only the halwa but also the lives of traditional artisans, empowering them with new methods and better standards.
🔸Ramadan & A Game-Changer Campaign
Their biggest breakthrough came during Ramadan when Fulva launched the ‘Empower by Fulva’ campaign. Involving over 40 local women, they created Iftar meal boxes sold by students at Kozhikode’s beaches. The community-driven campaign sold 20,000 meal boxes, generating a whopping ₹48 lakh in revenue!
🔸Fulva’s Growing Product Line
What started with one SKU—24 assorted halwa flavours—has grown into over 20 SKUs, including diabetic-friendly options. Their focus on premium ingredients, strict hygiene, and modern packaging has earned them over 25,000 customers and corporate partnerships.
🔸The Road Ahead
As Fulva aims to double its revenue to ₹1.5 crore, expand to 30 SKUs, and list on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, their sights are also set on international markets, particularly in the Gulf region. Their success story tells us that tradition and innovation can coexist to create something extraordinary.
“We’re not just selling halwa, we’re sharing a piece of our beloved culture,” says Shabas. And with ₹84 lakh in revenue in just one year, it’s clear that this sweet startup is making waves across India and beyond.
FulvaStory KozhikodeHalwa SweetSuccess KeralaTradition StartupJourney EmpoweringCommunities IndiaStartups
This post was originally shared by KaroStartup on Linkedin.