Ram Wasan: The Visionary Behind RocketChef’s Innovative Food Delivery

For food enthusiasts, the joy of savoring a meal lies in enjoying it fresh and hot. Ram Wasan, the Founder and CEO of Gurgaon-based Rocketchefs, understands this sentiment well. His venture, often referred to as a ‘food truck on call,’ is dedicated to delivering freshly prepared food at customers’ doorsteps using mobile food bikes, vans, and food pods. Launched in October 2015 with a seed capital of Rs 70 lakh, RocketChef has introduced a novel approach to food delivery. It offers delectable stone-oven thin crust pizzas and gourmet sandwiches, prepared inside specially designed vans by the startup’s chefs. Customers can conveniently place orders through a geo-location-based app or by making a phone call to receive their favorite dishes right at their doorstep. The app enables users to locate the nearest food van, ensuring timely deliveries.

Ram Wasan brings a wealth of culinary experience to RocketChef, having spent two decades working with prestigious names in the industry, including The Oberoi Hotels, The Manor, Citrus Hotels, Westin (Hyderabad), Marriott (Bengaluru), HVS International, and Reliance Petroleum. His educational background includes a graduation from the Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa, New Delhi, and a post-graduation from Oberoi School of Hotel Management. This extensive experience and education laid the foundation for his dream of enhancing food delivery standards to provide exceptional service and experiences.

At present, RocketChef boasts a team of four professional chefs and operates three vehicles in Gurgaon. The startup’s unique selling point is its specially designed oven inside each van, ensuring that food remains piping hot during delivery. They serve between 60 to 70 pizzas daily, with an average order value of Rs 500 and a healthy 60% profit margin. The primary investment was the pizza van, costing between Rs six and seven lakh, inclusive of customization and equipment. Ram Wasan points out that each pizza van reaches breakeven with daily sales of Rs 3,500.

The company has also introduced a pizza kiosk priced at Rs two lakh, diversifying its food delivery options. Currently, RocketChef employs a dedicated team of 16 individuals who contribute to the startup’s growth rate of 40% month on month. In the coming two to three years, RocketChef’s vision is to expand its fleet to approximately 250 pizza vans and kiosks across Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai, aiming to generate a revenue of Rs. 10 to 12 crore.

Food trucks are not a new concept and have a rich history dating back to the 1800s. While the food truck trend has gained popularity in countries like the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and Mexico, it is still a budding concept in India. However, it has made inroads in various cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and some Tier II cities, mainly due to the increasing preference for dining out. The Indian gourmet food market is currently valued at $1.3 billion and is experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%. While the organized food business in India amounts to $48 billion, food delivery alone represents $15 billion. Despite challenges faced by the food tech industry in 2015, including funding dips and startups closing operations, RocketChef’s innovative model aligns with India’s vibrant street food culture and appeals to millennials.

Ramnidhi Wasan emphasizes that RocketChef is an evolutionary step in food delivery, transforming it from a service to an experience. His vision goes beyond creating a brand; it aims to build an ecosystem for pizza creation, delivery, and a memorable culinary adventure.

RocketChef’s innovative approach to food delivery is not just a promise of fresh, hot meals but a testament to the impact of passion, innovation, and dedication on a unique culinary venture.