In Conversation With Rohit Mohan Pugalia

Rohit Mohan Pugalia is the Co-Founder of The Rooted Co.

1. Tell us about your company and when and how it started?

It started almost like every other new venture - extensive market research that identified a consumer problem, comprehensive R&D to create problem-solving products, and a vision to bring about a change for the better in the F&B sector. The moment our Co-founder Purvi Pugalia & I learned that people living an active lifestyle or ones that aspire to are still on the lookout for snacks & cereals made with exotic ingredients that provide daily fuel, we introduced The Rooted Co Granola & Roasted Muesli to the world for people to sustain a high-energy lifestyle.

2. What is the concept behind this venture?

Many don't know how to begin their fitness journey, while others are fitness enthusiasts and unable to find snacking options that strike the perfect balance between taste & wellbeing - that's where we come in. Our wholesome granola & healthy roasted muesli are packed with essential vitamins, nutrients & minerals to keep you going all day, every day. Whether you're committed to a fitness goal or run around all day to complete your daily chores, one bowl of The Rooted Co is all you need to revitalize & restore.

3. What are the key products of the company? Kindly elaborate. No. of stores, cities, states, and country your products are available

Currently, we have 8 variants of granola & roasted muesli, and we have observed an overwhelming demand for our Super Seeds Roasted Muesli, Dates & Chia Granola, and Peanut Butter Granola. We have variants that are gluten-free and rich in fibre & proteins that provide long-lasting energy to tackle long & tiresome days. Offline, we have a PAN India presence across General Trade and Modern Trade outlets like Foodhall, Nature's Basket, Star Bazaar, SPAR, Spencer's & Lulu are home to our products.

4. How has the company evolved since its inception?

We have expanded our team to include young & dynamic individuals who believe in the company's vision to transform the healthy snacking sector. Since our inception, all the feedback collected from loyal consumers has been used to enhance our products and services. Moreover, we are constantly trying to improve the customer journey on our website and provide them with a seamless value-adding digital experience through our intriguing & educational blogs available on the website. Thanks to our driven salesforce, our distribution network has grown stronger beyond our expectations in such a short span of time.

5. What is the Bandwidth of the company? - your network, your presence (locations)

The Rooted Co is a subsidiary of SOCH Group, a conglomerate responsible for the success of another award-winning health food brand called Munchilicious Granola, launched in 2018. We are equipped with a reasonable understanding of our target audience's needs due to our first venture, which gives us an edge over competitors. Due to this, it did not take long before we acquired a strong grip over our PAN India distribution. We are present in numerous Modern Trade outlets, and you can also visit us online at www.therootedcompany.in or get your pack of earthy goodness from Amazon, BigBasket, Flipkart, or Smytten.

6. What is the future plan of the company?

Our plan is twofold: we want to create a Rooted community of workout enthusiasts and become their first choice for pre-workout nutrition and the first preference to fulfill the daily nutrition demands of people leading active lifestyles. We also want to transform lives and encourage people to achieve their fitness goals with our social media content. Furthermore, we want to educate the masses about the nutrition deficit lives that most Indians lead and fill this void with our range of #ResponsiblyWholesome roasted muesli & granola.

7. What are your Company’s goals? How do you build a successful customer base?

During the launch, we encouraged product trials with the help of sampling activities. This sure helped us establish a loyal customer base early on. We want to create an assortment that allows people to achieve their health goals whether it is weight loss, muscle gain or building stamina & energy. We envision The Rooted Co to be synonymous with an active lifestyle and aspire to create a community of people that strive to be a better version of themselves every day.

8. What are your expectations from the Indian market and consumers?

Indians have become increasingly conscious of their lifestyle habits. Over the last few years, people have become aware of what they consume, and purchase healthy snacks & cereals after carefully scrutinising the Nutritional Facts. We expect their food choices to be based more on what feels good rather than what only tastes pleasing. The Indian consumer has started demanding granola & roasted muesli that are free of preservatives, cholesterol & trans-fat and embodies a rich flavor, the perfect crunch & a pleasing aroma. Our range of cereals is 100% vegetarian and is created to satisfy all the demands of today's smart consumers. Moreover, we live fast-paced lives today, and hence there was a dire need to introduce snacks that can be consumed on the go or enjoyed effortlessly with milk in minutes. There's no need to skip the most important meal of the day, now that The Rooted Co is here to stay.