From a corporate career at D. E. Shaw to founding SAINTS Chocolate, a craft chocolate atelier in Hyderabad, Ramanjane Dronamraju has turned her passion for chocolate into an entrepreneurial pursuit centred on single-origin cacao, in-house production and immersive tasting experiences. Asmita Mukherjee meets Ramanjane to explore the passion, philosophy and vision shaping her journey with SAINTS Chocolate.
After more than eight years in operations management and human resources at D. E. Shaw, Ramanjane Dronamraju chose to pursue her longstanding passion for chocolate by launching SAINTS Chocolate in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, in April 2026. Co-founded with her husband, Prabhu, the six-month-old venture focuses on craft chocolate, exploring the distinct flavours of cacao through different origins, percentages and combinations.
Having travelled across more than 30 countries, Ramanjane developed an appreciation for independent cafés, family-run bakeries and artisanal food businesses. These experiences shaped her approach to SAINTS, which she says was conceived not to compete with established brands but to introduce customers to chocolate made with greater attention to its natural character.
“The reason I started SAINTS is not to compete with someone else; it is to get people to taste what I like about chocolate. Every single dessert here has some element of chocolate because we believe there are so many expressions of chocolate,” she says.
SAINTS business operates an approximately 10,000 sq ft central kitchen in Kondapur, supported by a team of eight chefs. Its expansion plans include varieties of chocolate bars, bonbons, pralines, spreads and other products with longer shelf lives, alongside online sales and partnerships with select retailers.
Respecting the bean
SAINTS draws its philosophy from the Indian concept of svabhava, or innate nature. Ramanjane believes cacao beans, like individuals, have distinctive characteristics that should be brought out rather than standardised. “I did not want to put every cacao into one mould and say, ‘Now all of you taste like this.’ I wanted to bring out the best of that cacao,” she says.
The brand sources Indian cacao from the Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh and international cacao beans from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It uses couverture chocolate rather than compound chocolate, with the choice of cacao and its percentage influencing the flavour profile of the finished product.
The range experiments with combinations such as orange, coffee, strawberry and spices, including bonbons with chilli-based fillings. The focus is on showcasing chocolate across different textures and formats while allowing the characteristics of the cacao to remain central.
“I want to give people the best chocolate available and have them experience the different tastes. At some point, even people who love established brands want to try something new. I want SAINTS to be that alternative,” Ramanjane says.
Building an experience
At its Banjara Hills outlet, SAINTS offers cruffins, babka, choux, brownies, orange pastry, assorted chocolates, hot chocolates and many more. The menu positions chocolate as the central ingredient across its offerings rather than simply an accompaniment to desserts. The venture is also developing an experiential element through monthly workshops for groups of around 10 to 12 participants. Led by the head chef, the sessions cover chocolate tasting, tempering and bonbon-making, giving customers an opportunity to understand the techniques behind chocolate production.
Beyond its outlet, SAINTS is exploring opportunities in B2B business such as, corporate gifting, celebrations and hospitality partnerships. It plans to expand its chocolate bar collection across flavours, fillings and cacao percentages, while an online store is intended to extend its reach beyond Hyderabad. Select food retail outlets are also being considered for products with longer shelf lives.
Measured expansion
For a young business such as SAINTS, building awareness while maintaining production standards and managing working capital remains a priority. Establishing the kitchen and store, coordinating suppliers and ensuring consistency and hygiene in handling perishable products have been among the operational challenges.
Ramanjane brings her corporate operations experience to business management, while product development remains closely linked to her own preferences, research and collaboration with the chefs.
“I don’t want to do too many things at once. Instead of being a jack of all trades, I like to be a master of one. For now, my focus is to let people know that a brand like this exists and have them try what I have made for them,” she says.
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion across multiple formats, SAINTS is prioritising brand awareness, customer experience and repeat business. Larger partnerships and new sales channels are part of its longer-term plans, but their immediate objective is to establish a distinct identity in India’s evolving craft chocolate market.
For Ramanjane, the venture’s success is also measured by the response it evokes among customers. “If you ask me what is the one thing I want, it is for people to have a smile on their faces after eating what I make. It is the emotion that speaks more than the money,” she says.
With its emphasis on cacao origins, in-house production and tasting-led experiences, SAINTS is seeking to build a business that connects customers with the diversity of chocolate while growing at a pace that allows it to retain its craft focus.
Tasting Notes
The menu at SAINTS Chocolate is worth exploring for its inventive flavour combinations. The Lemon and Basil Cruffin offers a refreshing combination of tangy lemon curd and basil-infused 60% chocolate cream, while the Cherry Cruffin balances the tartness of sour cherries with rich cocoa notes. The Chocolate Babka, with its buttery, layered dough and indulgent chocolate filling, is a good choice for those who enjoy classic chocolate pastries.
The Orange Zest Cream Croclair brings together citrus and chocolate in a smooth, velvety filling, while the Masala Tea Choux offers a comforting alternative with aromatic spices and a creamy finish. The walnut brownie is another option for those seeking a familiar chocolate treat, best paired with one of the atelier’s hot chocolates for a more indulgent experience.
Asmita.mukherjee@saffronsynergies.in
