Sahil Jain has always harbored the desire to become an Entrepreneur which pushed him to take the plunge and start his own business. Not with standing a successful corporate life, Sahil wanted to build a company that goes beyond its commercial objectives, delivers on its social responsibility and creates an impression of a community.
Thus, with such a vision, he founded “Mighty Millets”, a startup having a range of healthy and unique nutrition-backed food products. Perfect for healthy snacking, their products are completely natural with no refined sugar, preservatives or artificial ingredients. As they love to say, “Eating healthy should be a lifestyle.”
Read more about healthy snacks and why Mighty Millets is a consumer’s favorite in this conversation with Storiyaan.
Sahil Jain: Revolutionizing Healthy Snacking
Interview
Questions and answers
Despite having a successful career in KPMG as an M&A consultant, what difference did you find in Mighty Millets that made you feel content about your big decision?
I just couldn’t digest how corporates operate. Hence, I realized that I don’t fit in their culture. I wanted to see some noticeable differences from the work I did. Consequently, I feel good and satisfied with what I am doing even when I work for 12-14 hours a day!
Could you share with us the story that kick started your desire to start the business on healthy snacking and hence promoting a healthy lifestyle?
I realized that there was a huge dearth of healthy, tasty and convenient snacking solutions in the market. Moreover, I was deeply inspired by my mom who was sharing nutritional recipes to her clients that were showing exceptional results. That’s how the idea of Ready-To-Eat snacking options popped in my head and subsequently, we launched our healthy product line.
Mighty Millets works on bringing a wide range of handcrafted snacking. What are the food options available to the customers that they can choose on basis of both taste and health?
We have a range of product categories catering to various segments – for healthy snacking, health conditions, pre and post-workout etc. They are great as a guilt-free breakfast or an evening snack. We have nutritional bars, savory bites, granolas and functional mixes with each having a wide range of products.
What were the initial hurdles you faced when you planned to start your business and how did you manage your setbacks?
Coming from a finance background(CA), I did not know about nutrition or even how to run a business! I worked very hard to understand the basics of nutrition, food science, the health industry and various other unknowns. But surely, patience, smart work, focus and a never give up attitude paid off.
What marketing strategies were used by your company when the company started and how has it change post-pandemic?
We decided to do aggressive offline sales through retail stores and cross-sell to the consultation clients. However, during the pandemic, we have entirely switched to an online, Direct-To-Consumer model (D2C) selling through our website, a select few third-party online portals and a few retailers. Besides, we tied up with various COVID centers across Pune to distribute our products for post COVID recovery as almost all our products are immune-boosters.
Since your mother is a dietician, what were the healthy habits inculcated in you since your very childhood that is helping you in today's long run?
My mom always inculcated healthy habits in us. For example, the importance of a consistent sleep schedule which has several short and long term benefits was something I learned young. In addition, basic nutrition, snacking tips and how to eat outside smartly were some hacks that we were taught to me since my childhood.
Mighty Millets claims to produce gluten-free, healthy snacks without compromising on the taste. How is that ensured so the customers have a great experience?
A lot of people won’t believe this, but many healthy ingredients can be tweaked a little to give them a great taste. So good that it’s addictive. Mom’s cooking experience of 30 years combined with her knowledge of nutrition has helped her to create unique recipes which are Healthy + Tasty! Also, she understands the Indian taste palate quite well.
Some immunity boosters and bodybuilding powders cause more harm to our bodies than good. How do Mighty Millets prove to be different from those and immune individuals truly?
All our ingredients are completely natural and can be found in any Indian kitchen. We tend to ignore what we have and run behind trending ingredients marketed as superfoods. Mom’s understanding of traditional spices has given her the weapon to create these unique products. Our products have no sugar, preservatives and nothing artificial. Just pure, genuine ingredients are put together in a way that strikes a balance between wholesome food and convenience.
The delivery of the products is done across India. How overwhelming does it get sometimes to manage everything especially when the country is going half of the time through a lockdown since the last 1.5 years?
It’s difficult since it is tough to interact with customers and assure them of timely delivery. But delays and problems keep happening due to the pandemic be it material procurement, labor issues or marketing. Having said that, we believe it’s a test which we have crossed with flying colors! We believe that the customer will understand you if you are genuine and transparent with them.
Getting to begin a startup with your mother and having her as a guide all the time is a blessing. How has the relationship dynamic helped you in growing and learning more in this journey?
Since my co-founder is my mom, it’s really easy to communicate with her and reach out to her for all my technical doubts related to nutrition and health. She listens to all my business experiences with keen interest. In many ways we complement and learn from each other. She has a well-planned approach towards everything and great problem-solving skills which benefits the company.
Quick 5
1. Your favourite snack in Mighty Millets – Bajra Bites
2. You blow your steams off mainly by– Playing the guitar and going on vacation.
3. The person who is your biggest motivation–Mom
4. What is your cheat food? I just love chat – bhel, panipuri or dahipuri!
5. Mighty Millets in the next ten years? Grow as a trusted name and become a go-to brand in health & wellness.
6. Your most favorite pass-time–Hanging out with my friends!