Brothers Started a Business With Rs 50,000 During the Pandemic, Built Zorko Into a Rs 100-Crore Vegetarian Fast-Food Brand

From a small Surat restaurant during the pandemic to a rapidly expanding franchise network, brothers Amrit and Anand Nahar turned a modest idea into one of India’s emerging vegetarian fast-food brands.

Building a business during the COVID-19 pandemic was an enormous challenge for entrepreneurs, particularly in the food and restaurant industry. At a time when businesses were shutting down and consumer behaviour was changing rapidly, brothers Amrit and Anand Nahar decided to take a chance on their entrepreneurial ambitions.

According to media reports and the founders’ public journey, the brothers started their food venture with an investment of around Rs 50,000 and eventually developed Zorko into a growing vegetarian fast-food chain. The brand began with a small restaurant in Surat and later expanded through a franchise-driven business model.

Zorko’s growth story gained wider national attention after Amrit and Anand Nahar appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3. Their pitch introduced the brand and its rapid expansion journey to a much larger audience, bringing fresh attention to the company’s business model.

Media reports have described Zorko as a Rs 100-crore brand, although figures relating to company valuation, revenue and outlet numbers can change over time and should be independently verified from the company’s latest disclosures before publication.

How the Zorko Journey Began

The story of Zorko began during the pandemic, when the food-service sector was facing one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Amrit and Anand Nahar saw an opportunity to build a vegetarian food brand centred around affordability, accessibility and variety. Their initial journey reportedly began with a modest investment of Rs 50,000 and a small restaurant in Surat, Gujarat.

In 2021, the brothers reportedly took over a restaurant space of approximately 550 square feet that was facing closure. Rather than viewing the difficult market environment as a reason to step back, they used the opportunity to launch their own food venture.

Their objective was relatively straightforward: provide customers with a wide selection of vegetarian food at affordable prices.

The small outlet eventually became the foundation for Zorko’s larger expansion strategy.

Building an Affordable Vegetarian Fast-Food Brand

India’s food-service market is highly competitive. Consumers can choose from established restaurant chains, local eateries, cloud kitchens, street-food vendors and rapidly growing franchise brands.

For a new company to stand out, it needs a clear proposition.

Zorko focused on the vegetarian fast-food segment, offering a wide menu designed to appeal to customers looking for familiar and affordable food options. The brand’s reported menu included more than 80 food items during its Shark Tank India pitch.

The founders positioned the company as a brand that could serve customers while also creating business opportunities for aspiring franchise partners.

This second part of the strategy became central to Zorko’s growth.

The Franchise Model Drives Expansion

Opening and operating every outlet directly can require significant capital, manpower and operational infrastructure. Franchise expansion offers an alternative model by allowing entrepreneurs to operate locations under an established brand.

Zorko used this strategy to expand beyond its original Surat outlet.

Through franchising, the company reportedly grew its presence across multiple cities and towns in India. The rapid expansion became one of the major talking points surrounding the Nahar brothers’ business journey.

The franchise model can help a growing food brand expand faster, but it also creates major operational responsibilities. A company must maintain consistency in food quality, branding, customer experience, supply chains and franchisee support.

For brands operating in the fast-food industry, rapid outlet growth alone is not necessarily a measure of long-term success. Sustainable expansion depends on unit economics, repeat customers, operational efficiency and the ability to maintain quality across locations.

Zorko’s story is therefore particularly interesting as an example of how a small food business can attempt to scale through an asset-light expansion model.

From Stock Market Business Development to Food Entrepreneurship

Before entering the food industry, Amrit and Anand Nahar reportedly worked in business development connected with the stock market sector.

Their eventual move into the food business represented a significant career shift.

The brothers combined their interest in food and entrepreneurship with a business model that focused on accessible pricing and scalable expansion. Their technical education also gave them a problem-solving background that could prove useful while building and managing a new venture.

According to information shared about their professional backgrounds, Anand Nahar studied B.Tech in Automobile Engineering, while Amrit Nahar pursued B.E. in Environmental Engineering.

However, their professional journey eventually took them beyond their original academic fields and into entrepreneurship.

Their story demonstrates a familiar reality of modern business: an individual’s academic qualification does not always determine the industry in which they eventually build their career.

