Manam Chocolates, founded by Chaitanya Muppala, is part of a new wave of Indian makers rethinking chocolate from the ground up. The starting point is fermentation, a step usually hidden or simplified in large-scale production. By working closely with farmers, fermenters and chocolatiers, Manam puts this stage at the center of its process, drawing out the natural complexity of Indian cacao rather than masking it with additives or uniform profiles.

The name Manam, meaning “we” or “us” in Telugu, points to the collaborative structure behind the work. Much of the flavour development begins at Distinct Origins Cacao Fermentery in West Godavari, where controlled fermentation and careful drying practices reveal how climate and soil shape the fruit. This approach also explains the brand’s unusually wide range of creations. Instead of limiting chocolate to bars, Manam studies its versatility, developing more than 250 concepts across 45 categories, from bonbons and filled bites to larger bars designed for different palates.

This perspective is visible inside the Manam Chocolate Karkhana in Hyderabad and at its workshop in Delhi, where people can move through the stages of chocolate making and then see how those techniques translate into form, texture and flavour. Production and retail sit side by side, giving visitors a sense of scale, process and experimentation rather than a polished, behind-the-glass display.