Bon Fiction Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in India: Meet the Team

Meet the Team Family
Pioneering Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in India

I've heard many companies describe their teams as “family.” But spending nearly two weeks at Bon Fiction Chocolate’s factory in the Godavari region of southern India, I felt it. There’s a warmth, a familiarity, a freedom to be yourself that can’t be manufactured.

Founded in 2019 by Akhil and Prathina Grandhi, Bon Fiction is a pioneer in tree-to-bar chocolate in India—growing and sourcing cacao from neighboring farms in the Godavari delta and crafting it into award-winning bars. In the past year alone, their cacao earned a spot in the Cacao of Excellence Top 50 (the only Indian grower named), and their chocolate has taken home Gold, Silver, and Bronze at the Academy of Chocolate in the UK and recognition across Europe & North America, including Best Vegan Chocolate. The chocolate is exceptional. But the people making it might be the secret recipe.

Here are a few of the people I wish you could meet.

LAKSHMI: THE HEARTBEAT OF THE FACTORY

Lakshmi at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India Every family has someone who holds things together without fanfare. At Bon Fiction, that’s Lakshmi—their first employee and, by all accounts, the team’s unofficial mom.

Strong, quiet, and remarkably consistent, Lakshmi hosts chai time at 5:30 pm every day. It sounds like a small thing. It isn’t. Whatever anyone is doing—tempering, packaging, bookkeeping—they stop. They gather. They bond. To me, it’s like a family dinner, and Lakshmi’s commitment to that daily ritual is likely a key reason coworkers have become family.

DIVYA: PERFECTION WITH A PURPOSE

Divya at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Divya came to Bon Fiction with a degree in food technology and a passion for quality control. After two and a half years, she’s become capable and versatile—equally at home managing production details on the computer as she is at any step of the chocolate-making process.

“It’s a different feeling when we prepare the chocolate than what we had from our childhood… I like knowing the whole process and the flavors we prepare.”

What moved me most about Divya was what this job means beyond the factory walls. The accomplishment she’s most proud of: not being a dependent.

HARINI: NEVER GIVE UP

Harini at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Harini joined Bon Fiction in order management, then got curious about chocolate-making and moved into production. That go-after-it energy defines her.

What strikes me most is her grit. "Never give up — try until you die — in job, love, life." With face aglow, she shared personal stories like spending eight years in a relationship her family initially opposed before her Hindu-Muslim marriage was finally celebrated. She missed a critical exam score by a narrow margin and nearly quit – but when we met, she was studying to take it again. Her grandfather, the man she called "dad," raised her and cheered her on from her earliest years. He passed months before we met. But his “you can do anything” influence lives on through her.

KUMARI: JOY ROOTED IN RESILIENCE

Kumari at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Kumari came to Bon Fiction when her family needed more income. She found not only work, but a place she loves. Her favorite task is hand tempering—not the norm and no small feat in a warm, humid environment. Her best friend at work is Rosha. “Like Tom & Jerry, we’re always fighting, but we love each other.”

Her life hasn’t been without hardship. Her older son went through a frightening health crisis—months of unexplained illness and enormous medical bills. Her faith and a local pastor carried the family through. He has since recovered.

Today, she shows up to work with joyous confidence, an infectious energy, and a vision for Bon Fiction that will carry the whole team far into the future.

RAGHAVENDRA: THE TEAM’S UNLIKELY HERO

Raghavendra at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Raghavendra came to Bon Fiction as the fifth employee—and the only man on the team for a long time. He admits he almost quit. He was shy, the work was new, and the team was almost entirely women. “Harini and Divya pushed me to do the job.”

Before Bon Fiction, he had tried several ventures—a car wash, transport businesses—and faced significant losses. He came looking to rebuild. He found a boss in Akhil who was young, respectful, and worth investing in. He found a team that welcomed him. His mother and wife have supported him through every setback.

“Now he’s the hero,” his teammates chimed in during his interview—managing the heavy lifting, the logistics, and everything that needs a steady hand.

TULASI: THE BOSS IN THE MAKING

Tulasi at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Tulasi is the eldest daughter in her family. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a doctor or landing a government job with the railways. Those dreams shifted quickly when her mother had back surgery twelve years ago and the family navigated a difficult stretch with little support. Her mom has encouraged her ever since—in study, in life, in work.

She came to Bon Fiction and, within three months, fell in love with the work, determined to learn the entire chocolate-making process. Her favorite task is tempering, and she considers Raghavendra her factory brother. Now, her work at Bon Fiction lets her support and encourage her mom in return.

