Raja Nayak’s journey is a very inspirational journey. Born into a poor Dalit family, he had dropped out of school at the age of 16 because of financial difficulties. He started his journey by selling export-rejected shirts on Bengaluru’s footpaths. Now, he has set up NutriPlanet Foods, which contributes in generating a Rs 60 crore turnover business empire. His determination to challenge caste discrimination led him to create Jala Beverages, a packaged drinking water company.

 

The Challenge: Nayak had read a newspaper article about a hotel in Karnataka where Dalits were denied water in tumblers. Reading this article-which showcased discrimination against the Dalits- fueled his mission to create a product that could be consumed by everyone without any prejudice.

The Breakthrough: Jala Beverages was just the beginning. Another Raja's notable achievements in the food industry is NutriPlanet Foods. It was established with collaboration with the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) to focus on products like superfoods. Today, his businesses generate a ₹60 crore turnover. Raja Nayak inspires Dalits to become entrepreneurs and serves as the President of the Karnataka chapter of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI).