Interaction with Mr. Rahul Mittal, Health Enthusiast, Founder & CEO, Granos
1. You’ve spent over two decades in distribution and F&B—what inspired you to take the leap into building your own clean-label brand?
In the past 20 years, I’ve seen the food space in India transform—from foreign labels to increased consciousness about making healthy choices. In my ₹24 Cr distribution company, I could see that consumers felt disconnected from what they were consuming—bills stacked high with preservatives and undecipherable sugar content. And so, that disconnect became my catalyst for establishing Granos, an Indian-made, clean-label brand centered around the integrity of ingredients and nutritional clarity. We began with basics such as roasted makhanas, super seeds, and A2 ghee—items individuals trust but hardly question. Granos is not just a brand; it’s a movement towards getting India away from consumption and towards mindful eating.
2. What were some of the biggest learnings from your distribution days that helped shape Granos?
My journey in F&B distribution was the best classroom. It showed me what most don’t know—the actual mechanics of what makes a product win. I learned quickly that shelf space is never a given; it’s won based on clever packaging, position, and market fit abilities we baked into Granos from day one. I also witnessed how easily consumer trust can shatter, and that’s why Granos is founded on clean-label truth and zero compromises. Finally, I understood that huge margins are of no use without demand, so we prioritized establishing a solid offline presence and D2C traction. These learnings now drive every choice we make at Granos.
3. Granos launched India’s first jaggery-sweetened, zero-preservative ketchup. What drives your product innovation strategy?
At Granos, we begin our innovation with a single question in mind: “Would I feel good serving this to my own child every day?” That’s our benchmark. Our zero-preservative, jaggery-sweetened ketchup started as an exercise of that mentality—to solve an obvious gap in cleaner, daily staples that compromise neither taste nor trust. We work towards challenging everyday favorites with safer, honest alternatives for noxious additives. It’s not about just being different—it’s about being better for families. Every Granos innovation is purpose-led, balancing nutrition, taste, and shelf life to make products that deserve to gain a seat at Indian tables.
4. How do you ensure that taste and indulgence are not compromised while staying true to the clean-label promise?
Here at Granos, we are committed to clean eating without sacrificing taste. It begins with the integrity of our ingredients—we source high-quality natural ingredients and refrain from using artificial colors, preservatives, and added sugars. Then there’s the alchemy—it’s in our culinary R&D where we get together with expert chefs and food scientists to remaster rich, indulgent tastes using natural options such as jaggery, pink salt, and slow-cooking methods.
We thoroughly test every product with actual families and flavor panels to make sure the end taste brings joy, not only health. It’s this taste-first innovation coupled with clean-label honesty that makes Granos indulgent and trustworthy.
5. Who is the core consumer Granos is targeting, and how has their feedback shaped your offerings so far?
Granos is made for today’s Indian consumer—urban, health-aware millennials and Gen Z families who read labels, ask questions about ingredients, and insist on taste and transparency. They are young parents or busy professionals looking for a better version of everyday staples without giving up on convenience. These consumers care about ingredient transparency and pay attention to what they eat. Their input shapes our innovations, such as our “No Preservatives, No Refined Sugar” commitment and our introduction of our jaggery-sweetened Better Ketchup. We’ve also modified packaging and flavor profiles due to direct customer feedback, for example, spout caps on seeds and upgraded resealable pouches. Our consumers are integral in co-creating Granos, and their input continues to lead every new item we create.
6. With health food becoming a crowded space, how does Granos differentiate itself from other D2C or FMCG brands?
At Granos, we are doing more than just developing “healthy” alternatives; we are redefining the everyday essentials for the better. We have no preservatives, no refined sugars – only everyday products with clean-label ingredients that families can trust. Our advantage is our 20+ years of experience in on-the-ground distribution combined with a traditional D2C approach. Additionally, we are bundling a few essential categories – ketchup, flours, seeds, A2 ghee, baked soy snacks, millet puffs, and makhanas – together so consumers do not have to go to multiple websites to find honest, quality food. Granos is the first company to make clean and delicious food the norm in one simple experience.
7. Tell us about your current market presence—both online and offline—and how you’re planning to scale from here.
Granos is currently operating on a hybrid model, balancing a growing online business on our D2C website and third-party platforms like Amazon, as well as our existing offline backbone of modern trade and general trade across North India. Currently, we have around 400+ retail and health-focused outlets, which include social and influencer-led online traction. In terms of growth plans, we have a threefold strategy:
1) Scaling our online D2C business by utilizing performance marketing and subscriptions
2) Expanding our offline footprint by partnering with distributors in metros and tier-1 cities
3) Launching franchise-led retail formats like “La Grocer.”
We are also establishing a creator-driven community to enable profound trust, discovery, and scale with intention and grit.
8. What’s the roadmap for global expansion, and which international markets are you most excited about?
Global growth for Granos is not just a future objective; it is already a strategic focus. The emerging demand for clean-label, Indian-origin products as well as the growth of mindful eating in markets with existing diaspora communities, such as the UAE, Singapore, Canada, and Australia, all point to global expansion in the near future. Additionally, Granos has recently become a member of BRICS CCI, which gives us significant leverage in terms of trade and networking, as well as access to key international markets. Our strategy is to begin with early exports and e-commerce through platforms like Amazon Global and then grow through some selective exclusive distributors in GCC and SEA.
9. You emphasize empowering women in packaging and R&D—how has this focus impacted your company culture and quality standards?
At Granos, empowering women, particularly in packaging and R&D, has contributed significantly to our company culture and quality level. Teams led by women optimize our products due to their exceptional attention to detail, consistency, and care. This not only establishes a higher operational excellence standard but also fosters a high level of ownership and pride among our teams. By creating a setting in which women may thrive, we have built a mission-driven culture that is responsible and ethical at every step of our process, from designing to packaging, whereby every Granos product is crafted by hand with care and integrity.
10. What’s your long-term vision for Granos, and how do you plan to build a ₹1000 crore multi-category health food brand?
My long-term vision for Granos is to make it a ₹1000 crore, multi-category health food brand that believes in trust, quality, and innovation in each and every home. We are focusing on broadening our portfolio to reach diverse categories of health-conscious consumers across snacks to staples and leveraging our robust D2C platform. The answer is to continue to innovate clean-label, functional foods that fit the rising wave of eating healthier, sustainable food products. We aggressively approach new consumers with advertising, forming strategic partnerships, and strengthening our presence in global markets, focusing on the BRICS economies. We also invest in technology, data science, and consumer analytics to further build our offerings, enhance customers’ experiences, and expand our businesses cost-effectively. This strategy will allow us to gain increased market share without losing sight of our core values.