She describes herself as "an angry girl" — someone with standards and the integrity to enforce them. She likes to be the boss. She's considered teaching, but worries she might be too demanding. As she relayed this to me, her coworkers chided in agreement.

Akhil & Prathina Grandhi with cacao pods at fermentary, Bon Fiction Chocolate - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

A CULTURE BUILT ON CHARACTER & OWNERSHIP

It’s easy to assume that it’s the unique combination of people hired at Bon Fiction that makes the family. Indeed, they’re a huge part of the culture. But, the head of the family sets the tone and this is where Akhil and Prathina shine.

Most companies hire for years of experience. Operating as a pioneer in tree-to-bar chocolate, Bon Fiction doesn’t have that luxury. So they hired for character and bet on capability. The result is a team of nearly 20 people whose backgrounds range from finance to food technology to first-time employment.

Divya describes the culture of ownership simply: “Some things they tell us. Some things we do on our own—as if this is our company.” You can see it in the way the team moves through the factory, stepping in wherever needed without being asked.

That culture of trust starts at the top. Raghavendra came from a job where his previous boss was disrespectful to employees. The contrast with Akhil was immediate: “Akhil is more respectful.” And despite more lucrative offers elsewhere, Harini stays—“mostly because they respect us so well and treat us like family.”

WORKING FREELY AS A WOMAN

Chocolate making at Bon Fiction Factory - Tree-to-Bar Chocolate in Godavari, India

Being a woman in India isn’t a single experience—it varies enormously by region, family, and opportunity. But across conversations with the women on Bon Fiction’s team, a common thread emerged: this job isn’t only about a paycheck.

“Being a woman in India isn’t always easy. Freedom—to move, to work, to simply be yourself—isn’t guaranteed. Very few people are blessed with that freedom in India.” At Bon Fiction, Divya says she’s found it. “Many women are here—it’s easy for us to work freely. It has a homey feeling, not like a company, coming and going. The bonding we share is very big.”

Harini agrees: “I’ve been offered IT jobs, but mostly I’m here for Akhil and Prathina because they respect us so well and treat us like family. Other jobs are 9 to 9; here it’s 10 to 6—easier for work-life balance as a woman. It is easier to do the job very freely.”

For Kumari, the job arrived at the right moment—when her family needed income and options felt limited. Her teammates interjected: “She’s a hardworking girl. There’s not a maid or anyone else to help around the home. She does most of the work at home.” The balance and flexibility Bon Fiction has provided was a lifeline.

THE REASONS THEY WORK

Passion for the craft is real—and the flexibility is crucially important. Yet Bon Fiction’s impact extends beyond the factory and contributes to the bigger picture of multi-generational family life.

Divya’s father retired two years ago; she and her brother now support the family. Tulasi says her greatest accomplishment is “helping my parents financially.” Kumari’s proudest achievement is educating her teenage sons during a period when family finances were tight.

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE FROM BEAN-TO-BAR

One thread I didn’t expect: how much they value understanding the entire chocolate-making process. In an industry where workers are sometimes siloed into a single task, Bon Fiction provides a wide variety of opportunities. Not one employee failed to mention it as a reason they love the work. That experience creates people who see themselves as part of a much bigger picture and who care about the product and the company—not just workers who clock in.

DREAMS FOR BON FICTION

Kim of Cocoa Future Collaborative with Women leaders of Bon Fiction Chocolate Factory in India - Harini, Divya, Lakshmi, Kumari

At the end of each interview, I asked everyone the same question: “What are your dreams for 30 years from now?” I expected answers about their families, their careers, their own futures. What I got—from every single person—was a version of the same answer: their dream for Bon Fiction.

Harini wants to expand the factory. Raghavendra wants people everywhere to know the name. Kumari ties her own growth directly to the company’s. Tulasi envisions it scaled like a multinational. They didn’t separate their personal futures from the company’s future.

Over five years of asking this question to people in businesses around the world, I’ve never seen that before. And I celebrate it with the team at Bon Fiction—because with a shared vision like that, they’re very likely to get there.

Shop Now: Bon Fiction Chocolate

Bon Fiction Chocolate is available in the U.S. through the Cocoa Future Collaborative marketplace, in several of our Tastings, and at bonfiction.us. Their cacao is grown in the Godavari delta of southern India and crafted from tree-to-bar.