The Journey of Nutricook’s Co-Founders, Asha VM and P. Ravi Kumar Reddy

Business Remedies | Rajshree Upadhyaya |  By bringing a revolutionary change in the way of cooking for people’s health, Asha VM established Nutricook and created her identity. The idea of Nutricook came when Asha VM and P. Ravi Kumar Reddy looked into the kitchen and felt a gap-cookware that could be healthy, efficient, and innovative. They founded Nutricook in 2019, with the aim of providing such cookware that could retain nutrients while cooking with minimal water or oil. Their effort was based on physics; they chose surgical-grade steel, created stackable modular cookware, and kept experimenting until they found a design combination that could steam, boil, and roast without compromising taste or health.

In the early days, they carried sample sets, did demonstrations before small groups, sautéed vegetables side by side to convince skeptics, and built credibility, one household presentation at a time. As they transformed their prototypes into marketable SKUs, they realized that for a premium cookware brand, trust and storytelling mattered as much as engineering. They emphasized features like temperature-sensitive lids, sealed cooking chambers, and claims of saving up to 50 percent gas.

They also knew that the high-ticket pricing-reports suggested a full set could cost over thirty thousand rupees-meant that strong conviction was required for every sale. Their unit economics reportedly relied on high margins and demo conversions, with a target of converting one out of every two demos. Over time, the founders developed a direct-to-consumer model and strengthened their value proposition by using narratives related to health and lifestyle.

Refined manufacturing to maintain quality
When they appeared on Shark Tank India Season 2, the tension between ambition and scrutiny was clearly visible. Asha and Ravi asked for one crore rupees in exchange for two percent equity, implying a high valuation of fifty crore. The sharks questioned whether consumers would accept such high prices and whether traditional cookware could achieve the same results. Many sharks declined, but Vineeta Singh saw potential.
She offered fifty lakhs for ten percent equity and another fifty lakhs as debt at twelve percent interest. After deliberation, the founders accepted the mixed deal. This structure provided them with capital, limited dilution, and added a layer of discipline.

Their appearance and deal gave Nutricook nationwide recognition and credibility. After Shark Tank, Nutricook leveraged public support to accelerate growth. The founders expanded their range, refined manufacturing to maintain quality, and intensified demonstration efforts. They doubled down on messaging about cooking without oil and water, health benefits, and long-term savings. At the same time, they also faced the challenge of pricing in a value-sensitive market. To deal with this challenge, they introduced smaller sets with lower entry costs, offered flexible payment options, and emphasized per-meal cost rather than just initial cost.

Founders remain steadfast in their core mission
Despite obstacles, their journey since the show has underlined resilience. Nutricook has struggled with distribution, building customer trust in different cities, and ensuring after-sales service. Yet, the founders remain steadfast in their core mission-to revolutionize the way of cooking for people’s health without compromising on convenience. Their journey, from prototype demos to television stage, from bold asks to strategic partnerships, reflects the courage required to turn a nutrition-driven cookware dream into a vibrant business in India’s competitive consumer landscape.

Written & Edited By:

Rajshree Upadhyaya