A not unusual matter of debate in my area each time considered one of us falls unwell revolves round our dangerous diets. The dialog has a tendency to escalate with my mom passionately emphasising how diets up to now had been enriched with superfoods like jowar, bajra, and ragi.
True sufficient, millets are actually being recognised as superfoods international. In 2023, the Indian executive designated it because the “12 months of Millets” to underscore their a lot of advantages.
Then again, a problem arises because of the restricted availability of devoted retail outlets providing quite a few millets. “In our fast paced global, what maximum people want is ready-to-use recipes, and no longer many manufacturers be offering a variety of millet choices. Recognising this hole, I based my very own millet startup,” says Sai Krishna Popuri, the founding father of Well being Sutra, as shared with The Higher India.
Sai, the entrepreneur in the back of a millet-based logo, gives a various vary of millet merchandise via his startup. From Jowar Flakes to Millet Muesli and Millet Idli Rawa pre-mix, the emblem goals to seamlessly combine this superfood into your day by day nutrition. With 1000’s of goods offered, the emblem has accomplished an excellent annual income of Rs 2.5 crores.
‘For a wholesome and lengthy existence’
After finishing his engineering from the Indian Institute of Generation in Delhi, Sai determined to take a company task within the training sector.
“Whilst I used to be operating a role, I sought after to get into ventureship. I had at all times dreamt of being an entrepreneur. I used to be handiest looking ahead to the precise concept to come back alongside for me to take the bounce,” he stocks.
Sai recollects that whilst he used to be in school, he sought after to arrange his personal trade and had a few concepts too. “Whilst there have been a large number of concepts, I sought after to do one thing that stood out and used to be benefitting the society too,” he says.
Meals startups have at all times been a space of pastime for Sai. “Meals tech has at all times been attention-grabbing to me. Earlier than Well being Sutra, I used to be operating on an Indo-Chinese language startup in Hyderabad,” he says.
“Round the similar time, my father used to be identified with diabetes. The physician really useful more than a few possible choices reminiscent of wheat, oats, or quinoa for his nutrition. I couldn’t assist however marvel – oats are superb, however quinoa is imported from South The usa. Why go for one thing from midway the world over when we’ve similarly excellent choices proper right here?” he provides.
In need of to search out possible choices in India, he went on the lookout for choices. He met a relative who labored within the meals science division at a school in Andhra Pradesh. “She used to be passionately discussing millets and the way they’re poised to develop into the following giant factor. Millets, being deeply rooted in our land, boast indigenous qualities, robustness, and drought resistance, making them a extremely really useful selection,” he says.
On additional analysis, Sai realised the explanation why the superfood used to be no longer as fashionable as others.
“The processing generation for wheat, rice, and corn has complex considerably. Then again, the similar can’t be mentioned for millets. The restricted development in milling and additional processing of millets creates a scenario the place presenting millets to customers in a contemporary context, or providing them a modern point of view on their conventional meals and roots, turns into difficult,” he says.
To modify the point of view in opposition to millet and to make it extra simply available to customers, Sai began his analysis and construction in 2013.
“Our grandmas had been proper to invite us to incorporate millets in our diets as they’re historically thought to be to be wholesome,” he says.
Through 2014, he used to be waiting along with his first product. “We introduced jowar porridge underneath our logo Well being Sutra and it were given a really perfect reaction,” he recollects.
Since its release, the corporate has skilled important enlargement, introducing a various vary of goods. Those come with cereal flakes reminiscent of Jowar Flakes, Ragi Flakes, and Barley Flakes, in addition to seven several types of rava for idli and upma, and biscuits constructed from ragi and jowar.
Making millets to be had to all
The logo has a excellent buyer base in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Recalling folks’s preliminary response, Sai says, “All over that point, my purpose used to be to provide an alternative choice to masala oats. The reaction used to be certain, particularly from those that attempted it a couple of times – they loved the style. Phrase unfold and extra folks started to provide it a take a look at.”
He provides, “Curiously, even these days, firms like Soulful and perhaps now Slurp Farm, no main participant has emerged on this house. Because of this, folks nonetheless don’t have many choices to discover.”
The logo now boasts an annual income of two.5 crores and has a group of 9 folks.
Whilst those numbers sign good fortune, Sai emphasized the endurance required to achieve this level. “It’s been a sluggish burn for us; the business remains to be nascent, and persons are handiest now starting to open up. Again in 2013, after I began my analysis, there have been no avenues to be had. Institutes devoted to this purpose had been scarce, and the generation to do easy such things as making uttapam from jowar used to be no longer readily available,” he explains.
“Then again,” he continues, “Instances have modified considerably since then. Now, we’ve devoted institutes for analysis, and extra people are making an investment in millet-based startups.”
The world 12 months initiative for millets closing 12 months has no doubt made a good have an effect on.
“Then again, I imagine it’s nonetheless within the consciousness level fairly than some degree the place a dependancy has been absolutely shaped. Individuals are making an attempt, and experimenting, but it surely hasn’t develop into a day by day dependancy like consuming rice or chapati. That, I imagine, will take some extra time,” he says.
The goods via Well being Sutra are recently to be had in on the subject of 3,000 supermarkets in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In addition they send them country-wide by way of Amazon.
It were some time since P Lalitha discovered the advantages of millet however used to be on the lookout for concepts to include it into her child’s nutrition. “I’ve been the usage of Well being Sutra’s Millet Idly Rawa for years now, it tastes so excellent that my children like to devour idli. I ceaselessly make chocolates with this rawa. I at all times wish to have my children with 0 maida snacks and the Well being Sutra biscuits turn out to be useful,” she says.
The goods are nice and wholesome. They have got 0 components and sugar which makes them her go-to selection.
As for the longer term, Sai plans to enlarge his merchandise to make it extra child-friendly.
“Lately, millet merchandise haven’t made important inroads into the youngsters’ phase, specifically in high-volume children’ meals classes, which is a space we’re curious about exploring additional. Our center of attention is on making millets extra digestible, palatable, and available at a extra handy worth level. At this time, millet merchandise have a tendency to be a little costlier in comparison to their standard opposite numbers,” he says.
(Edited via Padmashree Pande)