Scaling Clean-Label Innovation: Rahul Mittal’s Strategic Disruption Through Granos
Rahul Mittal, Founder & CEO of Granos, shares how his 20+ years in food distribution inspired the launch of Granos—a clean-label, made-in-India brand rooted in transparency, nutritional integrity, and mindful eating. Drawing from deep industry experience, Mittal built Granos on the principles of honest ingredients, consumer trust, and innovative everyday staples like jaggery-based ketchup. Targeting health-conscious millennials and Gen Z, Granos blends a robust offline presence with a growing D2C model and global ambitions, especially in markets like the UAE and Canada. With a woman-led R&D team and a mission-driven culture, Mittal envisions scaling Granos into a ₹1000 crore health foods brand that redefines everyday nutrition in India and beyond.
After spending over 20 years in food distribution and the F&B sector, what drove your decision to launch a clean-label brand like Granos?
Over two decades in the food industry gave me a knowledge of how India’s consumption patterns have evolved—from imported goods dominating shelves to a growing demand for transparency and wellness. Operating a ₹24 crore distribution company, I found myself more aware of the disconnect between what people wanted and what they were actually eating—preservative-laden, sugar-hidden, label-obscure products. That disconnection resonated with me and formed the basis of Granos. I wanted a made-in-India, clean-label brand built on ingredient integrity and nutritional clarity. We began with familiar essentials like roasted makhanas, A2 ghee, and super seeds—not only as products but as a wider shift towards mindful eating. Granos is not a business; it’s a commitment to move India away from habitual consumption and towards mindful nourishment.
How did your experience in food and beverage distribution influence your approach to building Granos?
Operating in F&B distribution was a hands-on learning experience about what it actually takes for a product to thrive in the Indian market. I realized early that shelf space is not guaranteed—it’s won through intelligent packaging, savvy placement, and product-market alignment. These pillars were embedded into Granos from day one. I also experienced firsthand how quickly consumer trust can be broken, which is why we based Granos on a no-compromise, clean-label ethos built around transparency. Perhaps most significantly, I learned that big margins don’t matter as much without actual consumer demand. That’s why we prioritized creating strong offline visibility and D2C traction from the outset. All decision-making at Granos today is informed by these early lessons.
Granos introduced India to its first jaggery-based, preservative-free ketchup. What philosophy guides your approach to developing such unique products?
At Granos, our product development is inspired by a personal and uncompromising threshold—making food we’d be happy to serve our own families day in and day out. Our zero-preservative ketchup sweetened with jaggery was created from that devotion to provide cleaner, more authentic options for day-to-day staples. We are passionate about reimagining well-known foods without compromising on taste, nutrition, or safety. Innovation to us is not about doing things differently; it is about doing them better. Each new product we introduce is mission-based with the aim to shake up the existing order of processed foods and get its place on Indian plates through trust, quality, and integrity.
How does Granos deliver rich, satisfying flavors while maintaining a commitment to clean-label ingredients?
At Granos, we believe in the concept that clean eating does not have to be a compromise on taste. We start our journey with the procurement of high-quality, natural ingredients, completely free from artificial preservatives, additives, or refined sugars. Our food scientists and chefs sit together and turn indulgent taste experiences into wholesome alternatives like jaggery, rich pink salt, and ancient techniques like slow cooking.
We also subject each product to intense taste testing with actual families and sensory panels to make sure it pleases as much as it satisfies. This taste-forward philosophy, built on transparency and integrity, is what makes Granos stand out.
Who is Granos for, and how has consumer feedback shaped your product innovation?
Granos appeals to the new generation—millennial urbanites and Gen Z households that value health, want to know what they put in their bodies, and won’t sacrifice flavor or convenience. These are educated shoppers—working adults and young parents—who care about clean labels and good-for-you ingredients.