Zorko’s Shark Tank India Season 3 Appearance

Zorko’s national visibility increased significantly when Amrit and Anand Nahar appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3.

During their pitch, the co-founders presented the company’s growth story and franchise model before the panel of investors. According to reported details from the episode, the founders said that Zorko had expanded to more than 150 outlets across 42 cities and locations at the time of their appearance.

They reportedly sought an investment of Rs 1.5 crore in exchange for 1% equity, placing their asking valuation at Rs 150 crore.

The pitch also featured the founders presenting food from their menu to the Sharks, giving the investors an opportunity to experience the product offering directly.

The appearance helped introduce Zorko to television audiences across India and increased public interest in the founders’ entrepreneurial journey.

For many emerging companies, appearing on Shark Tank India can provide more than an investment opportunity. National television exposure can increase brand awareness, attract potential customers and bring attention from prospective business partners.

This wider visibility became another important chapter in Zorko’s growth story.

From a Small Restaurant to a National Presence

According to media reports, Zorko has continued to expand through its franchise model, with reports citing more than 250 outlets across India.

Such figures should be treated as time-sensitive because restaurant and franchise networks can expand, close or restructure locations over time. The latest outlet count should therefore be verified directly through the company before publication.

Nevertheless, the broader journey from a small Surat restaurant to a multi-location food brand reflects the ambition of the Nahar brothers’ business model.

The founders’ strategy appears to have focused on three important elements:

1. Affordable Food

Competitive pricing can help fast-food brands reach a wider customer base, particularly in a market where consumers have numerous options.

2. Vegetarian Positioning

A clearly defined vegetarian identity helped Zorko target a specific and significant segment of India’s food market.

3. Franchise-Led Growth

Rather than relying entirely on company-owned outlets, the brand used franchising as a way to pursue faster geographic expansion.

Together, these elements created the foundation of the company’s growth strategy.

The Reported Rs 100-Crore Milestone

Several media reports have described Zorko as a company or brand associated with the Rs 100-crore mark. However, this figure requires context.

Terms such as “Rs 100-crore company” can refer to different measurements, including revenue, valuation, turnover, gross sales or another business metric. These figures should not be treated as interchangeable.

For a high-quality business publication, the exact metric should be clearly identified and attributed to a reliable source, company filing or official statement.

What is clear from the founders’ widely reported journey is the scale of ambition behind Zorko. The brothers moved from operating a small restaurant to developing a brand designed for multi-city expansion.

Their appearance on Shark Tank India also helped bring national recognition to their story.

Lessons From the Zorko Success Story

The journey of Amrit and Anand Nahar offers several lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

First, businesses can emerge even during difficult economic conditions. The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for the restaurant industry, but it also changed consumer behaviour and created new opportunities for businesses that adapted quickly.

Second, scalability matters. A single successful outlet is different from building a system capable of supporting multiple locations. Zorko’s franchise strategy was designed around the possibility of expansion beyond its original market.

Third, visibility can accelerate a brand’s journey. Television exposure through Shark Tank India gave the company access to a much larger national audience.

Finally, long-term growth requires more than publicity. Sustainable business success depends on financial discipline, consistent quality, customer satisfaction and strong relationships with franchise partners.

What’s Next for the Nahar Brothers and Zorko?

The story of Amrit and Anand Nahar continues to attract interest because of the scale of growth attributed to the business in a relatively short period.

From reportedly starting with around Rs 50,000 during the pandemic to building a nationally recognised vegetarian fast-food brand, the brothers have created an entrepreneurial story that resonates with many young business aspirants.

Their journey also highlights the changing landscape of Indian entrepreneurship. Today, founders can begin with a small local business and use franchising, digital marketing, television exposure and strong brand positioning to pursue national expansion.

As Zorko continues its journey, the company’s long-term success will depend on its ability to balance rapid growth with operational consistency.

For now, the story of the Nahar brothers remains a notable example of entrepreneurial ambition: two brothers took a small food-business idea in Surat and turned it into a rapidly expanding brand that eventually reached the national spotlight through Shark Tank India.

Their journey from a reported initial investment of Rs 50,000 to the widely discussed growth of Zorko demonstrates how a combination of business strategy, franchise expansion and national visibility can transform a small local venture into a recognised name in India’s competitive food-service market.