Founder Interview: Archana Nanthakumar

Editor's Note

In this edition, we sit down with Archana, founder of Good Grains, a functional health food technology company creating nutritional solutions using millets to fight obesity and chronic disease. From her multicultural upbringing to feeding 2000+ people a day at an IT campus and serving 6M meals over 10 years. Archana shares how growing up between cultures shaped her approach to building, and why she believes India is one of the most underrated health markets in the world.

The Founder & the Idea

Where Science meets Heritage

Growing up, Archana’s connection to India was family-oriented, visiting relatives, grandparents, and staying connected to her roots. But her strongest connection is through food and describes it as a "love language" in her family through her parents and grandparents.

Archana is the daughter of an Indian father from the Air Force and second-generation Mauritian Mother with Indian heritage. They eventually decided to migrate and settle in Australia after Archana was born. This multicultural mixture (Indian, Mauritian, Australian) deeply shapes Archana's identity and her business.

Archana describes her nature as methodical and logical and wanted to blend her interest in science with practical health applications which led to her choosing to study biomedical engineering and bioinformatics at UNSW. After graduating, she worked at a big Australian bank in various roles including as an executive advisor in the technology team where she gained critical insights into how large-scale businesses operate.

From Banking to the Future of Food

After a decade in banking Archana decided to return to her science and health interests and founded Good Grains, a food technology company creating nutritional solutions that are recognisable, convenient and accessible to fight obesity and chronic conditions for the future. Archana’s core drive is to fight a global obesity crisis driven by ultra-processed foods, blood sugar volatility and diets stripped of fibre and diversity. Health organisations are predicting that over 50% of the global population will be obese or overweight in the next decade.

Why India?

You Have to Go To the Source

India's location near the equator, with its specific temperatures and climate, makes it ideal for growing robust grains, particularly millets. There are 20 different varieties of millets that grow across India, and this geographical advantage is irreplicable elsewhere in the world. As Archana says, "you have to go to the source."

India has rich agricultural content and knowledge that's been developed over centuries. Millets are incredibly water-efficient and drought-resistant. Growing one kilo of millet uses only 300 litres of water, compared to 5,000 litres for rice. They're also faster-growing, pest-resistant, and better for farmers' yields.

Two Compartmentalised but Intentional Operations

The business is split into two distinct operations because the cuisine, language, and approach need to be localised to each environment. Front-facing operations exist in both countries, supported by the manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure in India, creating an integrated ecosystem.

In Australia, the business runs across three pillars: 

1. Retail Products: Shelf-stable pantry favourites so people can prepare meals at home and for their families. Available through e-commerce and selected stores. 

2. Education Programs: Translate scientific literature into simple and easy to understand concepts for customers to apply them in their everyday lives. Offered as in-school incursions and corporate and private events. 

3. QSR (Quick Service Restaurant): Health bars where customers can grab ready-to-eat millet based meals that feel accessible, easy to understand, and recognisable.

In India Archana leans into IT campuses (think of the Google campus in Silicon Valley) where large populations work daily and need quality food. Her flagship operation is at TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) in Siruseri, where they feed roughly 2,000 people a day. Over the last 10+ years, they've served about 6 million meals with expansion to Bangalore and Chennai underway.

Behind both the Australian and Indian operation sits the Chennai manufacturing hub - a network of specialist manufacturers across different products: noodles, flakes, grains, and quick-cooking variations so Good Grains can export under its brand globally, including back to Australia. This "engine room" ensures no supply breakages, maintains quality, and supports service consistency.

The Reality of Building in India

Boots on the Ground: The Unfair Advantage of Family

For Archana, having family operating in India is a natural, unfair advantage. While she's lived in Australia her entire life, they still have grassroots connections and understand the local nuances and cultural elements that make or break operations there.The complexity of India is that there are many unsaid things and layers that require "boots on the ground" to navigate. Having a trusted team built over many years that she can rely on to make decisions on her behalf has been invaluable.

Embracing Difference, Not Fighting It

Rather than seeing differences as obstacles, Archana emphasises being open to learning and understanding the differences between Australian and Indian operations. There's no perfect model or perfect relationship, so success comes from embracing those differences.

Building Trust with Local Partners

One of the biggest positives she's experienced is how willing people are to help create new products and test concepts. The key is finding positive alignment with people you connect with. While being open to collaboration, she's conscious about protecting ideas and ensuring she's working with trustworthy partners who have genuine intentions for mutual growth. “No matter the country, in business you do need to kiss a few frogs but discussions on quality control, reliability of service and international certifications really fast-track the decision making process.”

Founder Advice

It’s Not Going to be Easy - And that’s the Point

Archana felt like she's been training since she was young to understand the nuances between Australian and Indian operations and also with the visibility of watching her Dad operating a business in India it didn’t feel as much of a leap for her. The biggest piece of advice her Dad gave her was simply: "It's not going to be easy." That speaks volumes coming from someone operating a business there as well. And yet, she did it anyway.

Find Your Bridge and Hold onto them

She also emphasised requiring someone on the ground who's going to form the bridge between the two countries. This person needs to understand both worlds (the nuances, the cultural differences) and be able to play that bridging role to benefit your business. And when you are able to find that bridge, her advice is to hold onto them, cultivate that relationship, and see what you can do together.

Health and Wellness: India’s Underrrated Opportunity

The area that Archana thinks is most underrated in India right now is Health and Wellness.
Her view is that India has incredible top talent in the health space, and believes that talent is underutilised and that health and wellbeing services need to be made affordable and accessible to more populations across India. Telemedicine alongside what Good Grains is building, will play a significant role in making that happen.

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Archana's journey shows that building across Australia and India isn't simply about market expansion, it's about recognising what each country does best and building an ecosystem that honours both. With millions of meals served, a manufacturing network strengthening in Chennai, and a clear-eyed view of where global health is headed, Good Grains is building solutions for a problem the world hasn't fully woken up to yet.

See you on Thursday for our weekly brew on Indian startup and tech news!

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