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Craving homemade flavours this Diwali? Meet the small-batch brand bringing mithai back to life
This festive season, we’ve spotted a new-age, viral brand that is reviving handmade, small-batch sweets that capture the nostalgic taste of homemade treats.
In an ever-evolving world of food trends, mithai continues to hold a central place in festive and celebratory occasions. As more people seek authentic options, including preservative-free sweets, regional specialties, and artisanal varieties, the market for traditional mithai is evolving. A recent social media video by Tanmay Bhat and the AIB squad brought a relatively new brand into the spotlight, turning a light-hearted moment into a closer look at one of this festive season’s emerging homegrown food stories. In less than 24 hours, the video has racked up over 2.2 million views and 26k+ reposts, cementing the fact that brands delivering strong, organic content win the audience.
For many, Diwali celebrations remain closely tied to traditional foods such as hand-rolled besan laddoos, flaky soan papdi, and slow-cooked milk peda. With mass-produced sweets flooding the market, these home-style flavours are becoming harder to find. The Indian sweet market is largely driven by cookie-cutter brands, especially during the festive season when demand peaks. Many consumers rely on local sweet shops for fresher, handmade options, but access can be limited by geography. In response, small-batch packaged brands are emerging to meet this demand. Many of these producers emphasize traditional preparation methods, avoid palm oil, and offer products with a shorter shelf life, similar to sweets from local sweet shops.
One such brand we’ve come across is Noice. While packaged and available on quick-commerce, the brand stands apart for its focus on small-batch production and traditional flavours. Like one user on social media shared, “ You can taste the purity of the ingredients in every bite. I haven’t come across a range of packaged mithai that tastes so close to my mum’s homemade mithai. I started ordering Noice products this August, and in just a few months, we’ve tried almost all of their namkeens and beverages. We’ve also introduced our friends and families to these, and they love them too. It’s become our go-to fuss-free gift of choice.”
Unlike commercial brands designed to last months on end, Noice focuses on low-shelf-life sweets. Its packaging, featuring vibrant colours and modern Indian design elements, is intended to reflect a fresh, contemporary approach while maintaining a connection to tradition. A working professional from Mumbai shared, “I stumbled upon Noice on Instamart, and it instantly became my go-to brand for indulgences. Noice’s Milk Cake reminded me of that same taste, just like my nani’s homemade sweets.”
With Diwali approaching, demand for high-quality frozen snacks and namkeen rises as well. Many popular namkeens and frozen snacks in India contain palm oil or its derivative, palmolein oil, due to its cost-effectiveness, long shelf life, and neutral taste, making it ideal for mass-produced festive snacks. As per its product description, Noice uses only fresh, non-reused rice bran oil in small batches for conscious consumers. Its festive range of namkeens includes Bhujia Sev, Chakli, and tapioca chips, among others. Going a step further, Noice has also revived authentic traditional favourites like Nipattu, Achappam, and Gavallu - mainly sweets that lost shelf spaces due to their delicate nature and low shelf life. An entrepreneur from Calicut who works with Noice said, “Achappam (Rose Cookies) from Kerala lost major shelf space in the Indian market due to its shorter shelf life and delicate nature, which made it prone to breakage. Noice has helped us bridge this gap and bring the regional delicacy back not just to local markets, but to consumers nationwide.”
Industry observers note that this trend reflects a broader shift among urban consumers toward fresh, artisanal, and regionally authentic foods. Quick commerce is also playing a role in connecting small producers with wider audiences, helping regional delicacies reach consumers nationwide. As Diwali approaches, these small-batch brands highlight a growing interest in quality, tradition, and nostalgia, even as convenience and availability remain important considerations for festive shoppers.
Here are the Noice products we tried and loved this Diwali:
A curated mix of traditional sweets, namkeen, and cookies, including Kaju Katli, hand-rolled Besan Laddoos, Bikaneri Bhujia Sev (palm-oil free), and butter biscuits made with real butter.
A festive mithai box features Milk Pedas, Soan Papdi, Besan Laddoos, and Milk Cake, handmade and perfect for gifting, sharing, or prasad.
Made with desi ghee and no preservatives, crafted in small batches to replicate the flaky, layered texture of homemade versions.
Handcrafted chocolates in Plain Milk, Plain Dark, Rice Crispy, and Nutty varieties, these are pure couverture chocolates at a great price.
Homestyle snacks like Chaklis and spiced Bhujia, made without palm oil using traditional methods.
Fresh Lime Soda, Peach Kombucha, Aam Panna, Kokum Jeera Soda, and Lassi, all prepared with fresh ingredients and no artificial flavors or added sugar.
As Diwali nears, brands like Noice highlight a growing appetite for nostalgia, quality, and tradition, all while making festive indulgence convenient and accessible.
Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio