Nithin Kamath, Zerodha co-founder, pushed for the need to question the safety of our food.
He expressed concerns about the safety of the flour we consume and the potential presence of harmful antibiotics in milk.
This led to the creation of Rainmatter Health, an initiative aimed at supporting Indian startups to promote a healthier nation.
He wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “Is the atta we consume safe or does milk have harmful antibiotics. To get answers, we would try to find domain experts and entrepreneurs, and some of the answers we often got weren't pretty.”
"We were already supporting fintech startups; why not do the same for health?" he explained.
Rainmatter Health's Investment:
He explained that after supporting fintech startups, Rainmatter Health has invested over ₹150 crore in health-techs such as Akshayakalpa, Two Brothers Organic, and The Whole Flour, which aim to improve staple food items for Indians. Some of these startups also work with small farmers to enhance their livelihood.
He added, "A happy coincidence is that some of these startups are also working with small farmers and improving their livelihood. So yeah, all this started with asking questions.”
The Zerodha boss highlighted the high sugar content and adulteration in many food items sold in India. He encouraged people to question the food they consume, expressing concern about excessive sugar content, adulteration in items like masalas and milk, and the use of substandard chemicals in food colouring and preservatives. These issues apply to both packaged foods and food from restaurants.