Infusing Nostalgia into Chocolate
When Dr. Arun Viswanathan talks about chocolate, it’s clear that he’s not talking about cliched bars. For him, it’s about memories, textures and feelings. “Chocolate,” he says, “can carry stories. You just have to let it speak. One bite of a Chitra’m bar can take you back to a festival from childhood, a grandparent’s home, or a moment you didn’t even realise you’d forgotten. And that belief is what gave life to Chitra’m Craft Chocolates – a homegrown brand from Coimbatore that’s setting a unique new bench among Indian artisanal chocolate.
Hunger for the Food Business
After finishing his undergrad in biotechnology in 2010, Arun went on to pursue a dual master’s degree – one in Food Science and Technology at Cornell University in New York, and the other in Food Processing and Marketing in India. “No one thought food or catering was a career back then,” Arun laughs. “And definitely not chocolate.” But his love for food had been simmering for long. “Since Class 8 or 9, I’ve dreamt of owning a restaurant,” he says. “I was obsessed with understanding why some places worked and others didn’t, the logistics behind restaurants and the stories behind failed menus have all fascinated me.” At Cornell, things started to fall into place. He began cooking for friends, hosting small dinners, baking just for the joy of it. Slowly, it became more than just a hobby.
Surrendering to Chocolate
Later, back in India, a government run program in Bangalore nudged him toward baking and confectionery. That eventually led to an apprenticeship in Belgium with one of Europe’s top chocolatiers.
“I thought I was going to learn baking,” he grins. “But when I got there, it was all about chocolate. And I just leaned in.” In fact his visit to the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory and a chocolate shop in New York had planted the seed when in the US. Picking chocolate over baking or wine-making gave Arun an identity, credibility and a distinct voice!
Seeking the Secret Sauce
When Arun returned to India, he launched Ganache, a chocolate gifting venture focused on fusion flavours with his mother. “We were doing something new and it picked up really fast,” he recalls.
That momentum led to Infusions, a restaurant and cafe that aimed to bring chocolate into plated food. But just days before the launch, Arun’s mother, Chitra, passed away unexpectedly. “She was the one running the business side of things,” he says. “I was supposed to stay in the kitchen, focus on production. But suddenly, I had to take over everything.” He took a couple of months to recover and recalibrate. And then he came back to the thing that grounded him – chocolate. Around that time, he also began his PhD at the Agriculture University – focusing on Agriculture Business Management, with a focus on consumer analysis of chocolates and the market potential for bean-to-bar products. “It was something that could help the business too,” Arun says. “I was trying to understand the bigger picture.” And slowly, another idea was forming.
Tasting International Success
“My mother always wanted a brand – her own product line,” Arun shares. “She used to say, ‘One day, let’s send it to the International Chocolate Awards.’” That dream stayed with him. And in May 2018, Chitra’m, was born. Not just as a tribute, but as something meaningful and professional, just like she would’ve wanted. “‘Chitra is her name,” Arun says, “and with the apostrophe it means art or a portrait. So Chitra’m means ‘Chitra’s art.’ Chocolate is the canvas. The flavours and infusions are the colours.”
That same year, he enrolled in a chocolate tasting certification program in Chennai, based from a UK firm. As part of it, he sent a few sample bars to the International Chocolate Awards – just out of curiosity. He didn’t expect much. But the results floored him.The Mango Lassi and 70% Palm Sugar bars won at the Asia Pacific level. Mango Lassi even went on to win Bronze at the World Finals in the milk chocolate category.
“We didn’t think we’d be up there next to Australia or Japan,” he says. “It felt surreal.” In 2019, they won again – for Moringa and Lemon – White Chocolate. Then in 2023, the Masala Chaas, White Chocolate brought home a Silver at the World Finals. “It doesn’t have any sugar,” Arun points out. “But it still feels so soft, so familiar. Like milk slowly caramelising on the stove. That’s the feeling we wanted.”
Bite-sized Story Telling
“Our bars always start with an ingredient that means something to me,” Arun says. “Like the crunch of peanuts in puliyogare. No artificial flavours. No white sugar. Just whole ingredients – ground, zested, roasted, and tempered by hand.
Even the bonbons are miniature stories. “One box we made recreated a whole wedding,” Arun laughs. “From rosewater spritzes to filter coffee – every piece captured a moment.”They even created a vegan bonbon box where each piece told a part of the couple’s love story. “It’s almost like edible memory,” he says.
Chitra’m also pioneered Cacao Cuisine – a savoury spin on Indian food with cocoa. “Cocoa nib podi idli. Cocoa nib pickles,” Arun explains. “The nibs are broken pieces of the fermented cocoa bean. They’re nutty, full of texture and flavour. They just… work.”
A Flavour of the Future
The idea is to extend the store into a hybrid cafe – restaurant model, with a strong catering arm for finger foods. And eventually, once the cafe is up and running in its current location, they plan to start franchising. “We don’t want to be just one store that people travel to. We want to take Chitra’m to more people,” he says. The core will always be chocolate – especially their signature range of hot chocolates.
His vision isn’t just one big flagship. He’s thinking small, thoughtful expansions. A few outlets. All with a central kitchen in Coimbatore. Final products will be made fresh in each outlet. “At the end of the day, even if it’s just five minutes of joy,” he says with a smile, “that’s enough. If a bar of chocolate can make someone pause, remember something – then I’ve done what I came to do.”
