While many Indians head abroad in search of better career opportunities, Nahas Basheer took the reverse route. Born and raised in Kerala, Basheer quit a well-paying job in Qatar to establish Crèmberie, a premium yogurt brand now sought after by India’s elite, including the Ambani family.
Crèmberie produces high-quality yogurt in multiple flavours and has grown into a multi-crore business. The company reported an annual turnover of ₹15 crore ($1.8 million) last year and is looking to expand further in India and internationally.
Basheer’s journey began during his visits home from Qatar, where he realised the taste and texture of yogurt available in India did not meet the standards he had grown accustomed to in the Gulf. “I missed the thick, non-sour yogurt available in Qatar. That’s when I thought – why not bring the same quality here?” Basheer said.
In 2020, he launched Crèmberie with a focus on quality and flavour. With little initial support from his family, except for his mother, Basheer took a hands-on approach. He distributed free samples at malls and metro stations across Kerala to introduce people to his product. “People laughed at me, some said nobody would buy expensive curd. But I knew once they tasted it, they’d come back,” he recalled.
His persistence paid off. Crèmberie gained traction through regional supermarket chains and luxury hotels across Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The turning point came when the Ambani family, India’s richest, placed a bulk order of over 10,000 yogurt packets for their sons’ weddings. “Our team saw guests like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg enjoying our yogurt. It was surreal,” Basheer said.
Crèmberie continues to grow, with plans to expand beyond South India and tap into overseas markets. Basheer credits the company’s success to its unwavering focus on quality and direct consumer engagement. “We didn’t just market the product, we made people taste it. That made all the difference,” he said.
With its artisanal approach and loyal customer base, Crèmberie has carved a niche in India’s growing premium dairy segment — proving that passion, persistence, and a spoonful of good taste can go a long way.
