A young entrepreneur duo has set up Kashmir’s first “bean to bar” chocolate manufacturing unit in Dooru Shahabad area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, introducing completely natural, chemical-free chocolate crafted from raw cocoa beans sourced from southern India.
Zahoor Ahmad Naikoo and his partner Humaira Afzal, under the banner of Kashmir Chocolate Factory—Blichs—Beans Bar, have pioneered the concept of in-house chocolate making in the region, transforming imported cocoa beans into finished products without using artificial preservatives or additives.
Their journey did not begin with certainty, but with curiosity. “We had heard that places like Ooty had record chocolate sales,” Naikoo recalls. “So, we decided to explore it ourselves.” What they discovered, however, changed their direction. The high sales did not necessarily mean large-scale manufacturing. The real centres of chocolate production lie elsewhere.
Driven by this realisation, their search led them deeper into South India, to regions like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where cocoa cultivation and chocolate manufacturing quietly thrive. It was here that the idea truly took shape—not just to sell chocolate, but to make it from scratch.
Armed with training from outside Jammu and Kashmir and backed by extensive research, the duo began building their dream. Cocoa beans are now sourced directly from Kerala, carefully selected and brought to Kashmir, where they undergo a meticulous transformation. There are no shortcuts in their process—no artificial preservatives, no chemical additives. What emerges is pure chocolate, defined only by its essential ingredients and crafted with precision.
“Our chocolates are completely natural,” says Humaira. “They are sugar-free, free from chemicals, and made using only cocoa butter as a natural preservative.”
Their commitment goes beyond taste. Even their packaging reflects a conscious choice—fully eco-friendly, aligning their business with sustainability in both product and presentation.
Naikoo, who holds a diploma in international marketing, and Humaira, a science graduate, complement each other in vision and execution. Together, they have turned knowledge into enterprise, and ambition into opportunity—not just for themselves, but for others as well.
Today, their unit provides employment to nine people, including six women, creating a small yet meaningful ecosystem of livelihood and skill-building in the region.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The venture has received support under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme, a boost that helped transform their idea into a functioning enterprise. They have also attracted interest from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, which has offered collaboration and financial support—an encouraging sign of the potential their work holds.
However, beyond recognition and growth, their story carries a larger message. “There is no shortage of government schemes or support,” Humaira says. “Young women just need to take the first step. Entrepreneurship is possible, even from here.”
In a region known for its saffron, apples and handicrafts, this venture adds a new flavour to Kashmir’s identity—one shaped by innovation, resilience and the courage to explore uncharted paths.
From cocoa farms in the south to a workshop in Dooru, the journey of these beans is long. But perhaps even more remarkable is the journey of the two individuals who chose to follow them—transforming not just chocolate, but the idea of what is possible.