Their input has been at the heart of our journey. From our “No Refined Sugar, No Preservatives” policy to the introduction of our jaggery-based Better Ketchup, every product is an answer to their requirements. We’ve also honed details such as taste, packaging formats (such as resealable pouches and spout caps), and even serving sizes directly based on what our customers have shared with us. At Granos, our community isn’t just an audience—they’re partners in co-creating our offerings.
In a growing, saturated health food space, what differentiates Granos from other FMCG and D2C competitors?
Granos isn’t merely creating better versions of well-known products—we’re innovating everyday essentials with integrity. Our clean-label commitment equates to zero preservatives, no refined sugars, and only ingredients families can feel good about. What really sets us apart is our proprietary combination of deep distribution know-how, developed over 20+ years, and a contemporary D2C mindset.
We also make healthy living easier by bringing a trusted choice under one roof in key daily-use categories such as ketchup, flours, seeds, A2 ghee, baked soy snacks, millet puffs, and makhanas. Consumers don’t need to hop between various platforms but can get all they need in one clean, hassle-free experience. Granos is pioneering the way to nutritious, tasty food, becoming the new everyday norm.
Can you share insights into Granos’ current distribution strategy and how you’re planning to expand your reach going forward?
Granos is presently executing a hybrid distribution model where a strong offline network in North India is merged with a highly expanding online business. Our products are available through our D2C website and popular platforms like Amazon, Blinkit (selected cities). While offline, we’re present in over 400 retail and health-focused outlets, supported by modern trade and general trade networks. Additionally, we’ve seen strong engagement through influencer-led campaigns and social media traction. Going forward, our scale-up plans involve enhancing our online D2C reach with focused performance marketing and subscription models, alongside expanding offline through partnerships with distributors in metro and tier-1 cities. We intend to launch franchise-led retail experiences under the brand “La Grocer” as well. To enhance consumer trust and fuel discovery, we are constructing a creator-led community that enables us to scale with purpose as well as authenticity.
What’s Granos’ strategy for growing internationally, and what international regions are you targeting?
Global expansion is already one of the main goals of Granos’ growth strategy, not some distant vision. There’s increasing global demand for clean-label, Indian-origin food, particularly in markets with large Indian diaspora populations such as the UAE, Singapore, Canada, and Australia. These markets are demonstrating greater enthusiasm for transparent, health-focused products, so they are natural early targets for us. Granos has also joined BRICS CCI, furthering our potential to access strategic trade networks and global partnerships. Our strategy starts with export-driven growth and internet sales through channels like Amazon Global, followed by partnering with handpicked exclusive distributors, especially in the GCC and Southeast Asia regions.
In what way has Granos’ focus on engaging women in important positions such as R&D and packaging affected your culture and product standards?
In Granos, our commitment to putting women at the center of packaging and R&D has influenced our internal culture and product quality significantly. Women-led teams bring a deep sense of accuracy, consistency, and consideration to each stage of development, bringing the level of operational excellence even higher. Empowering women has established a culture of responsibility, nurturing, and pride, where each team member feels a sense of ownership of the mission. Therefore, every Granos product is not only clean ingredients but also with the integrity and craftsmanship of a purpose-driven, ethical process from conception to end packaging.
What is your long-term vision for Granos, and how would you scale it to a ₹1000 crore health foods brand in several categories?
The vision for Granos is to be a ₹1000 crore, multi-category, health food brand driven by trust, impeccable quality, and continuous innovation, found in every home. We want to increase our product portfolio to reach a broad base of health-conscious consumers, ranging from daily essentials to better-for-you snacks, while further enhancing our D2C ecosystem. Our growth strategy centers on developing clean-label, functional foods aligned with the global shift toward mindful, sustainable eating. We’re proactively reaching new audiences through strategic marketing, partnerships, and a strong push into international markets, particularly within BRICS countries. Alongside this, we’re investing in tech, data, and consumer insights to refine our offerings, personalize the customer journey, and scale efficiently, without compromising the core principles that define Granos.
