Velour Luxury Dark Chocolates
When it comes to chocolate, most of us are happy with a quick sugar rush but for some, it’s an art form, a passion, and even a philosophy. Meet someone whose passion is chocolate especially dark chocolate… Vanalika Dhakre Nagpal, Co-founder, Velour Luxury Dark Chocolates, a bean-to-bar brand born from her love for craftsmanship and cacao. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, a Master in Wine and Spirits from Bordeaux, France, and a Master in Brand Design and Management with a specialization in Food and Wine from IED Florence and IED Barcelona, the super talented Vanalika brings together business acumen, global culinary expertise, and design innovation.
Alongside her academic journey, she has always been fascinated by human behavior and anthropology… a curiosity that fuels her passion for understanding how people connect with food on an emotional and cultural level. This deep interest, combined with her love for food design and innovation, inspired her to experiment with cacao and ultimately create Velour, a brand that unites authenticity, elegance, and uncompromising quality in couverture dark chocolate.
From bean to bar, her creations are smooth as silk, rich in flavour, and wrapped in a story that’s as layered as a truffle. With a brand name that literally translates to “velvet” in French, Velour melts on the palate (we know… we’ve tried it) like poetry… elegant, indulgent, and unforgettable. And much like the best kind of chocolate, Vanalika’s journey is bittersweet: filled with challenges, conched with creativity, and finished with a glossy shine of success.
In an exclusive interview, Vanalika Dhakre Nagpal, Co-founder, Velour Luxury Dark Chocolates, talks to Sumita Chakraborty, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, about her sweet journey from bean to brilliance, and how Velour Chocolates is carving a niche as India’s answer to global luxury brands.
Over to Vanalika Dhakre Nagpal, Co-founder, Velour Luxury Dark Chocolates
Your journey from a commerce background to founding a luxury chocolate brand is quite unique. Can you walk us through the initial spark that made you combine your love for craftsmanship with the world of cacao? What made you call your chocolates Velour, which is velvet in French?
My relationship with chocolate started very early, in my mother’s hometown of Odessa, Ukraine. There was a café with a chocolate factory inside, and they would manufacture their own chocolate fresh every single day. As a child, I was mesmerized by that bean-to-bar process—the aroma, the textures, the magic of it. Every time I visited Odessa, I would sit there for hours, simply watching and indulging in their creations.
Alongside this, I grew up receiving chocolates from all over the world—whether it was Swiss, Austrian, French, Belgian, Hungarian, or Ukrainian. Whenever I traveled with my parents, I would collect chocolates like little treasures. That exposure to different styles and flavors created a deep fascination for the craft.
While I always had an entrepreneurial instinct, it was my studies in food and wine in Europe that shaped my decision. I knew I wanted to build something in the food space—something healthy, something that heals. Chocolate felt like it found me, but it was also a natural choice because it combines both indulgence and well-being.
As for the name—Velour—it came from a very simple yet profound question: How should my chocolate feel on the palate? The answer was instantly “velvety.” When I searched for this in different languages, “Velour” stood out—it carried elegance, international appeal, and, luckily, the domain was available too. That’s how Velour was born.
You’ve studied Brand Design and Management, with a focus on Food and Wine. How did this blend of disciplines influence the way you approach creating chocolate, and how has it shaped the identity of Velour?
One of the most important lessons from my studies was that whatever you create for people to consume should be something you’d wholeheartedly give to your own parents or future children. For me, that means Velour chocolates are genuinely clean and healthy. My in-laws and my entire family indulge in them daily, which is the best proof I could ask for.
Design thinking also plays a huge role at Velour. While we’re still evolving, we pay close attention to every detail—from the unboxing experience, to the indulgence itself, and even the aftertaste and memories it leaves behind. In terms of recipes, my guiding principle is always health. In fact, 99% of our products are vegan—not because we set out to target the vegan market, but because in the pursuit of the healthiest possible recipes, they naturally turned out that way.
Velour is, in essence, both a culinary creation and a design object. It’s indulgence you can taste, but also an experience you can feel.
As someone with a fascination for human behavior and anthropology, how does your understanding of cultural connections and emotions impact the way you design and present Velour’s chocolates?
I’ve always been deeply curious about human behavior. I love observing how people’s likes, dislikes, education, travel, and food habits reveal so much about who they are. That curiosity shapes how I design for Velour—because chocolate isn’t just food, it’s emotion.
Storytelling and rituals play a huge role. At Velour, we encourage people to gift thoughtfully, to choose chocolates that are not only indulgent but also mindful and healthy. Gifting should come from the heart, and food has the power to create lasting connections.
We also design flavors and collections inspired by cultural emotions. A recent example is our Nyora campaign, which celebrates the flora and fauna of India. We created new packaging and flavors around six different biomes—rose & pistachio for the desert, espresso & hazelnut for the forest, mango jelly for the rainfruit season, and so on. It was our way of tying chocolate to India’s own biodiversity and beauty.
And yes, I’ve noticed that people connect to dark chocolate differently across cultures. In India, for example, I see the strongest demand in South India and among working professionals who are more aware of bean-to-bar chocolate and appreciate its authenticity.
Starting a luxury brand in a competitive industry like chocolate isn’t easy. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when building Velour, and how did you overcome them?
