For countless young professionals and students who leave small towns for India’s metros, the toughest part isn’t just the hustle; it’s the hunger. Far from home, the flavours of their childhood often disappear, replaced by supermarket substitutes that never quite measure up. For migrants from Bihar and Jharkhand, staples like sattu, katarni chuda, or makhana powder aren’t just ingredients; they’re markers of culture and identity. Mithila Foods, founded in 2024 in Dumka, Jharkhand, has made it its mission to bring authentic products from Bihar to the kitchen shelves of Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru.
Three friends—Shubham Sunderka from Sitamarhi and brothers Ankit and Anshu Kumar from Dumka—had this idea for a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand after they struggled to find their regional staples while studying at IIT Bombay in 2012. Years later, even after building careers in marketing, FMCG, and design, the gap gnawed at them. “Every trip home meant bringing back at least 10 kgs of sattu. It wasn’t just about taste—it was about keeping my cultural identity in an unfamiliar city,” Sunderka, CEO of Mithila Foods, tells YourStory.
From Govindbhog rice to roasted chana and Gumla ragi atta, Mithila Foods’ range of food products helps interstate migrants have a taste of their home, while introducing India’s metros to a cuisine that has long been underrepresented. Authentic Mithila flavours The D2C brand offers 25 stock-keeping units (SKUs) through its website and ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and JioMart. It sells authentic regional products from Bihar and Jharkhand, including staples like Govindbhog rice, katarni chuda (flattened rice), Jharkhand’s Gumla ragi atta, Bihari makhana powder, and more. Besides, it offers superfoods like roasted chana, plain and flavoured makhanas, roasted mustard, and sattu in plain, jeera, and jaggery flavours, as well as flax and sunflower seeds. It also stocks pooja essentials like ghee and incense. The startup sources ingredients from local farmers and small businesses and processes all its products in the Mithila region using traditional methods. “We maintain direct contact with both farmers and manufacturers to ensure consistent standards,” says Co-founder and COO Ankit Kumar. According to the founders, most of Mithila’s products are naturally rich in protein, fibre, and nutrients like calcium, despite having a shorter shelf life—between six and twelve months compared to common alternatives—and there’s a reason why. Ankit explains, “We do not use palm oil, harmful additives, or artificial colours.” All products are FSSAI-approved and undergo lab testing, with random batch checks every three to six months, he adds. “Our best-selling product is roasted chana—a clean, roasted superfood, and a healthy alternative to popcorn. The second is sattu—a natural plant-protein source often preferred over commercial protein supplements,” Sunderka says. Mithila Food has priced its products between Rs 150 and Rs 1,500, sold in sizes ranging from 100 grams to 5 kg.
Read more at: https://yourstory.com/2025/09/mithila-foods-dumka-bihar-jharkhand-regional-food-d2c-startup?utm_source=chatgpt.com
