India’s culinary landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Bajo Foods. With a bold mission to positively impact the health of 100 million Indians, Bajo Foods has set a new standard in the realm of nutrition and taste. Their unique approach centers on the creation of scientifically validated, low-carb products that stay true to the authentic flavors and textures of traditional Indian cuisine.
In a mere two years, Bajo Foods has surged to the forefront of the Keto and Ultra Low Carb food sector, establishing itself as the leading brand. Their remarkable journey is evidenced by top ratings and widespread listings on prominent e-commerce platforms, reflecting their ever-upward trajectory. Fuelled by a significant $2 million in funding, the company is set to achieve its goals of a remarkable 3.5-fold growth within 24 months of the funding; with a strategic emphasis on expanding into Offline Retail, forging B2B partnerships, and serving the healthcare sector, including hospitals.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Snackfax, Bajo Foods’ visionary Founder, Sudarshan Gangrade, offered insights into the company’s extraordinary success story and the journey that has brought them to their current enviable position. Here are the key highlights from that insightful conversation:
SnackFax: What is the core philosophy of ‘Bajo’ as a brand?
Sudarshan Gangrade: The term ‘Baho’ translates to ‘low’ in Spanish, and this concept forms the core philosophy of Bajo Foods. Our mission is to provide Low Carb Food options enhanced with Protein, Fibre and Good Fats. As a brand, we are driven by the ambition to create healthy, delicious food that can help people combat issues like obesity, diabetes, and heart problems.
One of our prominent sub-brands, ‘Lo Foods,’ embodies our vision of promoting weight loss. As the tagline of this brand suggests, through ‘Lo,’ we genuinely offer low-carb delights to our customers.
In addition to ‘Lo Foods,’ we also have two other sub-brands, namely DiabeSmart and ProteinChef. DiabeSmart focuses on providing food tailored for individuals dealing with diabetes.
When it comes to food choices in India, they primarily revolve around five main ingredients: atta, maida, besan, rice flour, and urad dal. We recognize that three out of these five ingredients are exceedingly high in carbohydrates, while the other two contain moderate levels of carbs. Consequently, India faces various carbohydrate-related health issues. This challenge motivated us to develop a product line that eliminates these concerns. We dedicated significant time and effort to select a niche that caters to the preferences of keto enthusiasts, which has propelled us to be recognized as an Amazon top choice amidst the multitude of products available.
Snackfax: Could you elaborate on your approach to handling the 100 million market index?
Sudarshan Gangrade: When dealing with a market as vast as 100 million, my approach is to segment it based on the latest official statistics released by the Indian government approximately three months ago. According to these statistics, out of India’s roughly 1.5 billion population, there are 105 million officially diagnosed diabetics. However, these numbers only represent the confirmed cases, and the actual number of diabetics may range between 130 to 140 million, which I am conservatively considering. This broadens the market scope to approximately 200 million.
Additionally, India has other health concerns, such as obesity, with 12% prevalence in men and 14% in women. There are also records indicating protein deficiency in 70% of the Indian population. Even if we consider the smallest overlapping segments, this collectively forms a market of around 100 million. Taking into account potential overlaps, the market could extend to over 250 million.
SnackFax: In the realm of food, flavor takes center stage, so how does your brand prioritize taste, and what is your perspective on this as the Founder?
Sudarshan Gangrade: As the Founder, I hold a strong emphasis on the taste and texture of food. Coming from Indore, one of India’s prominent culinary hubs, I have a good understanding of what appeals to a pan-Indian audience.
While many others ventured into the market with trendy products like cold-pressed oils, I chose to start with something more rooted: sev. I recognized that India’s unique strength lies in our steadfast habits, be it our tea preferences or our love for namkeen. This is why we take immense pride in our mixtures, and we’ve received exceptional customer ratings on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart. I firmly believe that achieving such acclaim is not possible without focusing on both taste and the health aspect of our food offerings.
Furthermore, Bajo Foods has not only innovated its product line but also its distribution methods. We are one of the few brands in India that operate both Cloud Kitchens and Packaged Foods. With a presence in over 20 kitchens across four major cities, we have become the largest Low Carb Cloud Kitchen Brand in India, with 17 kitchens. Our next milestone is to expand to 35 cloud kitchens within the next 12 months, targeting cities like Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Chennai through the franchise model.
A Health Revolution
Bajo Foods is now poised to take their mission to the next level with an innovative line of Health Foods. This endeavor aims to reduce India’s carbohydrate consumption by a substantial 50 percent, addressing the critical issues of obesity, diabetes, and cardiac-related diseases. This marks a significant step in catering to a vast and underserved health segment, which is predicted to experience substantial growth in the coming years.
In their efforts to expand their outreach to potential customers through offline stores, Bajo Foods and their sub-brand Lo! Foods, DiabeSmart and ProteinChef are at the forefront of advancing health, safety, and innovation, contributing to a healthier and fitter India. Their unwavering commitment to health and safety, especially during challenging times, sets a notable benchmark for others to follow. Moreover, their innovative approach to low-carb foods is gradually transforming the Indian food landscape, one bite at a time.