It would seem rather impossible for a woman to juggle managing the home and looking after three young children. But the call of entrepreneurship can be really powerful. When Priyamvada Mishra’s youngest son was just eight months old, she felt that there needed to be better alternatives for baby food. Says she, “In 2021, I started experimenting with porridges for children. I made it with millet and gave it to my son. And when it worked for him, I started selling it in packets.”
The initiative died a natural death after a few months. Says she, “Mothers, especially of their firstborn, are very fastidious and hyper. They would not give their child time to get used to the millet porridge. So I stopped that business.”
Once again, everyday life threw up an opportunity. Her kids were growing, and as a mother, she wanted them to eat healthy. “I saw that families, including mine, were snacking every day on foods high in refined sugar and low in real nutrition, often without realising the long-term impact. And as a mother, I felt that same struggle: choosing between taste and health.
It started at home, but Priyamvada saw the same problem many mothers had. Says she, “Everyone wanted healthier snacks, especially for their children, but nothing felt good enough to say yes to every day. Millets had the nutrition, but they lacked warmth, taste, and trust.”
That’s when she discovered a gap in the market. “I realised the gap-clean, millet-based snacks that are tasty, trustworthy, and fit into everyday family life simply didn’t exist. There were some millet-based products, but they’re often deep-fried, which ruins their nutritional benefits. If they’re not, they are far too expensive. I thought, “Why can’t we have millet-based snacks that are not fried yet delicious and also comfortably priced?” This was in 2023 when she started Mamaya.
{{/usCountry}}That’s when she discovered a gap in the market. “I realised the gap-clean, millet-based snacks that are tasty, trustworthy, and fit into everyday family life simply didn’t exist. There were some millet-based products, but they’re often deep-fried, which ruins their nutritional benefits. If they’re not, they are far too expensive. I thought, “Why can’t we have millet-based snacks that are not fried yet delicious and also comfortably priced?” This was in 2023 when she started Mamaya.
{{/usCountry}}Making millets delicious
Though seemingly easy, the task before her was tough. Says Priyamvada, “We focused on taste first as that would help people accept it easily. We worked with millets in a way that brings out their natural crunch and flavour, instead of trying to hide them. I made small batch trials, the right roasting and seasoning, and familiar Indian flavours helped us get it right. We also tested everything with families and children. If they enjoyed it without being told it was “healthy,” we knew we were on the right track. In simple terms, we made healthy snacks taste better.”
Undertaking manufacturing
Once she had her recipe ready in her kitchen, Priyamvada had to get down to business – manufacture on a scale. Says she, “I was on the lookout for a contract manufacturer, but they all have huge minimum order quantities that start with one ton!
Not many contract manufacturers are considerate of startup companies’ dilemma. Soon after, Priyamvada met Preeti Deshmukh, founder of Food Nest, who was also starting her company at that time. “Since she also needed business at the time, she told me that she would meet my requirements no matter the scale.” Food Nest now helps Priyamvada start with batches as small as 20 kgs per flavour. As of now, Deshmukh manufactures for Mamaya all the different flavours dependent on market demand.
To market, to market…
The market is the place where every startup product has to pass the ultimate test, where every founder chases success. She began with the exhibition route. “I used to take part in different exhibitions. While they may not be a great place to get big sales, I find it very useful to get customer feedback. It helps me form a strategy based on the insights that I get. For example, I thought of coffee flavour, but it did not get a good response, so I decided not to introduce it. If I hadn’t had this feedback, I would have been down with a huge number of packs and inventory.”
In the early days, Priyamvada began with brown paper packaging. Says she, “Soon I realised that I needed to work on my branding and packaging. It gives one the impression of being a home brand, and that was certainly not how I wanted Mamaya to be perceived. I wanted people to see Mamaya as a premium, trusted brand. So I started work on my rebranding exercise.
This meant a complete makeover of her packaging. It meant more money to get a new look for her products. Says she, “I spent ₹3.5 lakh on my packaging design. I even took a loan from a friend for this. After some back and forth with the agency, we finally got our printed pouches and boxes ready in 2025.” As of now, Priyamvada does 250 boxes per week but has the capacity to scale as required.
The online myth
Right from the start, Priyamvada chose offline sales, selling via exhibitions and later at stores. At a time when online is considered the holy grail of marketing, how is it that she has abstained from it? She says, “I started with exhibitions from where I got my database. I followed that up with WhatsApp sales, and then for Mamaya, LinkedIn posts got me bulk orders. I don’t know why or how, but that is how it has happened so far. We have a website also where orders can be placed, but right now the focus is offline.”
“It’s not that I have not tried social media marketing. I got in touch with three agencies, and I even hired one agency and paid them ₹1 lakh, but the sales generated did not justify the marketing spend. Of course, I was told that I have to keep at it for a longer time, but I didn’t. For me, offline placements are a more sustainable way to grow. Online can be added at a later date. I found that for a small company like mine, they charge quite exorbitantly. It’s not the right thing for me to do at the moment. Maybe in the future we can explore the option.”
Money invested
So far, Priyamvada has invested ₹12 lakh of her own savings in her business. “Last year we had a revenue of ₹10 lakh, even though we suffered a loss of ₹2.5 lakh the year before that. It may be a little disheartening, but as an entrepreneur, one has to be ready to take this in one’s stride. I did, and the next year I grew,” she says happily.
She has no plans of raising funds via the traditional route. Says Priyamvada, “We plan to get to ₹50 lakh revenues in the next financial year. For that, I need ₹20 lakh. I am actively looking for a co-founder who can invest up to ₹15 lakh, and the rest I will take from family and friends. My co-founder will get an equity of 1% for every lakh invested.”
The future
Says Priyamvada, “I plan to expand my reach in Pune itself first. The Pune market is huge. Once I do that, then this can act as a reference point for the rest of India. I plan on hitting Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai after Pune.” From porridges to healthy snacks, from Pune to plans of getting to other cities, Mamaya sure is planning to soar high, albeit slowly and steadily.