College is where we study, make friends, and enjoy life to the fullest. For 20-year-old Samridhi Elantholy, though, it's also a time to become an entrepreneur. A Mumbai-based law student, Elantholy converted her passion for baking into a successful business. In college, Samridhi Elantholy started La Joie, a bakery offering desserts like bomboloni, a doughnut-like Italian sweet. Between classes, long commutes, and daily life, she managed to build up a Rs 4 lakh business in just six months, as per reports.
A College Student's Passion For Baking
Samridhi Elantholy lives in Malad. She was interested in baking from an early age and learnt how to make several dishes through YouTube tutorials. When Elantholy was in class 12, she decided to open a small cake shop from her house. She did not receive many orders and had to end the venture, as per Startup Pedia.
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How La Joie Started
In college, she once again decided to open a bakery, with bombolinis and salt breads on the menu. And so, La Joie was established in 2024. Elantholy decided to create an Instagram account for the bakery and promote it extensively. A deluge of orders followed within months.
In April 2025, the law student decided to take on a challenge to earn Rs 1 lakh in 30 days. The move made her bakery go viral. By the time she was 19, she had earned Rs 4 lakh in revenue.
“I started documenting my journey in more detail and would even discuss my courier issues with my audience. People started relating to me and I started getting paying customers from Instagram,” she told Startup Pedia.
This year, she started her own food truck in Mahavir Nagar. The bakery offers items like salted bread, chewy bubble potatoes, and strawberry dirty soda.
Right now, Samridhi Elantholy is juggling college and her growing business. She still bakes her products at home and then carries them to the food truck. While logistics and balancing studies and career can be hectic sometimes, as she mentioned in a post, the 20-year-old is still keen to grow her business.
La Joie has also expanded its menu, introducing items such as Korean flan cheesecake. Elantholy's story shows how passion can overcome every hurdle and lead to success.
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