How This Rural Entrepreneur from Telangana is Spreading Sugar-Free Millet Goodness

Tokala Sridevi from Nizamabad in Telangana might not have a degree in nutrition, but her dietary supplements caught the eye of a professor from the National Institute of Nutrition.

Armed with the knowledge of traditional foods she inherited from her mother, Sridevi was keen to solve the problem of nutritional deficiency in rural households. She had known for long that pregnant women, children and the elderly need extra nutrition for their well-being. However, she noticed that they did not know how to get it. That is when she started making special nutrition mixes from millets, corn, moringa leaves etc.

Marketed under the brand ‘Samruddhi’, the range has mixes made from ragi, jowar, urad dal etc. The best part is that they are sugar-free.

“I have studied only till class 10, but I was never low on confidence or resourcefulness. I trained myself through entrepreneurship programmes offered by the central government. I have been part of self-help groups and trained many women entrepreneurs. My aim is not to make money, but find an easy way to gap the nutritional gap that all age groups face. I was looking for an opportunity to take my idea everywhere.”

It was during one such entrepreneurship programme that an official from the Telangana State Innovation Cell heard her talk. He was impressed by her product and offered help with mentorship and industry connect.

Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) is an initiative by the Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Department, Government of Telangana. TSIC was set up in 2017 under the State Innovation Policy with a vision to build and nurture the culture of innovation in Telangana.

When Sridevi starting making the powders in 2006, she used to give the packets to the fruit-sellers in her area. She asked the vendors to distribute them wherever they went. The powders have to be mixed with water, milk or buttermilk. Some of them can be eaten with idli and dosa.

Her products soon received good reviews and caught the eye of a scientist from NIN. He helped her understand the quantities of the powder required for a pregnant woman, a child or people with special dietary needs. She honed her products in this way and ‘Samruddhi’ came into existence.

A mother of two, 48-year-old Sridevi has now been learning English so that she can create more awareness about the goodness of traditional foods and millets.

Incidentally, the UN is celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets. India, where millets have been consumed through the ages, has come up with various programmes to promote these cereals.