Banaraswala Raises $2 Million from Prax Impex to Take the Taste of Banaras Beyond the Ghats
Banaraswala, Ghat se Ghar Tak, known for its Banarsi cuisine, has raised $2 million in Seed funding from Prax Impex Private Limited. The money raised will help the brand enter new markets, innovate its menu and grow through franchises as the company looks to take the flavours and food culture of Banaras to the masses.
Banaraswala is a company established by Vibhanshu Mishra that offers an exquisite culinary tradition of Banaras to the people today living in the modern world. He has ensured that the company stays true to the original cooking tradition while effectively using culture-defining elements like the kulhads, pattal and clay.
The company currently operates three outlets across Delhi and is in the process of expanding its territory to cities like Banswara in Rajasthan, Sarangpur in Gujarat, and Farrukhabad & Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh in the months of October - November. The brand has also established a strong presence across leading food delivery platforms.
The fresh capital will be deployed towards accelerating the brand’s pan-India expansion in QSR and banarasi molecular cuisine, strengthening its presence across emerging markets and significantly broadening its product portfolio over the coming months. The brand plans to expand its footprint to 50 outlets across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and other high-potential Tier 2 markets by March 2027.
After raising the latest funding, the company wants to strengthen its position in existing locations while increasing its number of outlets through company-owned and franchise.
Vibhanshu Mishra, Founder, Banaraswala, said, “Scaling Banaraswala is, at the same time, an effort to expand our presence and build trust in the initial ethos of the brand. The challenges faced by us have brought valuable lessons. This phase is a comeback, which has a renewed sense of purpose with a clear intent on moving ahead. We seek to take the flavours and recipes of Banaras to an untapped marketplace without deviating from their authentic nature. This investment will lead us to a strong foundation in terms of products and outlets, people and processes.”
Rajnandini, Shareholder, Prax Impex Private Limited, said, “What stood out to us about Banaraswala was the opportunity to build a modern food brand around something that already has deep cultural relevance. Vibhanshu has an impressive understanding of numbers and the market, and we believe the brand can move beyond being a regional food business to becoming a recognisable Indian food brand. Our investment is aimed at supporting that transition and the scale that comes with it. We are very confident about our association with Banaraswala and certain about the successful business.”
