“I was born in Jamshedpur, but my life changed when my family moved to Hyderabad in 2002. Growing up, I was influenced by my parents in many ways. My father, a professor and an author who works on leadership, business communication and other professional skill programs with the MBA colleges, corporates and theTelangana government, taught me the importance of staying grounded and consistent. My mother, the vice principal at DPS, always encouraged me to be responsible and focused. Their guidance gave me a strong foundation, but my own journey took me in a different direction.
I looked up to my cousin, who was studying journalism, and admired the work she was doing. But I always had this feeling that I needed to find my own way. That led me to filmmaking, which I studied at the School of Communication, Manipal University. Filmmaking was my creative outlet, but I didn’t pursue it as a career. What stuck with me, though, was my love for capturing moments. I was always carrying a camera, taking pictures just for the joy of it.
Baking was something I stumbled upon during college. A professor’s friend in Manipal used to sell cupcakes and éclairs, and I helped her with the selling. That experience got me thinking—why should I buy desserts when I could try making them myself? What started as a casual thought slowly grew into something I really enjoyed.
When I returned to Hyderabad and began working, I used my free time to experiment with baking. On my one day off, I would test out recipes, take small orders, and share samples with friends and colleagues. It wasn’t easy at first. My parents didn’t see baking as something with potential, and it took me over a year and a half to convince them that it could be more than just a hobby.
In 2018, I decided to go all in and opened a cloud kitchen in Kondapur. I started with cheesecakes, fondant cakes, and unique designs like bachelorette cakes, which quickly became popular. The early days were tough—I handled almost everything myself with help from a small team. But through practice and word of mouth, things began to fall into place. I ran the kitchen for a few years, but by 2023, I felt ready to explore something new and decided to close it.
That’s when I began focusing more on food styling and photography, which had always been an interest of mine. I’m grateful to my fiancée for giving me the extra push I needed to take this step forward.
Food styling is about making food look its best for photos and videos. It’s not just about arranging food—it involves paying attention to textures, lighting, and angles to bring out the best in a dish. For example, the way a garnish is placed or how a sauce drips can completely change how appetizing the food looks. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes effort, but seeing the final result is always satisfying.
Food styling is still a relatively new concept in Hyderabad, but it’s gaining attention. Restaurants and cafes use it for marketing and social media, and I’ve worked with places like Fire Water, Tabula Rasa, Gaurang’s home, and Simply South(Canada) among many others to style their dishes for campaigns.
Looking back, my journey has been far from straightforward. Before diving into baking and photography, I worked in sales, marketing, and operations at Decathlon. Every role, even the smallest ones, added something to my perspective. What I’ve learned is that hands-on experience is invaluable—it’s where real growth happens.
If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from all of this, it’s to keep moving forward, even when things get tough. There were moments when it felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, but I trusted the process and kept trying. Today, I juggle food styling, photography, and occasional baking, and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
- Devesh Bhatt, Entrepreneur