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Soulfull works on the idea that millets are healthy
and that Ragi contains all the nutrients that is
efficient to consume especially at the time of
breakfast. Prashant Parameswaram came to Indian
in the 2000 after noticing the great potential that the
markets are exploring in the healthy food sector. As
the markets started to expand, he wanted to explore
the idea of using Ragi, the ancient millet to produce
products for creating health benefits as the market
for healthy and tasty consumption is expanding by
the hour. His eyes for looking into details introduced
Soulfull, a ragi-dominant product brand. He shares
his insights on how it is essential to consume Ragi
and why have the people forgotten it. Moreover, he
tells how new ideas can be explored and nurtured to
build a dream.

WhAt MOtIvAtED yOu tO StARt thIS on the benefits and importance of them. People
buSInESS? also perceived millets to be tasteless, and hence
I have always been interested in functional it arose the need for us to first educate them. The
healthy foods. Back in early 2000s when I was apprehension about the taste of millet also meant
working in the US, the US health and wellness that we had to work harder to sell our product
market had started to pick up. I saw great potential and ensure that the taste is right. Soulfull, thus
in healthy breakfast cereals and lack of options for developed products catering to needs, lifestyle and
consumers. People wanted healthy options that tastebuds of the current generation offering healthy,
would keep them fuller for longer. Spotting the convenient and tasty snacking. Additionally, we
gap in the market, and consumers’ inclination to did a lot of research and development work on
go back to their roots, I saw a great opportunity in sorghum and jowar, but it had a lot of issues like
traditional grain, millets. I returned to Karnataka, low shelf-life. That’s when I met Dr. MNG Malleshi,
which is a leading state for millet cultivation to former Head of Grain Technology, Central Food
incorporate Kottaram Agro Foods in June 2011. Technological Research Institute, Mysore, who
From 2012-end, we started to sell cereals made of advised me to try Ragi as an option and that is
millet under the brand name ‘Soulfull’. where my journey started!

hOW DAuntInG WERE thESE In 2011 WhEn SOuLFuLL WAS
ChALLEnGES tO FInALLy MAKE A IntRODuCED In thE InDIAn MARKEt,
SuCCESSFuL MILLEt-bASED FOOD bRAnD thE IDEA OF hEALthy AnD tASty WAS
In InDIA? nOt In vOGuE. hOW DO yOu LOOK bACK
India has a variety of superfoods, including millets, JOuRnEy? WERE yOu AhEAD OF tIME?
however, with time people have lost knowledge Back in the early 2000s when the idea started brew-

Food Marketing & Technology 37 December 2020