Bollywood's Varun Dhawan backs India's first biofortified staples brand

What's the deal? Actor Varun DhawanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has invested in Better NutritionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a biofortified staples brand, and joined as brand ambassador alongside Olympic badminton player PV Sindhu. The angel investment was announced in October 2026; terms were not disclosed.

What does the company do? Better Nutrition sells atta, dal, rice, and millets naturally enriched with up to twice the iron, zinc, and other micronutrients. It uses biofortified seeds, soil science, and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology to measure nutrient levels at the source.

Why now? Dhawan's involvement started on his own farm, which he began learning about after buying agricultural land. He will now develop it as a biofortified farm with the company.

What's the endgame? Rather than asking consumers to change their diets, Better Nutrition aims to improve the nutritional value of staples already on their plates. Founded by Prateek Rastogi and Aishwarya Bhatnagar, it runs a seed-to-shelf model spanning seeds, soil, farmers, testing, crop validation, processing, and consumer food.

Dhawan's farm videos have already prompted consumer enquiries about converting their own land. In response, the company has opened applications for a Biofortified Farm programme, where owners can submit their farms for evaluation and potential deployment of its seed, soil, and testing capabilities.

"Better Nutrition is my brand now too. I really like the mission behind it, and I want to be part of that journey," Dhawan said. Rastogi, the chief executive officer, said Dhawan's decision to invest and convert his own farm "show how deeply he connects with the mission."

The signal: Celebrity backing is giving a young food-tech brand reach well beyond its product shelf — turning an investment into a channel for recruiting the farm network its model depends on.

Read more: india.entrepreneur.com

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