Examining Samosa Singh's strategy for scaling street food

The samosa's journey to India began far from its shores. Originating in the Middle East around the 10th century as a pastry called 'Sambusak', it traveled along ancient trade routes through Central Asia. By the 14th century, it had arrived in India, where it was gradually transformed into the snack known today.

Over the centuries, Indians made the samosa their own, most notably by creating the popular spiced potato filling. It soon became a fixture of daily life, found everywhere from street-side stalls to family gatherings. The snack is a regular part of afternoon tea, a common feature at celebrations, and a go-to comfort food for people across the country.

This cultural connection has created a massive market. The Indian snack industry was valued at over 46,500 Crore rupees in 2024. However, the production of this popular snack has largely remained in the unorganised sector. This often means that the quality and hygiene are not consistent from one seller to the next.

This inconsistency presented an opportunity for founders Nidhi and Shikhar Singh. They created Samosa Singh to offer a standardised and hygienic version of the snack. Co-founder Nidhi Singh explains their goal, "When we started with the simple idea, to give India’s favourite snack, the samosa, the kind of organised, hygienic, and scalable platform it never had. For us, it was about taking something deeply nostalgic and presenting it in a way that felt fresh, modern, and yet authentic."

Their success depends on convincing customers to choose this new, branded experience over their traditional local vendors.

The product is the main message

In a market filled with loud advertising, Samosa Singh’s approach is different. The company’s main marketing strategy starts with the product itself. The belief is that a perfected samosa is its own best advertisement, creating a connection with customers that flashy ads often cannot. This strategy relies on the powerful feeling of nostalgia. Co-founder Nidhi Singh believes that a high-quality, authentic product speaks directly to the customer's memory and heart.marke

"People resonate with the product and the nostalgia it evokes," Nidhi says. "So, we have actually just kept true to the essence of the product and it automatically touched the hearts of millions of people in India and abroad. We actually didn’t need much marketing to bring in this love –it was automatically driven by the beauty and blend of this product with the Indian food roots."

This belief is supported by major investments in the product's development. According to the company, its research resulted in a samosa that it says has fewer calories and less fat. This is not just a technical detail; it is a clear marketing message to modern consumers who are more health-conscious. It presents the samosa not as a guilty pleasure, but as a more thoughtful choice.

Building a modern lifestyle brand

A key part of Samosa Singh’s marketing plan is to be more than just a food company; they aim to be a lifestyle brand. Nidhi Singh sees this as a major change in the food industry, where customers now choose brands for reasons beyond just taste. Samosa Singh is being built to represent a modern Indian identity—one that values tradition but also expects global standards of quality.

"QSRs are no longer just food brands — they’re lifestyle brands that mirror the personality of their consumers," Nidhi notes. "Customers today don’t just want quick food; they want trust, hygiene, and an experience they can come back to."

To create this experience, the company focuses on the entire customer journey. This includes clean branding, modern packaging, and a consistent experience whether the customer is in a store or ordering online. Their marketing focuses on "storytelling, authenticity, and community engagement" instead of just paid ads. This helps build a brand story that customers can feel a part of.

Connecting with younger customers

Samosa Singh puts a lot of effort into understanding its younger customers, especially Gen Z. According to Nidhi, this generation has a different set of values. For them, the online and offline experience of a brand are connected. Food is something to be shared online, and the story behind the brand is just as important as the taste.

"Gen Z has completely changed the way brands need to think," she says. "They don’t just care about taste; they care about the story behind the food, how it looks, and whether it matches their lifestyle. For them, packaging should be fun and Instagrammable, the messaging needs to be simple and relatable, and the overall vibe of the brand has to feel fresh."

This understanding is put directly into practice. For example, the company created new items like the Korean Crispy Bao to appeal to this generation's interest in global flavors and new things. It is a product made to be shared and photographed. The strategy for these customers is to find the right mix of health, taste, and experience, making the brand a natural choice for their daily lives. Not only this, brand has also come out with a campaign, with comedian and actor Sun

A global vision 

The final marketing goal for Samosa Singh is to go beyond India. The company's long-term vision is to prove that Indian street food can be popular all over the world. This presents a big marketing challenge: how to sell a very local product to a global audience without losing its original character.

Nidhi describes the goal clearly: "To become the world’s most loved Indian street food brand — taking the samosa from a local favorite to a global icon, one delicious bite at a time."

Marketing this vision depends on the brand's core principles: consistency and the ability to grow. Using technology and standard processes is not just for business efficiency; it is a key part of their marketing plan to ensure a customer in Mumbai gets the same quality as one in New York. In a world full of choices, Nidhi believes the final key to success is the customer's experience. "When the market is saturated, genuine connection and a memorable experience work – and that's what we strive for every day at Samosa Singh."