: Millets to Mappillai Samba Rice, Chennai Woman Reinvents Indias Ancient Grains #IndiaNEWS #Food Having a corporate job, with a fat paycheck and a fine work-life balance is something that everyone

Millets to Mappillai Samba Rice, Chennai Woman Reinvents Indias Ancient Grains #IndiaNEWS #Food
Having a corporate job, with a fat paycheck and a fine work-life balance is something that everyone dreams of. But there are a few, like Sanjeeta KK — founder of Chennai-based OGMO Foods, who say otherwise.
Due to a medical emergency, Sanjeeta had to quit her well-paying corporate job and was forced to take a break for almost 10 years. During the break, she decided to transform her love for food into a full-fledged career.
“I started my new journey with a food blog called ‘Lite Bite’ which gave me a lot of opportunities going forward. While I created new recipes for my blog, I also tried my hand at creative food styling. I have been working for several popular brands and television commercials ever since,??? Sanjeeta tells The Better India.
Her journey into a new career path as a food stylist wasn’t easy. “I used to feel nervous while accepting large projects. But as I moved forward with experience, I became more confident and, above everything, it made me happy,??? she adds.
Her food-centric journey as a blogger and a food stylist encouraged her to start her own enterprise. “I always wanted to start something unique that would make a difference in society. That strong urge to make a difference made me launch OGMO Foods which specialises in value-added healthy food products,??? says 52-year-old Sanjeeta.
Launched in 2018, OGMO stands for Organic Move, and the brand is an effort to bring some of the forgotten ancient grains back to the table.
Sanjeeta who had a strong inclination towards eating healthy and cooking with locally sourced vegetables and superfoods decided to incorporate her idea of healthy eating into her brand.
“My idea was a start-up with a drive to innovate food products that would create a positive impact in the community. We launched OGMO with the desire of sharing our passion for healthy eating through plant-based food products. We are also on a mission to bring back some of our forgotten indigenous grains to the mainstream,??? says Sanjeeta.
OGMO’s ready-to-eat breakfast and snack mixes are made out of minor millets, which includes little millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, etc. Minor millets are traditional grains that are highly nutritious and gluten-free, says Sanjeeta. “They are a forgotten group of grains which were cultivated and consumed on a large scale during ancient times. And unlike rice and wheat crops which require many inputs in terms of soil fertility, water and fertilizers, millets grow well in dry regions. But longer cooking time, lack of value-addition and lack of marketing support led to a decline in the consumption of millets,??? she adds.

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