When you think of Indian food, it’s usually a comforting carb-fest: parathas, rice mountains, and laddoos that could moonlight as cannonballs. But one startup dared to ask, “What if dal-chawal could still slap, but not wreck your pancreas?”
Founded in 2019 by Sudarshan Gangrade, Lo! Food is rewriting India’s nutrition narrative, with low-carb, keto-friendly versions of everyday meals that don’t compromise on taste. If “diet food” makes you think of sadness in a bowl, Lo! is here to flip the script, and it’s doing it with science, soul, and samosas that don’t spike insulin.
The Founder Who Switched Gears: From Ola to Atta
Before carbs became his nemesis, Sudarshan Gangrade was busy scaling Ola like a boss, taking it from a few thousand rides a day to over a million.
But somewhere between startup spreadsheets and sport tournaments, Sudarshan had a eureka moment: India’s diet problems stem from a food system built on carbs and unhealthy habits masked by marketing fluff.
Armed with degrees from IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-Bangalore, he founded LeanScience, a consulting firm helping people shed fat through low-carb eating. When he saw even disciplined clients fail due to a lack of tasty options, he decided to cook up a fix, and Lo! Food was born.
The Mission: That’s Bold!
Lo! Foods isn’t just selling snacks, it’s pushing a full-on food revolution.
Their goal?
✅ Cut India’s average carb intake by 50%
✅ Target obesity, diabetes, and heart disease at scale
✅ Offer food that’s tasty, traditional, and good for you
And they’re doing it by attacking the carb demon from all angles, packaged goods, cloud kitchens, hospital tie-ups, and even through B2B distribution.
Products That Don’t Taste Like Regret
Let’s be real. Most “healthy” Indian snacks are either tasteless or bizarrely Western (looking at you, quinoa biryani). Lo! Foods said nope.
What makes their range a hit?
- Low-Carb Atta: So your paratha dreams live on
- Keto Mathri & Namakpare: Crunch without guilt
- DiabeSmart Cookies: Blood-sugar safe and grandma-approved
- Chocolate-Coated Almonds: A Dessert that plays nice with your macros
- Fresh Meals: Sandwiches, wraps, and brownies that fit fitness goals
And yes, these are available on Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, and even in hotels like Hyatt.
Cloud Kitchens That Cook Clean
Lo! didn’t stop at dry snacks. They launched India’s largest low-carb cloud kitchen network. With 20 kitchens across Delhi, Bangalore, Gurugram, and Hyderabad, they serve fresh, ready-to-eat meals that don’t mess with your insulin levels.
Their goal?
📍 Expand to 35 kitchens across Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Ahmedabad
📍 Do it through a franchise model to scale fast
📍 Make diet food as easy to order as pizza
Menu vibes? Parathas, salads, wraps, fusion dishes, and Indian comfort food with a low-carb twist.
R&D That’s Nerdy (And Necessary)
Every Lo! product goes through 100+ recipe iterations. That’s not perfectionism, it’s survival. Their team of food technologists and nutritionists reverse-engineers traditional Indian dishes to preserve taste while cutting carbs.
How they pull it off:
- Use the first principles of nutrition
- Dissect old-school recipes like investigative journalists
- Blend flavor science with cultural familiarity
- Never release anything that doesn’t pass both taste and health tests
In short, they aren’t slapping “healthy” stickers on stuff. They’re building recipes from scratch.
Not Just Keto, It’s for the Masses
While Lo! is a hit among keto dieters and gym rats, its impact stretches beyond Instagram macros.
They’re building for:
- Diabetics looking to manage their blood sugar
- Weight watchers who still want flavor
- Vegetarians are tired of lettuce-based misery
- Families who want healthier home staples
This isn’t niche health food, it’s accessible innovation for millions.
The Team That Cooks with Purpose
Lo! isn’t just Sudarshan and spreadsheets. It’s a gang of like-minded innovators who believe food should heal, not hurt.
The team includes:
- A Nutritionist who has customized eating plans for hundreds of clients
- A Food Technologist behind most of India’s successful low-carb snacks
- Product developers, ops wizards, and kitchen experts dedicated to blending nutrition and tradition
They’re united by one idea: no compromises. Especially not on taste.
Surviving the Startup Rollercoaster
Lo! Foods didn’t coast its way to success. It hit ₹0 in the bank three times. But thanks to pure grit (and some amazing believers), they stayed afloat.
Here’s how:
- Early supporter Shubhra backed Sudarshan without salary
- Angel investors like Gaurav Arora, Dr. Mayur, and Shaival Desai showed up twice
- Mount Judi Ventures and Capital Code’s Harsh Rajpal brought clarity and cash
- Rainmatter (Zerodha) redefined VC relationships with genuine founder-first support
These weren’t just investors. They were the emotional spine of the startup’s survival arc.
COVID-19: Safety Served Daily
During the pandemic, Lo! took zero chances. They integrated full WHO protocols into every facility. Now it is their habit because, don’t they say, old habits die hard.😙
Steps included:
- Daily temperature checks
- Face masks and gloves for all employees
- Shift splits to reduce contact
- 3-meter distancing
- Training for hygiene and symptom awareness
They put health first, before it was trendy.
The Philosophy That Hits Home
Lo! believes food shouldn’t be a punishment. Their guiding principle?
“Healthy food should taste like food. Not regret.”
They built products around familiar flavors, not fad diets. Because no one wants to chew kale on Diwali, and now, they don’t have to.
Final Thoughts: Lo! Is a Snack-Sized Revolution
Lo! Foods isn’t just another brand fighting for shelf space. It’s a movement that reimagines health in a country that eats carbs like confetti.
They’ve got:
✅ Science-backed products
✅ Grit-backed funding
✅ Culturally rooted innovation
✅ A founder who pivoted from cab rides to carb fights
Lo! Foods doesn’t preach. It just serves up great-tasting change.
And the next time someone tells you diet food has to be boring, hand them a low-carb namakpara. That’ll shut them up nicely. 😌
Shop Now: Lo Foods