In the beginning, sourcing was the biggest challenge. Finding the right beans—the right quality, grade, and base notes—was a long process. But once we figured that out, the toughest hurdle turned out to be logistics, especially during India’s harsh summers.
Shipping across the country in May to July was emotionally draining. Despite using insulated boxes and gel packs, some orders didn’t arrive in the best shape. For a brand that values quality and elegance, this was heartbreaking. There were moments when I felt like giving up, especially when we were shipping certain orders at a loss of ₹50 per bar just to ensure clients had a good experience.
What kept me going was the determination to never compromise on customer trust. Even if it meant re-shipping at a loss, I knew maintaining credibility was more important than short-term setbacks. Today, packaging and pan-India supply still remain exciting challenges—but ones I embrace, because solving them makes Velour stronger.
Velour is about more than just premium chocolate. It’s about authenticity, elegance, and uncompromising quality. How do these values manifest in every bar you create, and what makes Velour different from other luxury chocolate brands?
For us, authenticity begins with raw materials. We never compromise on our beans or recipes. Everything has to be pure, clean, and crafted to the highest standards.
Elegance, for me, is a combination of texture, taste, and experience. From the moment someone unboxes a Velour bar to the final lingering notes on their palate, it should feel refined and international in quality.
But what truly sets Velour apart is the personal connection. With us, you’re not just buying chocolate—you’re entering a relationship. Our customers know they can reach out directly via Instagram, our website, or even phone. We welcome both appreciation and criticism because it helps us grow. That accessibility, that sense of being heard, is rare in the luxury chocolate space, and I believe it’s what people value most about Velour.
From Bordeaux to Florence and Barcelona, your educational journey spanned various prestigious locations. How did living in different cultures influence your view on food design, craftsmanship, and even your personal philosophy toward chocolate?
Every city left its unique imprint on me. Barcelona, where I spent time in 2017, was at the peak of food innovation—it taught me how far creativity could be pushed in gastronomy. Florence, on the other hand, gave me a deep sense of elegance and luxury. Food there wasn’t just nourishment, it was Renaissance-inspired artistry, steeped in beauty and refinement.
Bordeaux, though, taught me something even more fundamental—the essence of true hospitality. Living and studying there instilled in me a philosophy that no matter what, the client is king. That lesson has stayed with me in Velour. For example, whenever we’ve received a negative review on Amazon, we’ve never snapped back or ignored it. Instead, we personally reached out to the customer, sent them another package of their order, and tried to turn their last impression of Velour into a positive one—even if it came at a loss to us. For me, protecting trust is far more valuable than protecting margins.
My European experiences also reshaped how I view chocolate rituals. I learned the possibilities of bean-to-bar making, bonbon craftsmanship, and flavor innovation—things that weren’t common in India at the time. And it sparked a dream: to create an Indian chocolate brand that could stand alongside international giants like Läderach and Royce. That’s why Velour doesn’t position itself as “Belgian chocolate.” It’s proudly Indian, yet crafted to meet global luxury standards.
Velour is a bean-to-bar brand, which means you’re involved in every stage of the chocolate-making process. What part of this process excites you the most, and how do you stay inspired through all the intricate steps of production? Also, do you mostly work with dark chocolates? If so, why?
The process that excites me most is conching. It’s the stage where cacao nibs transform into silky chocolate liquor, and the taste, shine, and smoothness of Velour are born. To this day, I personally oversee every conching session because it defines our distinct profile. Watching that glossy, smooth liquid emerge feels like magic every single time.
We focus on dark chocolate because it is the truest form of chocolate—pure, authentic, and healthier. The darker it is, the fewer additives it contains. That’s why Velour doesn’t even use milk. For us, dark chocolate is both a health choice and a mark of authenticity.
Looking back on your journey so far, what milestone in the growth of Velour are you most proud of, and how has that success shaped your vision for the future of the brand?
Some of the most validating moments have been when recognition came organically. I’ll never forget the first time a well-known baking influencer spoke about Velour without us even knowing—it led to a sudden surge of followers and orders, and it felt incredible to see genuine love from real people. Later, being featured by Food Talk India as one of the best bean-to-bar chocolates, and more recently in Hindustan Times Delhi edition, were proud milestones that made me feel Velour is truly making its mark.
Looking ahead, my vision is clear: I want Velour to be present in every major city in India, to be known nationwide for healthy luxury chocolate, and to become a household choice. And someday, I want Velour to stand tall among the world’s finest brands—not just as “an Indian chocolate,” but as a global name.
TheGlitz Verdict
Luxury is often defined by rarity, craftsmanship, and emotion… and Velour embodies all three. What makes Vanalika’s journey remarkable isn’t just her ability to master the alchemy of chocolate, but how she infuses it with culture, design, and authenticity. Each Velour bar is a story dipped in rich dark chocolate, velvety, mindful, and unapologetically elegant.
At TheGlitz, we believe luxury brands are those that refuse to compromise, and Velour is exactly that. From sourcing the finest beans to re-shipping at a personal loss just to safeguard customer trust, Vanalika has shown that excellence is not negotiable, it’s her default.
As India’s chocolate landscape evolves, Velour Luxury Dark Chocolates is proof that homegrown brands can not only match but rival global giants. In every bite, there’s a whisper of heritage, a hint of wellness, and a promise of indulgence crafted for the discerning palate.
Velour is indeed India’s velvet revolution in luxury confectionery.
