---
title: "Nilesh K. - Building Category in Bengaluru | Tal"
description: "Meet Nilesh K., Driving FoodTech Growth and Category | Generalist | 8+ Yrs in Product, Ops & GTM | Ex-Swiggy | Ex - Founding Team @ Swish based in Bengaluru."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/nilesh-kumar-1/share-image"
---

# Nilesh K\. on Tal

## Headline

Driving FoodTech Growth and Category \| Generalist \| 8\+ Yrs in Product, Ops & GTM \| Ex\-Swiggy \| Ex \- Founding Team @ Swish

## Location

Bengaluru

## Work experience

Building Category at FirstClub, Jul 2025 \- Present · 1 yr 2 mos, Bengaluru

Founding Member at Swish, Oct 2024 \- Jul 2025 · 10 mos, Bengaluru, Part of the early founding team building Swish from 0→1, leading product, category, operations, and early growth\. • Built and launched an 80\+ SKU portfolio across 8 categories, defining category architecture, pricing, and assortment strategy to drive early market penetration\. • Achieved product–market fit within 3 months through rapid R&D cycles, customer feedback loops, and scalable SOPs\. • Designed and operationalized central kitchen & warehouse infrastructure with 3\-ton/day production capacity, enabling scalable supply and fulfillment\. • Built and managed 20\+ strategic vendor partnerships, reducing procurement costs by 20% while strengthening supply reliability\. • Worked across product, marketing, and growth to shape early go\-to\-market strategy, merchandising, and demand generation\. • Hired and built the initial core team across operations, product, and central kitchen functions\. • Established the operational, supply chain, and product systems that formed the foundation for Swish’s early scale\.

Business Consultant at Ristara Foods, Mar 2024 \- Sep 2024 · 7 mos, Bangalore Urban, • Doubled brand revenue in 6 months through targeted GTM and channel strategies\. •Scaled and built social media and brand playbook • Launched 2 flagship retail outlets to increase visibility and direct sales\. • Grew aggregator sales by 100% through menu optimization and delivery strategy\.

Assistant Manager \- Brand Development at Swiggy, Sep 2022 \- Feb 2024 · 1 yr 6 mos, Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India, Received the Swiggstar Award \(OND 2022\) for a “Never Settle” mindset and consistently exceeding performance benchmarks • Led new product development and program management for in\-house brands including The Bowl Company, Istah, Homely, and Soul Rasa • Conceptualized and launched Instacafe, a 10\-minute delivery café focused on speed, convenience, and quality • Reduced NPD cycle time by 30% by implementing data\-driven frameworks and agile execution models • Delivered 15\+ successful product launches aligned with emerging culinary trends and consumer preferences • Drove cross\-functional collaboration between culinary, operations, and marketing teams to ensure scalable outcomes • Focused on creating consumer\-first, tech\-enabled food solutions that deliver operational efficiency and market differentiation

Product Manager \- New Initiatives at Hygiene Bigbite Pvt Ltd, Oct 2020 \- Sep 2022 · 2 yrs, • Spearheaded the development and rapid scaling of multi\-brand cloud kitchens, growing from concept to 75 kitchens across 4 major cities\. • Led the launch and growth of brands including Andhra Gunpowder, Paratha Envy, Biryani Trip, Ludos Pizza, SI Pizza, and Snack House\. • Specialized in menu curation, market analysis, process optimization, and building cost\-efficient, scalable operational SOPs\. • Played a key role in innovation and business model scaling, helping build a diverse, high\-performing kitchen network\. • Actively drove learning and development initiatives, equipping cross\-functional teams with operational and culinary expertise\. • Founded and scaled 1tsp\.in, a direct\-to\-consumer brand, overseeing its growth from ideation to 1,000\+ daily orders\. • Built and led a 30\-member cross\-functional team, managing operations, training, customer success, product development, content, and digital presence\. • Developed and executed comprehensive growth and GTM strategies, driving traction across digital and offline channels\.

Research And Development Specialist at Hygiene Bigbite Pvt Ltd, Jun 2020 \- Sep 2020 · 4 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

## Education

Bachelor of Business Administration \- BBA, Strategy & Leadership, Jain \(Deemed\-to\-be University\)

Diploma of Education, Culinary Arts/Chef Training, City & Guilds of London Art School

[View the original profile](https://tal.club/meet/nilesh-kumar-1)

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