Panchamrutha Industries Launches Fortified Rice Range with 9 Essential Micronutrients in Karnataka

Panchamrutha Industries Pvt. Ltd., in collaboration with Millers for Nutrition powered by TechnoServe, today announced the launch of Panchamrutha Deluxe Fortified Rice, enriched with nine essential vitamins and minerals, at a special industry workshop titled “Unlocking Market Potential: Advancing Fortified Rice in Karnataka” held in Bengaluru.

The newly launched fortified rice is enriched with Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, along with key minerals including Iron, Folic Acid and Zinc. The initiative underscores Panchamrutha Industries’ commitment to strengthening nutrition security by integrating essential micronutrients into a staple food consumed daily by millions of households.

The launch event brought together representatives from government bodies, nutrition scientists, healthcare professionals, food fortification experts, rice millers, and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the growing role of fortified staples in addressing micronutrient deficiencies and combating hidden hunger in India.

With a strong footprint across South India, Panchamrutha Industries has transitioned from a traditional grain business into a nutrition-led FMCG company focused on fortified staples and health-oriented food products. Operating from its advanced processing facility in Dharwad, with a production capacity exceeding 300 tonnes per day, the company combines modern fortification technology with its vision of making quality nutrition accessible to every household.

Speaking at the launch, Jambulingappa Hosmani, Managing Director, Panchamrutha Industries Pvt. Ltd., highlighted the public health relevance of fortified staples. He cited data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), noting that anaemia affects a significant proportion of children, adolescent girls and women of reproductive age in India. He emphasized that staple foods can play a transformative role in improving nutrition outcomes and said the launch of Panchamrutha Deluxe Fortified Rice aligns with the company’s goal of making nutrition a standard feature in everyday diets rather than a premium offering.

Panchamrutha Industries entered the fortified rice segment in 2023 with a focus on affordability and accessibility, offering fortified staples to consumers without additional cost. The fortified rice range is designed to retain the same taste, aroma and cooking characteristics as regular rice, while delivering enhanced nutritional value.

Highlighting the scientific importance of rice fortification, Dr. Usharani Dandamudi, Scientist F, Department of Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, CSIR-CFTRI, said rice fortification represents one of the most practical and scalable solutions to address micronutrient deficiencies in India, where rice is a dietary mainstay. She added that wider awareness and adoption of fortified staples can contribute significantly to building healthier communities.

Echoing this perspective, Pallavi Idooru, clinical nutritionist and diet influencer, noted that iron deficiency and anaemia continue to disproportionately affect women, particularly adolescent girls, pregnant women and young mothers. She said fortified rice can meaningfully support improved nutritional intake and maternal health when consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet.

India continues to face a substantial burden of hidden hunger, with iron deficiency and anaemia impacting millions of women and children nationwide. Fortified rice is increasingly being recognized as an effective and scalable intervention to improve nutrition security by delivering essential vitamins and minerals through a food consumed daily across socio-economic groups.

Speaking on the importance of industry leadership in food fortification, Abhishek Shukla, Country Program Manager – India, Millers for Nutrition, said rice’s universal consumption makes it one of the most effective vehicles for delivering improved nutrition at scale. He noted that the launch of Panchamrutha Deluxe Fortified Rice marks an important step in expanding consumer access to fortified staples and strengthening industry participation in India’s nutrition journey.

The workshop featured discussions on food fortification policies, regulatory frameworks, micronutrient stability in fortified rice, and collaborative approaches to scaling nutrition impact. The programme concluded with a shared emphasis on the need for continued collaboration between industry, policymakers, nutrition experts and development organizations to accelerate awareness and adoption of fortified foods in the open market.