The Story of Troo Good: How Millets Became India's Favourite Snack

In 2018, Troo Good was founded by Raju Bhupati in the heart of Hyderabad. Troo Good's mission is to make nutritious, affordable snacks accessible to children in India and the mass market. Over the years, it has grown into a compelling example of impact-led entrepreneurship—combining sound business fundamentals, social purpose, and consumer appeal.

The Spark & the Why

Raju Bhupati observed two converging realities: on the one hand, the Indian snack market was booming, whereas malnutrition and unhealthy eating patterns persisted, especially among children and in rural/low-income markets. At the same time, millets—a group of grains rich in nutrition, drought tolerance, and local heritage—had long been underleveraged in mainstream food brands. Troo Good was born out of that friction: a brand built on three pillars: taste, nutrition, and affordability. The idea is to make snacks that children would like, that also improve nutrition, and price them within reach of mainstream India so that you can scale impact and business simultaneously.

Early Days & Validation

In the initial phase, Troo Good focused on millet-based chapatis, parathas, and school/IT-canteen supplies in Hyderabad and the adjacent states. According to a 2021 report, the brand began selling 800 chapatis/parathas daily to schools, IT campuses, and sky kitchens, and soon became the largest such company in Hyderabad.

By the end of 2018, the company expanded the product line to include India's first millet chikki (a traditional peanut bar), reformulated with various millet types.

Early product-market fit was established—Troo Good demonstrated that millets could serve as affordable snacks—and the company began building out its manufacturing and distribution.

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Growth, Scale & Social Anchors

By 2022-23, the numbers were meaningful. Troo Good reported revenue of ₹53 crore, selling 15-20 lakh chikki bars per day across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. It operated four manufacturing units, sourcing raw materials locally and employing women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and local communities—reportedly, about 90% of the workforce were local women, with each factory having>50 employees.

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The business blended commercial and social aspects: raw-material procurement from FPOs/farmers, partner SHGs for labour & community impact, and pricing aimed at reaching children's canteens and mass-markets.

Troo Good also received recognition for its social innovation, winning the "Best Startup (Scaling-Up)" Poshak Anaj Award, jointly presented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), and the Government of India.

Funding and Acceleration

Troo Good's growth caught the attention of investors. In November 2021, it raised ~Rs 55 crore in its Series A round, led by OAKS Asset Management.

Then in October 2024, Troo Good raised US$9 million in a fresh round led by Puro Wellness, with participation from OAKS and Ocean Investments. The funds were earmarked for expanding manufacturing infrastructure, enhancing distribution pan-India, and advancing product innovation.

Business Model & Competitive Advantage

• Innovation and Affordability: By reformulating chikkis and snacks with millets, Troo Good found a market for healthy snack products at low price points (Rs 5/10). This is uncommon in the health snack space, which is usually more expensive.
• Distribution & Reach: Manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh (with plans for further units) enabled regional-scale distribution and cost-control through thousands of kirana stores, schools, canteens, and, now, envisaged exports.
• Social sourcing & community: Procurement of millets, work through SHGs/FPOs, local female workforce — these gave Troo Good supply-chain stability, community goodwill, and often cost advantages.
• Early profitability: Despite being a snack startup in FMCG (a typically high-competition, low-margin sector), Troo Good reported profitability even as it expanded.

Challenges & Strategy Ahead

Troo Good faces typical challenges of scaling in FMCG: strong obligation, distribution complexity, raw-material volatility, and consumer behaviour in low-price segments. In response, Troo Good is pursuing:

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• Pan-India expansion: the aim was to be present all over India, beyond its initial markets. For FY22-23, the goal was to achieve revenue of Rs 100 crore.
• New manufacturing units in Chhattisgarh and either Haryana or Karnataka to expand reach and achieve cost efficiencies.
• New products: Beyond chikkis, bran bars, and nutri bars, they plan to expand to millet-based noodles, cookies, etc.
• Exports: The company is beginning to pilot in the UAE and is expected to export.
• Marketing & branding: Rolling out first advertisement campaigns to cement consumer brand identity.

The Road Ahead – Opportunities & Outlook

Troo Good stands at an inflexion point. The healthy-snack market in India is expected to grow strongly (one estimate: the Indian snacks market is projected to grow from ~Rs 42,694 crore in 2023 to ~Rs 95,522 crore by 2032 at a ~9% CAGR).

If the company continues to execute on manufacturing, distribution, brand building, and product innovation, it has the potential to become a national brand in the "healthy snacks" category.

Final Thoughts

Troo Good is more than just a snack brand. It reflects a startup mindset: identifying an underserved gap (nutritious, affordable snacking), leveraging a non-obvious ingredient (millets), building a business model that can do both good and well, and scaling regionally with ambition for national impact. As it moves into its next phase—expanding pan-India, innovating new products, and potentially exporting—it will be one to watch in the Indian FMCG-foodtech space.

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