For a healthy tomorrow

Not many know that India is home to many superfoods. Millets like bajra (pearl millet), jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), barri (proso/common millet), jhangora (barnyard millet), kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet), kodra (kodo millet) are nutrient-rich foods.  

Soulfull, an FMCG company, has been revolutionising this Indian grain to create contemporary and convenient millet-based food items relevant to the Indian consumer. From Ragi Flakes to Ragi Bites, and Loopies to Masala Oats, and Desi Muesli to Smoothix, they have it all for you to enjoy guilt-free snacking.

Prashant Parameswaran, CEO and MD, Soulfull, tells us more. 

Why did you feel the need to launch Soulfull and concentrate on homegrown grains?
 During my stay in the USA, I witnessed the rising popularity of superfoods, such as quinoa. It is then that I realised the need to explore the power of Indian superfood such as millets. I truly believe that India is a very diverse country in every sense, including diversity in food and tastes. Traditionally, our country has been blessed with a myriad of superfoods, and when it comes to curating a healthy meal, we literally don’t need to look beyond our traditional grains. However, the knowledge of millets was lost somewhere post the Green Revolution and educating consumers about the benefits of India’s ancient superfood was the need of the hour. Hence, Soulfull believed that there was a need to extend this enriching and nutritious lineage to something we could consume daily. Our snacks are not only revolutionary in nature but also strive towards building a palatable snacking item to suit the Indian taste.

Are you promoting ragi as the ‘desi smart food’?
We are not promoting ragi as the ‘desi smart food’, but more as the ‘traditional superfood’. It is called superfood due to the holistic benefits it offers to the various stakeholders of the ecosystem, including the consumers and farmers. It also addresses India’s nutrition issues to a large extent.

Many Indians are consuming smart Western foods like quinoa and not homegrown foods like daliya or ragi, which are bursting with health benefits. Was it then challenging to market these products?
India’s traditional grains, such as ragi, are a powerhouse of nutrition. The popularity of ancient international grains such as quinoa is indeed making its way to the hearts of the Indian population. However, we believe that this phenomenon is primarily due to the limited knowledge about the nutrient values of the homegrown traditional grains. This encouraged Soulfull to bring back the goodness of ancient Indian grains for today’s modern consumers.

Soulfull has witnessed success in making inroads to the households of the Indian consumers by offering tasty and healthy snacking varieties. We also understand that this process of change is slow, but as today’s population moves towards a healthy lifestyle, this is the right time to initiate this change.

How much did you have to work on the recipes to make it appealing to the masses?
We realised the potential of traditional Indian grains and the high content of nutrients in all forms of millets. Though most individuals are unaware of it and have general myths built in their minds about millets being tasteless, we used this as an opportunity to turn them into a healthy, convenient and tasty snacking option. And we have come up with product options for every moment in the day. 

For breakfast, you have the flakes and muesli. If you are missing meals or in between snacks, we have Smoothix. For kids’ snacks, we have our flagship brand Ragi Bites. Those who like savoury products can try Desi Muesli or Masala Oats. It’s been a journey but in six-seven years we have churned out 20 different products. 

Soulfull is continuously in touch with their consumers for their feedback, appreciation, and recommendation. Our digital and CRM teams ensure they take these inputs from the consumers all the time to make better offerings.   

How are you sourcing ragi from the farmers? 
We work directly with farmers and agro-cooperatives to ensure responsible sourcing of ingredients which also includes the development of the farming community. We work closely with government agencies to promote millets as a true superfood. 

How are the government’s initiatives helping the growth of your startup?
Ancient grains such as millets grow easily in many parts of India, which require less water as compared to many other grains. These grains are drought resistant and also require minimal amount of fertilisers. The government is, therefore, promoting these grains because it helps emancipate the farmers and achieve nutritional security in the country. 

The year 2018 was declared as the year of millets in India. Millets are being procured by the government at support price, being included in mid-day meals and also Public Distribution Systems. Millets are also being promoted under the National Food Security Mission since their disappearance led to a depletion in nutrients like vitamin A, iron, and iodine. From production to consumption, these initiatives are making millets mainstream again.