Saptham Story: A Kannadiga Who Sparked a Clean-Label Revolution
A conversation with Manohar Iyer, founder of Saptham Taila, on how a simple question led him from a global IT career to building a clean-label, cold-pressed edible oil brand rooted in Indian tradition and trust-first FMCG principles.
Episode Description
In this episode of Business Giseness, we host Manohar Iyer, founder of Saptham Taila, a Bengaluru-based brand reviving India’s traditional cold-pressed (wood-pressed) edible oils.
Manohar’s entrepreneurial journey began with a simple but unsettling question—how could refined cooking oil be priced almost the same as the raw peanuts it is made from? That curiosity pushed him to explore the edible oil industry deeply, uncovering the realities of refined oil processing, nutritional loss, and the gradual disappearance of traditional oil extraction practices in India.
Leaving behind a successful global IT career, Manohar returned to India to build Saptham Taila with a clear mission: to produce chemical-free, nutritionally intact oils using traditional methods, while maintaining modern food safety standards and certifications.
In this conversation, we discuss the difference between refined and cold-pressed oils, the challenges of building a clean-label FMCG brand, issues of adulteration and consumer trust, and whether traditional food practices can scale in a price-sensitive market. More than a founder story, this episode explores how purpose, patience, and integrity come together to build meaningful businesses.
