From financial services to building a growing presence in the food ingredients and HoReCa ecosystem, Shippy Sharma, Founder & MD, Earthling Consumer Products, has charted a journey shaped by resilience, entrepreneurship and a deep understanding of the foodservice industry.
In this interview, she reflects on the turning points that defined her path, the challenges of building a distribution network, and the long-term vision for Earthling.
You began your career in financial services. What made you move into the food ingredients and HoReCa space?
I started my career in financial services. However, after the birth of my first child, I chose to step away from the rigorous pace of corporate life. During that period, I explored a range of opportunities, including digital marketing, SEO consulting and a few small ventures, while also experimenting with food services and exports.
Interestingly, I witnessed an early success in food exports business, which gave me the initial momentum and confidence to pursue it further. That early success encouraged me to focus more seriously on food sector. Over time, what began as an experiment gradually evolved into a deeper commitment to the food ingredients and HoReCa ecosystem and I chose to continue growing in this space.
Can you share a few examples of the products Earthling supplies to the HoReCa industry?
Under Royal Grove, we offer a wide assortment of ingredients such as canned fruits and vegetables, culinary sauces, coconut milk, Spanish olive oil, olives, honey and other essential kitchen ingredients.
Through Wonderfills, we offer a basket of breakfast cereals such as cornflakes and oats, along with a range of bar syrups and fruit crushes.
We also work with international brands like Lee Kum Kee and Namjai to bring Asian sauces and specialty ingredients to chefs in India. The idea is to provide kitchens with ingredients that deliver consistent quality, simplify preparation and help them maintain the same taste across multiple outlets.
Where do these ingredients come from, and does Earthling grow or produce any of them itself?
At Earthling, we focus on providing a wide range of high-quality kitchen ingredients. These products are sourced from key growing regions, both domestically and internationally. For example, cherries are sourced from Kashmir, mango pulp from Gujarat, curry pastes from Thailand and olive oil from Spain.
Our focus is to make these authentic, high-performing ingredients easily available to professional kitchens across cities through our distribution network, simplifying procurement for commercial kitchens.
During COVID you went through a deeply personal loss. How did that moment reshape your outlook on life and entrepreneurship?
Losing my husband during COVID was a deeply personal and life-altering moment. It made me realise that life is truly a gift, and those of us who are still here are fortunate enough to experience it every day. That loss brought a profound sense of gratitude and reminded me to value each day we are given.
When you go through something like that, you begin to understand that everything in life is temporary, and nothing should hold you back from moving forward. I had already been out of corporate life for nearly ten years, so in many ways there was no other path but to start something of my own. It strengthened my resolve to build something meaningful and to make the most of the life that has been given to me.
Distribution in the HoReCa sector is complex. What was the hardest part of building that network from scratch?
The most challenging part was earning the trust of distributors. In the HoReCa ecosystem, distributors are not just channel partners; they are effectively the ambassadors who take products to the market and represent them to chefs and businesses. For them to support a company, they need to believe that the product will sustain in the market and that the organisation behind it is committed for the long term. That confidence does not come overnight; it builds gradually through consistent quality, reliable supply and shared growth.
For instance, when distributors see that products like Royal Grove’s tomato puree or olive oil consistently deliver the quality professional kitchens expect, it strengthens their confidence in the brand and in the long-term opportunity. Over time, many of our distributors have become much more than business partners. I would say our network today is not just a group of distributors, but an extended family that believes in the journey we are building together.
You’ve brought international brands like Lee Kum Kee and Namjai into the ecosystem. What convinced them to partner with Earthling?
The teams at Lee Kum Kee and Namjai had seen me work for several years. When the opportunity came to collaborate, I believe it was the trust they had developed in me as an entrepreneur that made the partnership possible. Building that credibility took years of effort, persistence and hard work.
For us, these are not just brands in our portfolio; we are as committed to the growth of Lee Kum Kee and Namjai in India as we are to our own brands. We invest significantly in marketing and industry engagement because we believe it is our responsibility to help build these brands in the market.
We have also created the Earthling Centre of Culinary Excellence, a platform where the chef community can come, experiment with products and experience them first-hand. It is not limited to Royal Grove or Wonderfills; it is equally a space where Lee Kum Kee and Namjai receive meaningful industry exposure and engagement.
Earthling has scaled across multiple states quickly. What has surprised you the most during this growth journey?
One thing that has genuinely surprised me during this journey is the strong entrepreneurial spirit that exists even among small businesses in the HoReCa ecosystem. Many of these operators are extremely open to experimenting and improving their kitchens. What stood out to me was their willingness to adopt better-quality ingredients and solutions, even when it comes at a slightly higher price point.
For instance, brands like Royal Grove and Wonderfills, which represent premium quality ingredients, have seen encouraging acceptance despite being positioned at a higher price bracket. There is a growing understanding that quality ultimately helps businesses build trust with their customers and strengthen their own offerings. Seeing that level of commitment to improvement across cities and smaller markets has been both encouraging and inspiring for us as we continue to expand.
For someone outside the industry, what is the biggest misconception people have about the food ingredients and distribution business?
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about the food ingredients and distribution business is that anything that comes in a packet or can is automatically the same. In reality, there is a significant difference in sourcing, ingredient quality and how products are processed.
I believe consumers and even businesses need to become more conscious about reading labels and understanding what they are purchasing. Greater awareness about ingredients, sourcing and nutritional value is important. When people start paying attention to these details, it encourages the industry to maintain higher standards and deliver better-quality products.
From a business perspective, where does Earthling stand today in terms of revenue and scale?
From a business perspective, Earthling has been growing at a very strong pace, with the company almost doubling its growth year on year. Today, we work with a network of over 300 distributors and offer a portfolio of more than 200 products catering to the HoReCa and foodservice ecosystem.
This growth has been possible because of the collective effort of our distributors, our partner brands and the Earthling team. Each of them has played an important role in building the network, strengthening market presence and ensuring that our products reach professional kitchens consistently across markets.
Can you share a few examples of the products Earthling supplies to the HoReCa industry?
Under Royal Grove, we offer a wide assortment of ingredients such as canned fruits and vegetables, culinary sauces, coconut milk, Spanish olive oil, olives, honey and other essential kitchen ingredients.
Through Wonderfills, we offer a basket of breakfast cereals such as cornflakes and oats, along with a range of bar syrups and fruit crushes.
We also work with international brands like Lee Kum Kee and Namjai to bring Asian sauces and specialty ingredients to chefs in India. The idea is to provide kitchens with ingredients that deliver consistent quality, simplify preparation and help them maintain the same taste across multiple outlets.
Where do these ingredients come from, and does Earthling grow or produce any of them itself?
At Earthling, we focus on providing a wide range of high-quality kitchen ingredients. These products are sourced from key growing regions, both domestically and internationally. For example, cherries are sourced from Kashmir, mango pulp from Gujarat, curry pastes from Thailand and olive oil from Spain.
Our focus is to make these authentic, high-performing ingredients easily available to professional kitchens across cities through our distribution network, simplifying procurement for commercial kitchens.
What is the long-term vision for Earthling; do you see it becoming a product powerhouse, a distribution leader, or both?
Our long-term vision for Earthling is definitely to become both a strong product company and a leading distribution platform within the foodservice ecosystem. While we are building our own brands and product lines, we also see Earthling evolving as a trusted distribution partner for high-quality global brands looking to grow in India.
The idea is to create a platform that combines strong sourcing, reliable distribution and a deep understanding of professional kitchens. By doing so, we aim to build a business that not only develops its own products but also helps other brands reach the HoReCa market effectively.
