For most of us, food labels are a minefield of health halos. “Organic”, “natural”, “zero guilt”, we’ve all seen those. But behind those buzzwords often hide shortcuts, additives, and clever packaging tricks. One startup decided to break this cycle by asking a simple yet radical question: What if food wasn’t marketed to look healthy, but was made right?
That’s where Khetika steps in. Launched in 2017 by Dr. Prithwi Singh, Darshan Krishnamurthy, and Raghuveer Allada, this Navi-Mumbai based brand has quietly grown into one of India’s most trusted clean-label food companies. With a no-nonsense philosophy and a refreshingly old-school approach, Khetika is bringing food back to its roots, literally. And now, they’re fresh off an $18 million Series B funding round and looking to scale.
The Processed Food Problem No One Was Solving
The idea behind Khetika didn’t emerge in a lab; it came from lived experiences. The three founders had corporate careers in consulting, retail, and strategy. But after years of fast-paced boardroom life, they found themselves disillusioned by the disconnect between food and trust.
Despite working with some of the biggest retailers in the country, they were disturbed by how food was being commodified, polished, extended, diluted, and disguised to serve shelf life and scale, not health.
“Our problem wasn’t convenience,” said Prithwi. “It was confusion. Food had become something you had to decode instead of simply eat.”
And so, they chose to walk backward. They unlearned what modern food systems taught them and instead returned to age-old practices, stone grinding, direct-from-farmer sourcing, smaller batches, and honest shelf lives.
Building Food That’s Simple, Not Simplified
Khetika’s method isn’t revolutionary; it’s restorative. The company runs on principles your grandmother would approve of:
- Ingredients sourced directly from farmers, with no middlemen
- Single-origin procurement: chillies from Guntur, turmeric from Sangli, and so on
- Slow stone grinding to preserve essential oils and natural aroma
- No artificial preservatives or cosmetic upgrades
- Shorter shelf life by design, because food isn’t meant to live forever
Even their packaging tells a story, idli batter is packed with clean-pour nozzles to reduce contamination, and chutneys are sold in just-right pouches to prevent waste.
They don’t just print nutritional values, they build trust that lives outside the label.
The Nano Plant Model: Localized, Efficient, Genius
While most food companies scale with mega factories, Khetika chose to go small. Their nano plant model, currently present in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bihar, focuses on regional manufacturing hubs that keep supply close to demand.
This setup offers major wins:
- Fresh food with less transport time
- Local job creation and regional ingredient compatibility
- Smaller carbon footprint, larger community impact
“Scaling doesn’t mean making one massive factory,” says CTO Darshan. “It means replicating quality wherever you go.”
With this system in place, the brand plans to expand to 40+ cities over the next few years.
The Founders: Farm Kids, Techies, and Strategy Champs
Prithwi Singh, CEO: Raised in Rajasthan in a family of active farmers, Prithwi brings a rooted perspective to modern food systems. After a veterinary science degree and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, he spent time at BCG and Reliance Retail. But the lure of building something honest pulled him back to his agricultural beginnings. He now leads Khetika’s mission to fix food from soil to shelf.
Darshan Krishnamurthy, CTO: With 15+ years in retail tech, Darshan previously led operations at Tesco and Star Bazaar. He’s the brains behind Khetika’s supply chain and nano plant execution. MSRIT mechanical engineer, XLRI alum, and a process guy with passion.
Bonus fact: He’s just as likely to be optimizing a procurement workflow as he is cheering for Manchester United.
Raghuveer Allada, CFO: An engineer-turned-MBA from IIM Ahmedabad (top of the class, by the way), Raghuveer brings financial clarity with deep strategic insight. He’s worked with BCG, A.T. Kearney, and Shell, but always carried his Guntur upbringing and love for real food. He ensures Khetika’s growth is smart, not bloated.
Tech That Keeps the Clean-Label Promise
Khetika operates on SuperZop, its proprietary platform that connects 25,000+ farmers across 14 states. From procurement to logistics, every step is digitally mapped.
Every Khetika product includes a QR code that traces its origin, harvest date, and processing details. It’s not tech for show, it’s tech that tells the truth.
The Funding That Fuels the Mission
In July 2025, Khetika raised ₹150 crore ($18 million) in Series B funding led by the Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office and Anicut Capital. Existing backers like Incofin, Rajasthan Gum, and Shree Ram India Gums also doubled down.
Of the $18 million:
- 30% will go towards early investor exits
- The rest is aimed at manufacturing scale, product expansion, and international rollout.
The brand recorded ₹247 crore in revenue for FY25, up from ₹160 crore the year before. That’s a 50% YoY growth, with goals set to reach ₹2,000 crore in the next three years.
Where Can You Find Khetika Today?
Khetika straddles both tech and tradition. You’ll find their products on:
- Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart (25% of revenue)
- Amazon, Flipkart, and other e-commerce platforms
- More than 15,000 kirana stores across India (75% of revenue)
Quick commerce gives visibility. Offline retail drives loyalty.
What You’ll Be Eating?
The current lineup hits multiple health and habit needs:
- Sprouted moong chilla batter for protein-rich breakfasts
- Ragi and jowar dosa mixes, full of fiber
- Stone-ground spices that awaken your senses
- Unpolished dry fruits and single-origin lentils
- Chutney portioned for freshness and zero mess
Nothing is blended. Nothing is chemically preserved. If it expires fast, it means it was meant to be eaten, not admired in a cupboard.
What’s Next for Khetika?
With Series B wrapped and demand soaring, the founders plan to:
- Scale nano plants to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
- Roll out international operations targeting diaspora markets
- Launch Ayurvedic, ready-to-cook, and zero-waste categories
- Establish a clean-food ecosystem that lives beyond staples
It’s not just about revenue. It’s about rewriting how India understands food.
Final Thoughts: A Food Brand That Feels Like a Family Farm
Khetika doesn’t play the premium branding game. They don’t call their food revolutionary. They call it correct.
That’s why it works.
They’ve built a brand that chooses patience over polish, farmers over funnels, and real ingredients over processed noise. In doing so, they’ve become the quiet leaders of India’s food truth movement, showing that sometimes, looking back is the fastest way forward.
So the next time you’re at the store, skip the health claims and turn the pack around. If it’s Khetika, you won’t need to read the label to know it’s good. You’ll taste it, feel it, and trust it.
