CEO Insights Magazine

The growing popularity of premium kitchen appliances on account of rising consumer awareness about high quality and durability represents one of the key factors positively influencing the market in India. More than just satisfying the functional needs of the Indian consumer, modern retail in this sector is emerging to cater to the customer's diverse needs. Ravi Saxena, a pioneer in the cookware industry in India, is leading the country's top cookware and kitchen appliances brand, Wonderchef. Wonderchef is a leader in cookware and kitchen appliances, enabling customers to conveniently cook healthy, tasty food while providing German standards of quality, Italian designs, and constant innovation.

With over three decades of handling businesses, Ravi has developed over 14 businesses from scratch. He is using his expertise to lead Wonderchef to the best of his capabilities as its CEO.

Ravi engages in an exclusive interaction with the CEO Insights Magazine, here’s the highlights.

You possess about three decades of experience. How has your path to success been, and what is your success mantra?
My path to success is carved out of a lot of hard work, but nevertheless, the blessings of quite a few well wishers, and a generous sprinkling of good fortune have equally bucked me. Success does not come overnight. The foundation of success is laid early in your life when you try to work harder than everybody. The most important thing is the ability to create teams of talented people, lay your trust in them gain their confidence, and inspire them to excel. Big organizations are created through the hard work of hundreds and thousands of people, and we have endeavored to ensure that each of them understands that we appreciate them.

How would you define Wonderchef as an organization and its current position in the market?
Wonderchef stands for quality, innovation, and customer centricity. We are one of the most trusted brands in homeware and kitchen ware in the Indian market. Over the years, the brand has become synonymous with superior quality products that provide unparalleled convenience to modern homemakers and is positioned at the top of large brands in India. At the same time, we have built a strong foothold in the mid-priced segment of the market. We are also expanding our product range to cater to the growing Tier-III & IV towns. Over 75,000 women entrepreneurs market our products through demonstrations in their own homes. This omnichannel distribution strategy of retail, digital platforms, and defense canteens has ensured the brand's fast growth and buffered it from local and global challenges.

Tell us about your flagship offerings and the value additions customers can expect from your products and services.
Wonderchef is known to push the envelope in the appliances and cookware. One of our first products, Nutri blend, is India's most loved and highest selling mixer grinder. We were the first brand to bring colours to the cookware. Today, we have a massive array of products across several categories that have been developed, keeping Indian consumers in mind Roti Magic, India's first fully automatic roti maker that can give perfectly cooked rotis at the touch of a button the widest range of coffee machines automatic soup maker that makes a soup from fresh vegetables in just 20 minutes, and many more. We also take pride in our world-class customer support and service centres that enable us to provide an enhanced consumer experience.

Could you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far? How did you overcome them, and what did you learn from them?

One of the toughest challenges that I have faced was at the time of the launch itself. I had been working on the idea of Wonderchef for quite some time, and just as I was about to launch my dream project, the global economic recession arrived in 2008-09. However, with support from my friends, partners, and mentors, I could overcome the challenge and launched Wonderchef. The money was always tight, and working capital was at a premium. However, this taught us to be disciplined and stay profitable. The pandemic was a considerable challenge for us, like everybody else worldwide. However, our team stood strong and worked day and night to ensure that the business continued to grow.

Going forward, what are the changes in market behaviour that you anticipate and what are the opportunities you foresee?
Indian customers are rapidly moving from a 'value for money' mindset to 'money for value.' Customers are willing to shell out extra money for products that provide additional value. Smart appliances are already carving their niche in the market, and customers are warming up to the idea of paying a premium for such smart devices that provide multiple utilities. The rental market for home and kitchen appliances will see a boom in the near future. We have launched a rental service Wonderent, that helps our customers rent and use a wide range of appliances.

Ravi Saxena,Founder & CEO, Wonderchef
An engineer from Delhi College of Engineering, Ravi Saxena, has done MBA from IIM Ahemdabad. He began his career as a brand manager at VIP Skybags and was CEO of Sodexo India for 13 years during its initial years in the Indian market. Before establishing Wonder chef in 2009, he worked with Landmark group to develop five businesses ranging from CityMax Hotels and Gloria Jean’s Coffees to Fun City and fine-dine restaurants.

Hobbies:Hiking, Off-roading in SUVs, Social work
Favorite Cuisine: Mexican
Favorite Book: Original James Bond series by Ian Fleming
Favorite Travel Destination:Tuscany

Awards & Recognition:
•Best Brand Builder, Entrepreneur of the year, Best CEO