Saskatoon to Success: An Engineer’s Grit Turns Ancient Grains into Modern Gold

Ajay Kangralkar’s decision to leave a promising career as a construction engineer to start a millet-based snack business has paid off impressively. In 2019, spotting a gap in the market for affordable, healthy ready-to-eat snacks, Ajay and his co-founders launched SkyRoots, focusing on traditional Indian millets like jowar, bajra, and ragi. Unlike the prevalent fried snacks, their products are baked, addressing health-conscious consumers’ needs.

Despite challenges such as initial market access and pandemic disruptions, the company persevered by building its own distribution channels in Pune and Mumbai and expanding product variety. Post-COVID, the demand for healthier foods soared, helping SkyRoots grow to over 40 products distributed in 7,000 stores across 30 cities in India and in eight countries, including the USA and Australia.

Key highlights:

Ajay Kangralkar shifted from construction engineering to millet-based snacks entrepreneurship in 2019

SkyRoots offers baked, affordable snacks using traditional gluten-free millets

Overcame market entry hurdles and pandemic lockdowns by creating direct distribution networks

Product portfolio expanded to 40+ millet-based items, including flakes and mixes

Present in 7,000 retail stores across 30 Indian cities and eight international markets

Benefiting from rising health trends, institutional adoption, and government promotion of millets

Positioned as a millet specialist, competing effectively with established brands

Sources: Hindustan Times, Reuters, official company reports