Customer experience today is about more than just product delivery—it’s about forging deep emotional connections, solving real-life problems, and creating stories that resonate. At CXQuest, we spotlight the brands and people shaping those experiences.
In this edition, we’re proud to feature Mugdha Bhagchandka, the Co-founder and COO of Meal of the Moment (MOM)—a brand that has become synonymous with convenience, warmth, and nourishment for modern-day consumers.
Mugdha Bhagchandka is a third-generation entrepreneur and the visionary Co-founder of MOM Foods. Since 2017, she has been passionately building MOM into one of India’s fastest-growing instant food brands. Deeply rooted in her personal experiences, Mugdha brings a unique blend of emotional storytelling, innovation, and operational excellence to her role, crafting not just products—but memorable food experiences.
Meal of the Moment (MOM) was born from a simple yet powerful idea: to bring home-style comfort food to those away from home. From its humble beginnings with instant hot meals to its expansion into nutritious snacks, MOM has evolved into a customer-first brand that places quality, health, and experience at the center of everything it does. Today, MOM is a trusted name across 40,000+ retail stores and multiple airline partners, both in India and internationally.
Welcome to CXQuest, Mugdha! We’re excited to learn more about how MOM Foods is not just feeding people but also building meaningful customer experiences through innovation, authenticity, and heart.
CX at MOM Foods
Q1. Let’s start at the core—how do you define customer experience at MOM Foods?
MB: At MOM Foods, the customer journey is about helping people feel appreciated as well as relevant at every stage of engagement with our brand, starting from the initial touch point to the last bite. It encompasses creating moments of solace, compassion, and happiness straight from the heart, just like our tagline promises.
Q2. MOM is rooted in a powerful emotional concept—‘inspired by a mother’s love’. How does this influence your CX strategy across touch points?
MB: The love of a mother is empathetic, nurturing and relentless and those are the feelings we channel into every MOM interaction. Whether it’s the warmth of our packaging, the sincerity of the label, and the compassion infused into our customer care—everything tells a compassionate story. We reflect on each touch point and ask, “Would this make a mom proud?” That emotional lens serves as anchor, consistently aligned and true to our core values.
Storytelling, Building Trust, and Customer Engagement
Q3. You often speak about storytelling being central to MOM’s brand journey. How do you use storytelling to build trust and deepen customer engagement?
MB: Through storytelling, we are able to transcend beyond products and are able to forge deep human connections. Whether it’s the story behind a new recipe or the voices of the famers and chefs who bring life to our meals. It builds trust because people don’t just buy what we make—they believe in why we make it.
Q4. Clean labels, natural ingredients, and transparency are non-negotiable at MOM. How do these values translate into customer loyalty and brand advocacy?
MB: When customers see us opt for integrity and bypassing easy shortcuts, it creates deep trust. Our customers always appreciate the fact that we provide clean, honest, and truly wholesome food that they can feed their families. When we prove to deliver on these claims, it results in absolute loyalty from customers which over time gets converted into advocacy. If customers appreciate and feel good about using a brand, they won’t hesitate to share it publicly.
Role of Customer Feedback
Q5. What role does customer feedback play in your product innovation process? Can you share an example where customer insights shaped a new offering?
MB: Our innovation process begins with customer feedback. One vivid example is our no-added sugar trail mixes and berries. We received feedback from health-conscious parents and busy working professionals wanting clean and easy-to-eat snacks that would provide energy without any hidden sugars. Their insights inspired us to create mixes that were sweetened with real ingredients, and the response has been astonishing. It has become a staple for guilt-free snacking.
Q6. In an era of instant gratification, how do you balance convenience with quality and authenticity—especially in the ready-to-eat category?
MB: That’s where the heart-meets-science approach comes in. Using cutting-edge food tech, we strive to maintain the greatest possible degree of freshness and nutrition without artificial preservatives. Every recipe needs to pass a taste and soul test. It has to feel real, like something made at home. As a brand, we prioritize authenticity and convenience without compromise.
CX Across Varied Channels
Q7. With MOM’s presence expanding across airlines, e-commerce, and retail—how do you ensure a consistent CX across these varied channels?
MB: We follow a very simple rule: no matter where someone interacts with MOM, it should always feel like home. That requires adapting standard operating procedures for every channel while still maintaining our guiding principles. Brand consistency is achieved through holistic cross-function collaboration, integrated brand narratives, quality control, and seamless internal alignment.
Q8. How has MOM adapted to changing consumer behavior in the post-pandemic landscape, especially regarding health, convenience, and emotional connection?
MB: After the pandemic consumers crave wellness and emotional reassurance. We cater to these needs by adding more immunity-boosting ingredients, reducing our lists to fewer ingredients, and enhancing comforting and familiar food formats. Our tone is softer—we aren’t just offering meals’, we are offering peace of mind.
CX Practices
Q9. What are some CX practices MOM has adopted internally—whether in team culture, operations, or customer service—to keep the customer at the center?
MB: Every single team at MOM, whether it is R&D, marketing, or logistics, is encouraged to have a customer-first mentality. This starts with empathy workshops, listening to the frontline through active feedback sessions, and participating in our signature ‘MOM First Bite’ ritual where people from different teams try our products as first-timers. Our culture is based on building and delivering what we promise.
Q10. Looking ahead, how will MOM continue to innovate in customer experience? Any CX trends you’re particularly excited about?
MB: MOM is especially excited about hyper-personalization in tailoring food experiences to fit the lifestyles and preferences of individuals. While technology helps us dive deeper, the heart remains rooted in humanity. We are also working on sensory storytelling and AI-powered customer journeys, but as always, with the signature nurturing touch from MOM in every interaction.
Thank you, Mugdha, for sharing such valuable insights into how MOM is redefining food experiences through emotional connection, clean innovation, and relentless customer focus. Your story is a testament to how CX can go beyond transactions to touch hearts and build communities.
We truly appreciate your time and thoughtful responses, Mugdha. Your commitment to authentic, heart-led experiences is inspiring, and we’re excited to see how MOM continues to transform everyday meal moments into something truly magical.
