BENGALURU:EarthFood, a Pune-based startup which has taken the concept of ‘farm to fork’ will soon be expanding to Namma Bengaluru.Currently, EarthFood serves 40 products including both exotic and Indian vegetables such as iceberg, lettuce, broccoli, red cabbage, cherry tomato, Thai chili, lemongrass, basil, French beans, bok choy, celery, parsley, zucchini, oregano, thyme, rosemary, gawar (cluster beans), lady finger and green chilli.
The company has also recently entered the dairy industry with milk and milk products. It claims to be using latest technology for farming, with less manpower. Nilesh Palresha, founder, EarthFood said that they are launching EarthFood products in modern retail outlets across Bengaluru by the end of this month. He says most Bengalureans look for fresh fruits and vegetables and the company will be catering to their needs. He claims that the products will be transported in air-conditioned vans so that they can reach Pune, Bengaluru, and Mumbai on the same day. “Also, we have recently expanded our footprint in Mumbai and have tied-up with major retailers in Pune,” he adds. The four most important benefits of EarthFood is residue free products, minimally touched by human hands so that the quality can be retained for as long as possible, says Nilesh.
“We offer a wide range of fruits and vegetables that are grown in the purest form without using harmful chemical fertilisers or pesticides and they are sold to the customers without adding preservatives and synthetic food enhancers. In all, my dream is to make EarthFood a preferred brand for customers,” he adds.
Nilesh had done a summer course in Strategic Management from Harvard Business School, which he says helped him to establish EarthFood in 2016. “We decided to use our family owned quarry land in Malthan to grow the crops. After developing the land, we did research, and developed the technology required for the project,” he says.
Siddharth Khinvasara, co-founder EarthFood who wants to adopt new technologies for farming, says: “Recently, we have started our dairy operations and we are also adopting hydroponic techniques (soilless farming) to cultivate residue free exotic vegetables, which can help us with consistent supply. We have even planned to launch dehydrated spices and vegetables with our strong farming infrastructure that is spread across 330 acres in two different locations”
How it all started
The startup has received funding from Pune-based Rairah Corporation. The company has 370 acres of land near Pune where the farming is done. It claims to produce vegetables that are completely residue free. With an initial investment of `9.4 crores, the company’s primary aim was to cater to the Pune market. After establishing the brand in Pune, it expanded its services to Mumbai and Bengaluru.