Sharmi Adhikary
02-Jul-2025
A rare combination of fine flavours and handcrafted luxury, Hyderabad’s famous Manam Craft Chocolate opens its first retail and experiential destination in the capital, offering chocolate lovers an immersive space for indulgence that is truly Made-in-India.
Manam is essentially enrobing childhood memories of familiar sights, sounds, flavours and smells with the finest craft chocolate procured from indigenous cacao fruit grown and harvested in India. For instance, when you think Dark Chocolate and Orange Clusters with Single Origin 67 percent dark chocolate from West Godavari, generously mixed with roasted almond batons and candied orange, it takes you back to those balmy winter afternoons sitting in the sun and snacking on plump, sweet oranges. The Movie Time Chocolate Barks made from rich and creamy Single Origin 45 percent milk chocolate studded with salted peanuts and caramel popcorn should remind you of those ubiquitous packets of puffed popcorns you munched on while watching films at the theatre with your family. Or the roasted moongfali that nibbled on when you felt peckish during exam study sessions.
Many such nostalgic memories will be triggered when one steps into the brand’s first retail and experiential destination in Delhi, opened last month at Eldeco Center in Saket. There’s a lot to take in at first sight at this 3,200 sq ft space, we assure you (the specially commissioned artwork series by visual artist Namrata Kumar are a sight to behold, as are the interiors designed by Dhruva Kalra). The heady aroma of rich chocolate flowing in the overhead pipes, the exciting sight of goodies displayed strategically, the colourful artworks representing the origins of the cacao farms from where the Manam story begins, the live chocolate making stations, the cold brew posts, the café, the confectionary, the tablet section and beverage zone. In short, this is a chocolate factory where chocolate lovers wouldn’t merrily lose themselves. Only to walk out a happy kid grinning like a Cheshire cat. The greatest thing, however, is that this isn’t a Roald Dahl fiction. This is a world of handcrafted luxury with a quintessential Indian flourish.
Conceptualised as annual editions, Manam Chocolate, whose first karkhana (evoking the spirit of a factory) at Hyderabad set the benchmark for fine chocolate made in India, has over 450 unique products across 50 categories presenting inimitable standards in innovation and craftsmanship for Indian craft chocolate. Designed for gifting and self-indulgence, the selection ranges from familiar to novel to experimental. The offering demonstrates the versatility of Indian cacao with Signature Tablets, Bonbons, Truffles, Barks, Palettes, Clusters, Gianduja, Spreads, Specialty Cakes, Pastries, Viennoiserie, Hot and Cold Beverages, a range of ingredients for Bakers, and more. The collection keeps in mind our collective memories of eating, sharing, and enjoying chocolate, as well as our ever-evolving global preferences.
If you have never stepped inside a chocolaterie, Manam would be a good point to start with. Take time out to explore the destination. Our eyes went straight to the installation of tiny clay figures replicating the farmers at the cacao farms associated with Manam. The written snippets will inform you about people like Boyapati Venkateshwar Rao and his clan of farmers instrumental in making the Manam craft come alive. Considering Chaitanya Muppala, the founder (CEO of Distinct Origins Pvt Ltd as well) calls Manam a family of farmers, fermenters (Manam is ‘we’ in Telugu) who are bringing before the world craft chocolate from agricultural farms of India, people like Rao Garu need to be acknowledged for their work. This installation is one such ode. As it celebrates how Manam follows the concept of farm-to-table earnestly, even as presenting before chocolate connoisseurs a range of desserts that elevate Indian cacao to showcase its global potential.
Manam’s luxury craft chocolate story, which has earned them international awards, accolades and recognition, is clearly a heartfelt tribute to its Indian roots- a collective of passionate craftspeople: farmers, fermenters, chocolate makers, chocolatiers, and storytellers working together to usher in a new era of Indian Craft Chocolate, each bringing their own expertise to enable the journey of cacao from its origin as a fruit on a farm, to cacao bean to chocolate to endless confections. At Manam, chocolate is reimagined – not just as a bar but as expressions of flavour, form and craft, deeply rooted in India’s terroir. Beyond products, Manam Chocolate in Delhi, like they have in their Hyderabad Karkhana, presents a host of engaging experiences including a first-of-its-kind Craft Chocolate beverage bar with over 36 unique beverages, a ‘Make-Your-Own Tablet’ station, a café serving globally inspired cuisine, a classroom for curated chocolate workshops, a live chocolaterie and many more immersive moments. The destination presents the opportunity to discover, explore, and engage with chocolate in its endless interpretations ideated and created by head chef Ruby Islam and her team, in a space that unlocks the hidden potential of fine flavour Indian cacao and seamlessly combines craft and retail.
The brand takes ownership of the entire process of craft chocolate making - from cacao farming and fermentation to chocolate making and the creation of an ever-growing collection of confections. The process begins at the source through its parent company, Distinct Origins Pvt. Ltd., which partners with a network of over 150 member farmers cultivating more than 3,000 acres of cacao farms in the West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh- India’s largest cacao-growing region, as recognized by the Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development. At the heart of this origin story is the Distinct Origins Cacao Fermentery, located in Tadikalapudi, a state-of-the-art facility. Here, science-led interventions and proprietary technology are used to unlock the full flavour potential of Indian cacao. Once fermented and dried, the beans are sent to the Manam Chocolate Karkhana in Hyderabad, where they are transformed into premium couvertures and then into an array of chocolate confections. At Manam in Delhi, chocolatiers are continuing this journey of exploration, pushing the boundaries of Indian cacao to create an ever-expanding repertoire of novel concepts for chocolate connoisseurs like you and me to indulge in.
