Jaydeep Barman: The Visionary Behind Rebel Foods, the World’s Largest Cloud Kitchen Platform
Jaydeep Barman brought a revolution in how food is ordered and delivered within India and to the world, having introduced path-breaking Rebel Foods, originally called Faasos.
Being one of its co-founders, he's today the CEO of the world's largest cloud kitchen company that revolutionized how the world consumed and innovated with the business model he conceptualized which eventually became a benchmark around the world in food technology.
In his dream of using technology to create an accessible, multi-brand culinary empire, Rebel Foods shines like a light of innovation and pathfinder among other cloud kitchen-based ventures.
In this StartupTalky article, we will explore Jaydeep Barman's success story, including his early life, history, childhood, personal life, education, achievements, and more.
Jaydeep Barman - Biography
| Full Name | Jaydeep Barman |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Kolkata, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | MBA from INSEAD, Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Co-Founder and CEO of Rebel Foods |
| Known For | Founding Rebel Foods and spearheading the cloud kitchen revolution |
| Other Titles | Innovator, Food Tech Pioneer |
| Philanthropic Focus | Empowering food entrepreneurs, education |
| Hobbies | Traveling, Cooking, Reading |
Jaydeep Barman - Early Life and Education
Jaydeep Barman - The Birth of Faasos and Its Transformation into Rebel Foods
Jaydeep Barman - Career Highlights
Jaydeep Barman - Philanthropy
Jaydeep Barman - Awards and Recognition
Facts About Jaydeep Barman
Jaydeep Barman - Legacy and Impact
Jaydeep Barman - Early Life and Education
Born and raised in Kolkata, Jaydeep Barman had spent his entire growing years developing a passion for varied culinary cuisines - a passion he would later express through entrepreneurship.
Barman pursued undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. After this, he finished a Master's in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. To further enhance his managerial skills, he pursued an MBA from one of the most elite business schools globally, INSEAD.
His education, which was rich in technical acumen and business sense, has enabled him to shape Rebel Foods into an international brand name.
Jaydeep Barman - The Birth of Faasos and Its Transformation into Rebel Foods
Jaydeep Barman, a serial entrepreneur, started in 2011 by founding Faasos with his business partner, and friend, Kallol Banerjee. It was designed as a QSR chain with wraps and rolls as a primary product.
In 2015, after years of experimentation and observing market trends, Barman pivoted Faasos into a pure-play cloud kitchen model. This transformed the company into one that operated without dine-in facilities and focused purely on delivery, thus cutting overhead costs and maximizing efficiency.
In 2018, he renamed the company to Rebel Foods, representing the vision of its scale. Rebel Foods, under Barman's leadership, has transformed itself into hosting several virtual brands such as Behrouz Biryani, Oven Story Pizza, Mandarin Oak, and Sweet Truth.
Bharath
Jaydeep Barman - Career Highlights
Jaydeep Barman's career is the epitome of innovative thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and disruption in the traditional model of business. Be it academic pursuit or forming Rebel Foods, he has had a knack for being able to identify opportunities and create value in the dynamic industries of today.
Barman had a stint in the corporate world before entering entrepreneurship, during which he had the opportunity to gain valuable experience in strategy and operations. Early in his career, he held roles that forced him to think critically and execute efficiently, preparing him for his future success.
He started his professional career with McKinsey & Company as a consultant. At McKinsey, he developed a good understanding of strategy formulation, market analysis, and operational efficiency. These skills proved instrumental in shaping his entrepreneurial approach later in his career.
Jaydeep’s entrepreneurial journey began with Faasos in 2011. The brand started as a quick-service restaurant chain serving wraps and rolls in Pune, India. While Faasos gained popularity for its convenient, affordable, and delicious offerings, Jaydeep soon realized the limitations of the traditional restaurant model.
In 2015, Jaydeep made a game-changing decision to pivot Faasos into a cloud kitchen model. The reason was his idea of how technology could fill the loopholes in traditional restaurants, which were high real estate costs and non-scalability. In 2018, Faasos became Rebel Foods with a name that reflected its shift into becoming a multi-brand virtual restaurant platform. Jaydeep Barman steered this shift and turned Rebel Foods into the world's largest chain of cloud kitchens.
In FY 2023, Rebel Foods reported an operating revenue of INR 1,195 crore with total expenses of INR 1,827 crore, resulting in a loss of INR 657 crore. In FY 2024, the company’s revenue increased to INR 1,420 crore, while expenses rose slightly to INR 1,857 crore, reducing the loss to INR 378 crore.
Roshni Tamta
Jaydeep Barman - Philanthropy
Jaydeep Barman, the founder of Rebel Foods, is more than just a visionary entrepreneur- a leader who truly engages deeply with both social responsibility and sustainability. He believes that his journey should benefit the society around him, empower communities, and make businesses have a purpose bigger than their profits.
Commitment to Empowering Small Businesses
Jaydeep Barman has concentrated on empowering smaller and local food entrepreneurs through the Rebel Foods endeavor. Rebel Foods provides cloud kitchens to aspiring restaurateurs, with the result of small-scale food operators entering a market with virtually no capital investment and resources available. This initiative has opened ways for hundreds and thousands of such small businesses to scale their sizes, gaining high visibility, and making it competitive in the large industry.
