Our goal is to make high-protein, algae-based nutrition mainstream in Indian households

Ruchita Jethva, Founder, Santript Aahar has transformed a late-night conversation about algae into a pioneering health startup, Santript Aahar. Jethva talks more about conceptualisation, the journey of Santript Aahar, the reason behind the launch of protein-rich, algae-based nutrition, and the need to bridge that gap by integrating spirulina into everyday snacks and beverages that are affordable, tasty, and easy to consume

The issue of malnutrition is manifold. What, according to you, is the reason behind malnutrition especially in children, despite food being easily available?
Despite India being a food-producing nation, malnutrition remains a pressing concern, especially among children. This paradox exists not because of food scarcity, but because of the lack of dietary diversity and nutrient density in daily diets.

Children often consume calorie-rich but micronutrient-poor snacks, leading to what is called “hidden hunger” — deficiencies in essential vitamins, minerals, and protein.

This is worsened by:
· Limited nutritional awareness among parents.
· Economic constraints limit access to quality protein sources.
· Cultural dietary patterns that focus on quantity over quality.
Unless these quality gaps in everyday diets are addressed, malnutrition will continue to persist despite food abundance.

How has the journey of Santript Aahar been since its inception?
When I, Ruchita Jethva, founded Santript Aahar a DPIIT-registered startup from Rajkot Gujarat in 2023, my vision was clear — to create affordable, nutritious, and tasty food alternatives that could tackle both malnutrition and lifestyle diseases.
The journey began during my post-graduation in Microbiology at Marwadi University, where an idea sparked during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Hackathon evolved into a mission-driven startup. With With the mentorship of my HOD, Dr Gaurav Sanghvi, and the backing of the university’s MUIIR Incubation Centre, we secured an Rs 2 lakh NewGen IEDC grant and transformed a lab concept into commercially viable products.
In less than two years, we achieved two patents — Spirulina Drink Premix and an Effervescent Spirulina Tablet — and launched our first ready-to-market product, Spijo Bites, a millet-based puff snack enriched with spirulina.

What made you come up with the concept of launching protein-rich, algae-based nutrition accessible to every household?
During my microbiology studies, I learned that Spirulina, a blue-green algae, is among the most nutrient-dense natural foods on earth. It contains over 60 per cent high-quality protein, all essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids, and is recognised by the World Health Organization as a “superfood” for combating malnutrition.

However, spirulina was mostly confined to niche health markets in the form of powders or capsules — inaccessible to the average household. I wanted to bridge that gap by integrating spirulina into everyday snacks and beverages that are affordable, tasty, and easy to consume.
The goal was to make a nutrition solution that could be enjoyed by children and adults alike, reaching urban, semi-urban, and rural households, and even integrating into Anganwadi centres and school mid-day meal programmes.

Your research specifies protein-rich, algae-based nutrition? Are these ingredients easily available and from where?

Yes. Spirulina is cultivated in India under controlled aquaculture conditions, ensuring purity and food-grade safety.

We source spirulina from certified farms in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, with each batch tested for contaminants. Other key ingredients, such as millets and natural seasonings, are sourced from local farmers, ensuring freshness, promoting farm-to-fork sustainability, and helping keep prices affordable while reducing import dependency.

What kind of research activities did you undertake? While doing your research, did you face any challenges?

Our R&D process included:
· Nutritional profiling of spirulina and millet-based recipes.
· Developing formulations that balance nutrition, taste, and shelf life.
· Sensory evaluation through focus groups of different age groups.
· Shelf life and stability testing under varying storage conditions.
· Studying nutrient retention after processing.

Challenges faced:
· Spirulina’s strong earthy taste and smell were initially a barrier. We overcame this using natural flavour-masking techniques, seasoning blends, and texture enhancers without compromising nutrition.
· Limited infrastructure for large-scale trials.
· Funding constraints for extended R&D and packaging development.
We addressed these by working with third-party labs, industry experts, and manufacturing partners to test and refine our formulations within a lean budget.

Being a startup, what kind of funding did you receive and who are the investors?
In the early stage, we received Rs 2 lakh NewGen IEDC grant from the Ministry of Education Innovation Cell via Marwadi University’s MUIIR incubation centre.
Alongside the grant, we benefited from in-kind support — access to laboratory facilities, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Beyond that, Santript Aahar is bootstrapped, funded through personal investments for product development, operations, and marketing.
We currently have no equity investors but are open to strategic seed funding and government-backed grants for scaling production and expanding our product line.

What will be Santript Aahar’s plan five years down the line?
By 2030, Santript Aahar aims to become a nationally recognised brand in algae-based functional nutrition.

Our roadmap includes:
· Launching 10+ spirulina-based products across snacks, beverages, and ready-to-mix health
supplements.
· Entering institutional nutrition programmes — mid-day meals, Anganwadis, defence canteens, and hospital diets.
· Setting up a state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility in Gujarat.
· Partnering with NGOs and CSR programs to provide affordable nutrition to underserved communities.
· Expanding into international markets, especially regions with growing demand for plant-based on functional foods.

Are you looking for tie-ups in the future?
Absolutely. Strategic partnerships are essential to our mission.

We are open to collaborating with:
· Government bodies and NGOs for public nutrition programmes.
· Educational institutions for awareness campaigns.
· FMCG distributors & retail chains for wider distribution.
· CSR initiatives to supply nutrition products to underserved populations.
Our long-term goal is to make high-protein, algae-based nutrition mainstream in Indian households and beyond.

Sanjiv Das
sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com