Reinventing Rusks for Indians: The Story of Anil & Ruskle
Anil Paremal is a Dubai-born, Bangalore-built founder on a mission to make Rusks exciting again. With Ruskle, he’s blending flavour and everyday comfort into one crunchy bite.
Who knew the rusk could get a glow-up? Anil Paremal did. As the co-founder of Ruskle, Anil took something every Indian home already had and turned it into something new, a no-maida, sooji-based, flavour-first version of tradition.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so business was never a foreign concept. Growing up in Dubai, I watched my dad go to work every day, running our family business. That sense of ownership and hustle got ingrained in both my brother and me early on. Naturally, I joined the business and learned a lot, but somewhere along the way, I realised I wanted to build something from scratch somewhere along the way. I wanted to experience the mess, the chaos, the unknowns- the hustle of creating something of my own.
Back in college, my roommate and I often dreamed of starting something together. So, on a whim in 2015, I moved to Bangalore for a short break. That break turned into the beginning of our first venture: selling sandwiches. We were excited. We even rented a place in Jayanagar and began working on the interiors. But one day, a random passerby walked in and asked, "Are you sure you can serve non-veg sandwiches in Jayanagar?"
That one question shook us.
Were we even thinking this through? Was this the right market? The right product? We paused, took a step back, and asked ourselves: What do people really love regardless of food preferences? The answer was simple- shakes. Everyone loves shakes.
That gave birth to Shake It Off. What started as a plan B grew into 13 stores across Bangalore. Unfortunately, COVID hit us hard. We had to shut some stores and restructure. Eventually, I decided to step away. It was one of my hardest decisions- letting go of something I helped build from the ground up. But Nishant, my co-founder, kept it alive. Hats off to him for that.
Rediscovering a Staple
Fast-forward to late 2021 or early 2022. I met Surya, now my co-founder, who was running a small factory that made bread buns for local bakeries. One visit to his factory and I was hooked. I’ve always loved operations and the magic of manufacturing, so we decided to build something together.
At first, the idea was to sell bruschettas online- fancy, right? But I couldn’t sleep that night. Something about it felt off. On a whim, I went to a local supermarket and found myself staring at a shelf full of rusks, the same old Zeera and Elaichi variants. And it struck me: Bruschetta is just a fancier cousin of the humble rusk. So why not innovate something Indians already love?
That night, Ruskle was born, our attempt to reinvent a daily staple. We didn’t want to just rebrand rusks. We wanted to modernise them and make them healthier, tastier, and more exciting.
We pulled in Vivas, a close friend with a strong marketing background, and the three of us got to work. We launched in early 2023, and honestly, the response was underwhelming at first. We had expected people to just “get it”. They didn’t.
We realised that we were introducing a new kind of rusk that needed education.
We reworked everything- price points, messaging, sampling- but most importantly, we reformulated the product. We ditched maida and made our rusks with sooji. Our first flavour? Cinnamon Sugar. From there, we kept building.
We started offline, thinking we’d be welcomed with open arms. We weren’t. It forced us to rethink everything. We shifted to online-first and embraced quick commerce. We began sampling on the ground and going hyperlocal. Because in food & beverage, your packaging may sell once, but only taste brings them back.
Why India, Not Dubai?
A lot of people ask me why I didn’t build in Dubai, given my roots there.
Here’s a simple stat: Karnataka’s population is larger than the entire UAE. The Indian market is massive, full of untapped potential and far more forgiving when it comes to experimenting. Yes, it comes with its chaos. But for a first-generation founder, India offers unmatched diversity and scale.
The Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between
Building a company often feels like riding a sine wave. Some days, you’re on top of the world. Other days, you’re questioning every decision you’ve made. I’ve had both. But the tough days make the wins sweeter.
One of my favourite moments? My co-founder was at a house party, just unwinding after a long week, and someone walked in with a pack of Ruskles. A complete stranger. No idea we were the people behind it. They bought it simply because they liked it. That moment hit different. Not because it was “our” brand, but because it proved that the product was standing on its own. It was real. It had made its way into someone’s grocery cart, someone’s life, without a personal connection. That’s the kind of validation no investor pitch or marketing metric can match.
Our goal is simple yet ambitious: to become India's go-to rusk. A brand that doesn't just sit on a shelf but lives in people's kitchens, travels in lunch boxes and gets served with evening chai.
When I’m not obsessing over packaging or perfecting the crunch, I’m probably annoying my cats, playing pickleball with my partners, or worshipping Chelsea FC (even when it tests my patience). I try to catch up on some TV and movies too-startup life doesn’t leave much room, but I squeeze in what I can.
Advice to Founders
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, and it’s something I wish I had known earlier- it’s this: spend time with your manufacturers.
Don’t just place orders and chase delivery timelines. Go to the factory. Stand next to the machines. Talk to the workers. Smell the raw ingredients. Watch how your product actually gets made. That’s where the soul of your business lives!
When you understand how it’s made, you understand what can go wrong and, more importantly, what can be improved.
Second, bring in a brand strategist early. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve seen the difference it makes when your brand knows what it stands for from day one. It’s not a luxury but a necessity, especially when you’re trying to stand out in crowded markets.
And finally, and this one’s personal, don’t forget to live.There were so many birthdays, weddings, and small moments I missed because I was stuck building. Now I know better. The startup will still be there tomorrow. Your people might not.
If Not This, Then What?
If I weren’t building Ruskle, I think I’d be behind a camera somewhere, directing films.
I’m a huge cinema buff and have dabbled in short films for fun. And trust me when I say there's something magical about telling stories, bringing ideas to life and watching others connect with them.
In a way, I think startups and films are actually pretty similar. You start with a vision, and you keep going because you believe in the story you’re trying to tell. Maybe someday, that passion will come full circle. Perhaps I’ll go back to filmmaking when the time feels right.
But for now, I’m all in on Ruskle.
Because this is my story to tell today: one made of cinnamon sugar, late-night supermarket runs, factory floors, failed plans, and pivots that changed everything. And honestly? It’s a ride I wouldn’t trade for anything.
At Rize, we’re proud to have Anil as part of the Rize community. And we’ll be cheering for him every time a new flavour drops, a shelf gets restocked, or a stranger walks into a party holding a pack of Ruskles- not knowing the founder’s standing right there, smiling quietly.
That’s what a public building looks like. And Anil is doing it beautifully.
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