12 Years, Many Failures & Endless Ideas Later, This Man Built a Rs 1 Cr Business From Chikoos

22 October 2025

Just three hours from Mumbai, in a quiet coastal town, one man turned a humble fruit into a Rs 1 crore idea.

The town of Bordi is known for chikoo orchards and the Chikoo Festival. Mahesh Churi, who grew up here, saw the fruit as an opportunity.

In the ’80s, Mahesh left Bordi to become a mechanical engineer. Years later, one question brought him back: “How can I add value to this fruit—and to the farmers behind it?”

He experimented with chikoo powder for milkshakes and sweets. But no one knew what to do with it. By 2009, 2,000 kg of unsold powder had gone to waste.

Twelve years, many setbacks, and countless ideas later—Chikoo Parlour was born in 2017.

Pedas, toffees, milkshakes, ice creams— all made with local chikoo and love. No preservatives. No artificial flavours.

Today, the unit employs over 20 local women and sources 250+ kg of chikoo weekly—directly from farmers.

You’ll also find Chikoo Parlour on Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway and two spots along the Mumbai–Nashik Highway, serving meetha Chiku, sookha Chiku and cool Chiku.

Next, he plans to setup chikoo jams, chikoo purée, and a bigger unit to scale the dream. Would you travel to Bordi for a bite of this sweet story?