“My name is Sai Srinivas Vavilala. I was born in Visakhapatnam, but Hyderabad has been home since 1987.

I studied Mechanical Engineering, and for nearly three decades, my world revolved around manufacturing automation. Alongside a childhood friend and engineering classmate, I began with a small garage venture focused on unit-handling automation. What started modestly grew steadily into Vega Conveyors & Automation, eventually working with brands such as Cadbury, Nestlé, Britannia, Amul, Balaji Wafers, and several multinational food companies.

As the business expanded, it reached a defining moment when Daifuku, a global leader in material-handling systems from Japan, acquired the company. As a co-promoter, I chose to step away at that point. The organisation was in capable hands, and I felt the need to pause and reflect on what I wanted to do next.

Around 2020, driven more by curiosity than ambition, I began exploring millets. India has a history of consuming these grains for over 5,000 years, long before rice and wheat became staples. I learned that millets contain phytates that can limit nutrient absorption, and that traditional processes like germination and fermentation help unlock their full nutritional value.

What struck me was that while millets were making a comeback, many people were consuming them without this understanding, and therefore missing their true benefits. I spent nearly three years studying traditional practices and trying to understand why, despite growing awareness, millet consumption remained limited.

That journey eventually drew me back into entrepreneurship. As co-founder of HETC Foods, I have been working on Navdhan, a range of scientifically processed sprouted millet products designed to make millet consumption more nutritious, digestible, and accessible for modern households.

Over more than 30 years in business, one lesson has stayed with me: nearly 90% of ventures don’t survive beyond the first three years—not because the ideas are weak, but because people underestimate the patience, resilience, and endurance required. Entrepreneurship is not a sprint; it is a long and testing journey.”