Promoting Fair Employment Practices
Jaydeep Barman is careful to make sure there is an equal and inclusive work environment. Rebel Foods employs thousands of employees in its kitchens and delivery networks. The company ensures all its employees have a fair wage, proper training programs, and opportunities for growth. Besides this, the organization focuses on hiring people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to gain stable careers in the food industry.
Sustainability Initiatives
Jaydeep was a long-term advocate for sustainability in the food tech sector. Under his guidance, Rebel Foods has incorporated some of the eco-friendly practices like:
- Packaging that is bio-degradable, recyclable materials, reducing packaging waste to food.
- Food Waste Management: Implementing systems to reduce food waste and donate excess food to local charities.
- Energy-Efficient Kitchens: Designing cloud kitchens with energy-efficient equipment and optimized workflows to reduce carbon footprints.
Supporting Local Farmers and Supply Chains
Jaydeep has championed the cause of supporting local farmers by sourcing ingredients from sustainable and ethical producers. Rebel Foods emphasizes working directly with farmers and small-scale suppliers, ensuring fair trade practices and helping to uplift rural communities.
Focus on Education and Skill Development
Jaydeep is of the view that education and skills help one get out of poverty cycles. CSR programs in Rebel Foods included investments made towards skill development in training youngsters in the art of cuisines, safety measures while cooking, and overall kitchen management. Many young persons were placed on career tracklines within this sector through the aforementioned CSR efforts of the company.
Nadeesh Kareemdathil
Jaydeep Barman - Awards and Recognition
Following are the list of Awards and recognitions that Jaydeep Barman has won:
- Top 10 Food Startups in Asia – AsiaTech Awards (2022): Featured as one of the top companies changing the game in the Asian food industry.
- Leadership in Sustainability Award 2022: Rebel Foods was recognized for its sustainable packaging and food-sourcing initiatives.
- CNBC Disruptor 50 List (2021): Named to the most disruptive private company in Rebel Foods and showed the disruptive nature of innovating the whole concept of Cloud Kitchens
- World's Most Innovative Companies in Fast Company list of 2021: Placed in it due to innovations through its path-breaking approach toward food delivery multi-brand cloud kitchen.
- Best Cloud Kitchen Operator by Entrepreneur India Award, 2021: It has operational excellence and innovation within the cloud kitchen ecosystem.
- India Today Game Changer Award (2021): Jaydeep Barman was honored for his disruption of the traditional food delivery system and innovation of new business models.
- INSEAD Alumni Global Impact Award (2020): This award was earned by Jaydeep Barman because of his efforts in entrepreneurship and significant contributions to global food.
- Economic Times Promising Brands (2020): Rebel Foods won this title for its strong brand performance and market leadership.
- Top 50 Startups to Watch- NASSCOM (2020): Rebel Foods was listed amongst some of the most impactful startups guiding innovation in India's technology and food sectors.
- Global Restaurant Leadership Award (2019): Acknowledging the redefined restaurant business through cloud kitchens
- Red Herring Top 100 Asia (2019): A recognition for the scalable, technology-driven model.
These honors further repute Jaydeep Barman as the pioneer in the global food tech industry, along with Rebel Foods, as one of the flag-bearers in the global cloud kitchen revolution.
Facts About Jaydeep Barman
- Global Firsts: Rebel Foods is credited as the first company to adopt a fully cloud kitchen model at scale.
- Educational Background: He holds an MBA from INSEAD, the same school that shaped several other global CEOs.
- Inspirational Leadership: Known for his hands-on approach, Barman often interacts directly with teams to foster innovation.
- Focus on Customer Data: Barman’s belief in data-driven decision-making has been pivotal to Rebel Foods’ success.
- Multiple Hats: Before starting Faasos, Barman worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he gained significant operational insights.
- Author at Heart: Barman has expressed an interest in writing about his entrepreneurial experiences to inspire the next generation of innovators.
- Food Lover: Despite running a tech-driven food company, Barman remains a foodie at heart, often experimenting with new recipes.
Jaydeep Barman - Legacy and Impact
From entrepreneur Jaydeep Barman, innovativeness with resilience and agility has led to a great entrepreneurial experience. He designed the food delivery ecosystem in a way that an extremely profitable business model is of extreme inclusiveness. The story of Rebel Foods has inspired myriads of entrepreneurs. It has revamped the perception of the world around food tech.
The plan of Barman for Rebel Foods is to extend the company in more markets, as well as to launch some new culinary brands. His legacy will be a billion-dollar company but also democratize access to food entrepreneurship and show that innovation can go hand in hand with impact.
FAQs
Who is Jaydeep Barman?
Jaydeep Barman is the co-founder and CEO of Faasos, now rebranded as Rebel Foods, the world’s largest cloud kitchen company.
What is Jaydeep Barman education?
Jaydeep Barman holds an MBA from INSEAD and an engineering degree from IIT Kanpur.
What is Rebel Foods?
Rebel Foods is the world’s largest cloud kitchen company, founded in 2011 by Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee. It operates multiple virtual food brands like Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Oven Story Pizza, and Sweet Truth. Rebel Foods specializes in delivering a wide variety of cuisines through its technology-driven cloud kitchen model, which eliminates the need for dine-in facilities.
