2019, India: With a steep decline in international coffee prices coupled with a humongous debt of 7000 crores, hurdles keep surging for Cafe Coffee Day. Multiple IT raids reveal shocking information about the company’s finances. VG Siddhartha ends up taking a flurry of desperate measures to save his company but ends up pushing himself to the edge. How will the company pull itself from the brink of oblivion? 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya
Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya
Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1996, Bengaluru: An inspired VG Siddhartha revolutionizes India’s cafe culture by capitalizing on his family’s coffee background and opening India’s first Cafe Coffee Day. Through ambitious business decisions and a vibrant advertising strategy, CCD establishes itself as a global coffee giant. But after witnessing such a meteoric rise, a major setback was long overdue. 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1944, Thane Creek: The wealthy Sassoon Family starts ‘Raymond Woollen Mills’ to produce cheap outfits for the Indian Army but ends up selling the innocuous mill to JK Group in 1944. The new owners soon realise the need to diversify into selling clothes and through some intelligent advertising establish themselves as an aspirational brand for Indian men. But does the idea of ‘The Complete Man’ sustain itself against the changing definition of masculinity? 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1894, Czechoslovakia: A vibrant 18-year old Tomas Bata capitalises on his family’s generational shoemaking expertise and establishes T & A Bata Shoe Company with his siblings to mass produce shoes. Some desperate yet bold measures during World War 1 help them to expand their production to many international countries, thus making them one of the first mass producers in Europe. In 1931, they enter the Indian market and using powerful marketing tactics plant a strong foothold. Does it manage to stay in the game when local competition starts to corner its sales? 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

2014, Barabanki: A surprise FDA test reveals the presence of a life-threatening ingredient in Maggi, thus shocking its biggest fans - Indian mothers and children. The astonishing findings coupled with the media fervour, leads to brutal backlash and nationwide ban on Maggi. Nestle retaliates by appealing the findings and decides to recall all the Maggi packets. But is it too late? Can Maggi regain the public's trust?

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1884, Switzerland: A young and passionate Julius Maggi has a eureka moment and he starts producing instant and nutritious soups and sauces to cater to the rising female workforce. After tasting success for decades, Nestle acquires the brand in 1947 and launches it in India in 1983. Despite cultural apprehensions, Maggi triumphs over the hearts of Indian mothers and kids through aggressive and innovative marketing techniques. But it faces a major setback in 2014 that threatens to annihilate the brand forever. Can it win back all the love it had earned?

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1901, Enfield: 2 enterprising young men - Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie place bets on the future of transport and transition from producing bicycles to motorcycles, naming their first model - Royal Enfield. In 1932, their stylish new offering - Bullet, along with the two World Wars, earn them huge profits and make their company into a global success. But in 1955, they are compelled to sell their company to their Indian partner, Madras Motors. How does a company dying in its own country achieve such a lasting cult following in a country like India? 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

Thums Up smartly captures the Indian market by capitalizing on the ‘83 Cricket World Cup victory and Bollywood. Cut to 1997, Coca Cola is compelled to relaunch Thums Up due to its popular demand, despite hoping to crush it when they had bought it. Thums Up uses popular celebrities and unconventional marketing techniques to sell the idea of masculinity and adventure to a vibrant, new generation. But is it able to win the Indian hearts in this modern world?

Correction note: India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983. 

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1977, India: New economic reforms kick out the mammoth Coca Cola from India and Parle grabs this tremendous opportunity to come out with its distinctly Indian cola - Thums Up. Its unique taste takes the Indian market by a storm and pushes aside the mediocre local brands. Cut to 1991, Coca Cola comes back crashing in to reclaim its lost glory, and along with Pepsi, they start to crush the local underdog. How will the homegrown cola fight these global giants?

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!

1850, Mussoorie: A young and ambitious Edward Dyer arrives in India and grabs a golden opportunity: brewing domestic liquor for the alcohol-thirsty British soldiers. But when his son becomes infamous as “The Butcher of Amritsar”, Dyer is forced to share his growing liquor business in order to keep it alive. Jumping to 1954, the new Indian owners of 'Mohan Meakin breweries' are inspired by peaceful European monks to create a rum that leads the liquor market for decades. But can it survive the challenges it faces today?

Brand Excavations is a podcast where we unearth the dramatic and real stories behind India’s most iconic brands. Find out how these companies have revolutionized what you buy and how you live! 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.

In collaboration with Shruti Taneja, a marketing professional and an entrepreneur who is building Stumble, India’s first search engine to discover modern consumer brands and Paired, a matchmaking platform to optimize partnership marketing. Follow her on LinkedIn.

If you have any feedback or suggestions on what brands we should cover, reach out to us at: [email protected]

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

Editing and soundtrack by Aditya Arya

Narration by Tavish Bhattacharya

Artwork by Artisto Designz

Subscribe to the Brand Excavations Newsletter and receive new brand stories in your inbox every week!