In talks with Jabir, Founder and CEO of Lamicbond Pvt Ltd - Weleet Food
A couple of old friends who love food and love life who got together to make the tastes they love available to everyone. They believe nature has given everything we need to be happy and healthy. They believe in green spaces to play in, healthy communities, and delicious foods that give us the energy we need to make the most of this life. They use 100% organic & natural ingredients, get their foods from environmentally sustainable sources and make sure their growers and producers are taken care of.
Q: What motivated you to step into the health food business?
A: I am Jabir Founder and CEO of Weleet food, I am born and brought up in Kerala, After My MBA graduation I pursued my job meanwhile I actively involving charity activities in our area with my childhood friends to support people who have chronic disease like Kidney failure and cancer etc, same time personally my family members living with medications for diabetics, blood pressure, hypo thyroids ,I understood 100% household have regular consumers for all these lifestyle disease medicine, in my childhood 1n 1990 diabetic seen only after 50 age but year on year that increasing now kids too have diabetics, All these health issues we discussed with my key friends, we understood supporting cancer and kidney failure patients not at all a feasible solution, every year rate is increasing, only reactive measures are going on ,no preventive measure. Many families are become insolvent due to cancer and kidney failure…myself I asked to me and my friends, why this happening? what is the root cause? We understood our current food industry creating all lifestyle disease, there is correlation with package, fast food and life style disease growth, Junk ingredients are key for all issues, All the bigger players in market researching only in taste improvement not focus on people health,
We decided to want create a model for society, I taken all support from my two friends, we decide at any cost we need to develop models rather than looking for short term profit, we believe, sustainable and ethical business model only can survive. If we have compelling vision, ethically driven business model, one day we get pay off.
Q: What kind of research you did before jumping into this business and what findings made you sure it is the way to go
A: Then I go through many research journals and meet many health workers to understand reasons, I got many stunning report that current food system killing more people than tobacco and war
Chronic Inflammation is the Root cause of all lifestyle disease even stroke and sudden death of youngsters. Now a days most of our diet are highly inflammatory, refined sugar, refined flour, transfat, added preservatives also high gluten content.
After Introduction of GMO foods most of the foods lost the purpose and created high gluten, result is chronic inflammation, its only good for filling and satisfying our taste buds, not gut health
Inflammation create obesity then lead to type 2 diabetics, if a person carry diabetic in long years he will get cardiac and kidney problems…
I know my consumers are Millennial (1982-95) Gen Z (1995 -2010) gen Alpha. Millennials learned reason of lifestyle diseases and taking medication for treating, also they started search for alternative to junk even though they addicted for Junk, forcefully or due to doctors pressure they are taking alternatives., gen Z also looking labels and hygiene factors, they are more aware on health and lifestyle they easily adapting healthy and convenient packaged food, Now we expecting if we develop alternative to current diet with convenient way of packing (instant food) after understanding social environment changes, we can create bigger impact on our society.
Q: Millets are a super food which have made a comeback in recent years. What innovation and strategy went into designing your line of millets-based products?
A: We Know millet is super food have all essential amino acids and naturally gluten free. So we decided a balanced diet for all age group that satisfy their daily needs without creating lifestyle diseases.
We keep some values, we never use Refined sugar, Refined Flour and dangerous preservatives, develop more convenient Instant food for all age group, slowly we introduce alternative to junk food in all segment, our key ingredients will be millet.
We already developed Cookies and kids snacks and Millet based noodles, Pasta, Muesli enriched with plant based protein for Breakfast, Pancake and porridge for kids and geriatric segments, Healthy smoothies etc. Our key is diet for prevent obesity and diabetic, if we prevent these, we can prevent all lifestyle disease.
Q: You have an exhaustive line of millets-based products. What are the growth patterns and market acceptance for these products?
A: We are getting good responds from online market and offline too, we have good approach that our products are more superior in packaging and brand designing when compare with other FMCG players our co-founder is 15 years’ experience in package design of major FMCG players in India, my second co-founder supporting for export our product to middle east and Fareast
We are also planning for subscription model with support of dictions especially for geriatric segments also those who looking diet for weigh lose and diabetics
Q: Tell us about the opportunities and the challenges in the Indian health food market
A: Previous generations (Baby boomers and gen X) mistake never repeats in future, we understood our current diet is key for our lifestyle diseases, awareness increasing, slowly developing preventive health care system, social media creating more awareness on health and wellness, urbanization rate and key food industry players still contributing health risk
Key challenge is the lack of awareness in junk food problems, people believe only what advertisers are saying about brand. Need more funding and marketing support to sustain this motivation.
