Mangaluru: What began as a young mother’s effort to preserve her grandmother’s traditional postpartum recipes has earned Anusha Achar (32) from Moodubidire national recognition. The founder of MaVedas Foods and Cereals Pvt. Ltd. has been selected among 26 Grassroots Innovators from across India for the Grassroots Innovator Recognition 2026 and will receive the honour from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 31.

An electrical and electronics engineering graduate from The National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysuru, Anusha’s entrepreneurial journey took an unexpected turn after she became a mother. Inspired by the traditional nutritional practices followed by her grandmother and aunt, she set out to preserve age-old postpartum recipes that she feared would disappear with the older generation.

Inspired by motherhood and family traditions

Anusha’s interest in traditional nutrition deepened after the birth of her daughters, Annapoorna (9) and Diya (6). While caring for them, she realised that modern lifestyles had significantly reduced the emphasis on postpartum nutrition, despite generations of women relying on herbal preparations for recovery after childbirth.

She recalled that her grandmother Lalitha and aunt Asha possessed extensive knowledge of traditional recipes passed down through generations. Determined to preserve this heritage, she began documenting and recreating the formulations.

“I felt that if we do not preserve them now, they would disappear with the older generation,” she said.

Months of research and product development

Towards the end of 2024, Anusha started preparing traditional lehas, Ayurvedic herbal jams commonly consumed during the postpartum period. Developing the products involved months of research, repeated trials and consultations with nutrition experts.

She initially prepared small batches and sought feedback from women visiting anganwadis, elderly women and nutritionists. Based on expert advice, she reduced the sugar content in the formulations and spent another two months refining the recipes.

The products were later tested in laboratories to assess their nutritional value, quality and shelf life before being introduced to customers.

Startup nurtured at Nitte incubation centre

To transform her idea into a business, Anusha approached the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at Nitte (Deemed to be University). Under the guidance of Prof. AP Achar, Chief Executive Officer of the incubation centre, she registered her startup, MaVedas Foods and Cereals Pvt. Ltd.

The incubation programme provided mentorship, opportunities to participate in exhibitions and valuable customer feedback that helped improve the products. As awareness grew, online orders began arriving from Bengaluru and several other cities.

Although she narrowly missed securing seed funding through one programme, Anusha continued refining her business model and expanding her product range.

National recognition through NITI Aayog initiative

Anusha later applied for the Grassroots Innovation programme under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog, submitting her application on June 26, the final day for entries.

She was subsequently shortlisted for a virtual presentation, during which she had five minutes to present her innovation and another ten minutes to respond to questions from the selection panel.

With guidance from Prof. AP Achar, she prepared extensively for the presentation. Following the interview round held on July 15, she received confirmation on Friday that she had been selected among the 26 Grassroots Innovators to be honoured nationally.

The award will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 31.

Traditional nutrition products

MaVedas currently offers four traditional nutritional products rooted in Ayurvedic practices and local food wisdom.

These include Bananthi Leha, specially formulated for postpartum mothers; Methi Satva, designed for women across different stages of life, including menopause; Methi Laddu; and Garlic Leha, intended to be consumed during the first three days after childbirth.

Anusha has also completed a certification programme at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and is now working on expanding her portfolio with baby food, lactation bars and other nutrition products based on traditional recipes.

Family support behind the success

Anusha credited her entrepreneurial journey to the encouragement and support of her family. She acknowledged the contributions of her husband Prajwal Achar, Managing Director of SKF Elixer, her father-in-law Ramakrishna Achar, Chairman of SKF Elixer, and other family members who stood by her throughout the process.

Her achievement is being seen as a proud moment for Dakshina Kannada, highlighting how traditional knowledge, when combined with scientific validation and innovation, can create sustainable business opportunities while preserving India’s rich culinary and healthcare heritage.