Sakshi Mittal is the founder and CEO of FoodHak, a clinically-approved healthy meals subscription delivery business
Words: Selma Day
Entrepreneur Sakshi Mittal, the eldest child of a self-made businessman and wife of Shravin Mittal, the son of Indian telecoms billionaire Sunil Mittal, recently launched FoodHak – a food subscription delivery business where the emphasis is on healthy, science-based, vegan meals.
The inspiration for FoodHak came when Sakshi was pregnant with her first child and developed obstetric cholestasis (OC), a liver condition which can increase the risk of a premature or stillbirth. “I was told I was just unlucky and that no medication would make a difference,” she says. Having come from a science background and been an investor in the healthcare sector, she refused to take no for an answer. “That’s when I stumbled upon clinical research on food – there was so much data out there to prove that food can reverse diseases and prevent diseases.”
So, in an attempt to control her symptoms, which included unbearably itchy skin, Sakshi put herself on a vegan, gluten-free, non-dairy diet, with a focus on foods and herbs with anti-inflammatory properties – and was astounded by the results; the OC was under control and her son was safely delivered at 37 weeks.
With her research leading her increasingly in the direction of recipes rooted in traditional, ayurvedic Indian medicine, she found a chef trained in ayurvedic principles and rented a kitchen. Sakshi began to distribute her meals via Deliveroo and her customer base was growing steadily when Covid hit. The lockdown gave Sakshi the opportunity to turn what had originally been a passion project into a fully-fledged business. In late 2021, Sakshi decided to take the plunge and hand in her notice. Within weeks FoodHak was launched.
The pandemic, naturally, fuelled interest. “Even before the pandemic, health and wellness was one of the fastest-growing sectors. People are realising that through exercise, sleep and eating well, we can reverse diseases, prevent them or at least withstand them a lot better.
“Our mission is to change the food you are surrounded by and offer healthier options – we want to launch different categories and different lines of food. And then we want to go for international expansion.”