Sometimes, the biggest revolutions begin in the smallest spaces. For Saainirmala Perumall, a mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur from Bengaluru, that space was a modest 600-square-foot kitchen. What began with just four homemakers preparing traditional South Indian food has today evolved into Niragh Foods, a fast-growing food brand that provides employment to nearly 60 women while delivering authentic, preservative-free products to households across India.
But the story of Niragh Foods is about much more than food. It is a story of trust, tradition, and creating opportunities for women who had spent years managing households without financial independence.
Saainirmala’s career was far removed from the food industry. After graduating as a mechanical engineer, she worked in the automobile sector before transitioning into software, where she held leadership positions at renowned companies, including Sonata Software and Yahoo India. In 2007, she stepped away from her corporate career and later pursued psychotherapy and counselling, spending over a decade working closely with families and couples.
During those years, she noticed a recurring pattern. Families were becoming increasingly disconnected, and shared meals were disappearing from everyday life. Busy schedules, long working hours, and changing lifestyles meant that many households no longer gathered around the dining table together.
The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced these observations. As families struggled to balance work, childcare, and household responsibilities, preparing traditional meals became increasingly difficult. Witnessing these challenges inspired Saainirmala to create a solution that would make authentic home-style food more accessible while preserving its nutritional value and traditional preparation methods.
With that vision, she founded Niragh Foods in 2020.
The company started in a small kitchen in Bengaluru with just four homemakers and a handful of products, including idli batter, dosa batter, millet pongal premix, and traditional spice blends. Instead of hiring experienced factory workers, Saainirmala chose women from her local community who already possessed generations of cooking knowledge.
Her philosophy was remarkably simple.
“If I won’t feed it to my grandson, I won’t sell it,” became the guiding principle behind every product manufactured at Niragh Foods.
Unlike many commercial food producers, the company avoids preservatives and artificial additives. Rice and urad dal are soaked separately, naturally fermented, and carefully monitored to ensure consistent quality while preserving authentic taste. Traditional recipes remain at the heart of every product despite the company’s rapid growth.
In its early days, Niragh Foods had almost no advertising budget. Growth happened organically through neighbourhood recommendations, apartment communities, and WhatsApp groups. Customers who enjoyed the products recommended them to friends and relatives, creating a loyal customer base built entirely on trust.
As demand increased, Niragh Foods gradually expanded beyond Bengaluru. Online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Jiomart helped the company reach customers across India. However, the biggest breakthrough came with quick-commerce platforms, including Swiggy Instamart, which significantly increased the brand’s visibility and accessibility.
Today, Niragh Foods operates from nearly 10,000 square feet of production space, manufacturing around 25 different products, including traditional batters, instant mixes, snacks, sweets, peanuts, chips, and ready-to-cook food items.
Yet, despite its impressive growth, the company’s greatest achievement lies in the lives it has transformed.
Many of the women employed at Niragh Foods had never worked outside their homes before joining the company. For them, employment represents more than a monthly income—it brings confidence, financial independence, and a renewed sense of identity.
Women like Nandini, whose husband works as an auto driver, now contribute financially to their families while building careers of their own. Others speak about the emotional satisfaction of knowing that the food they prepare becomes part of thousands of families’ daily lives.
The workplace itself has evolved into a supportive community where women work together, learn new skills, and grow professionally without losing the warmth of a family environment.
As the company continues to expand, it remains committed to maintaining high food safety standards through FSSAI compliance, HACCP readiness, and ongoing efforts toward ISO 22000 certification.
However, for Saainirmala, success is measured by far more than production capacity or sales figures. Her vision has always been rooted in preserving traditional food culture while creating meaningful employment opportunities for women.
From a small Bengaluru kitchen to a rapidly growing food brand serving customers across the country, Niragh Foods proves that businesses built on authenticity, quality, and compassion can create lasting social impact.
What started with four homemakers has become a powerful example of women empowering women—one homemade meal at a time.
