[100 Emerging Women Leaders] How Bharat Biotech’s Dr Jalachari Ella drives innovation in the spice industry with Ella Foods

At 13 years old, Dr Jalachari Ella moved back to India from the US with her parents, Dr Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella. 

She saw how her parents started their biotech company Bharat Biotech and would also witness its growth and be part of a historical achievement when it developed the indigenous vaccine, Covaxin during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After completing her MBBS and MD in Dermatology, Dr Ella practised as a dermatologist for a few years before she joined Bharat Biotech’s therapeutic division.

“As a doctor, one is highly theoretical. At the same time, they are the best at analysis, strategy, and understanding a patient’s requirements. I think doctors also make good business people once they decide to move into that realm,” she says of her foray into the family business.

A decade ago, she joined Anamay Biotech, the therapeutic division of Bharat Biotech, which handles a portfolio of products, including a range of patented recombinant epidermal growth factors used for wound healing, such as diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, and burns. 

“There is no single organisation or company that concentrates on wound care. Given my background, I could understand what physicians needed and what products they needed to fill in the gaps to take care of wounds in the clinical setting. I was able to understand and carve out understandings and better strategies for marketing and development of product and R&D,” she explains.

A human touch to the work she does

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Ella stepped in to handle communications and branding for Bharat Biotech as the company started working on a vaccine. After Covaxin’s launch in 2021, she was responsible for its dissemination to government, public sector, and private institutions. 

Looking back, Dr Ella recalls it to be a chaotic and high-stress situation given the time constraints and pressure of developing the vaccine, even though everything turned out well. 

“It’s gratifying to hear the positive response and the feedback of so many Indians where we travel. It puts a human touch to the work we do daily and makes me feel proud and patriotic,” she adds.

In fact, Dr Krishna Ella, Founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech—an agriculture graduate and hailing from an agricultural family—was also passionate about scientific innovation in the food and agriculture sector.

“India is known for food and agriculture, but the quality is not at a global standard. We always put a higher value on imported products, but ingredients exported are mostly commodity-driven and not of the highest quality in terms of safety,” she elaborates.

She also points out that we don't look at food as a nutritive ingredient that can cure or prevent illnesses, we only think of it as a form of sustenance. 

“We wanted to shift the coin on its head a little bit and try to change the perspective on how consumers or Indians look or perceive food. So, we got into it by understanding spices—one of the largest exportable ingredients of our country—but also happened to be one of the largest in rejections,” she adds.

Adding to this are the fungal and certain salmonella contaminations common in agricultural processes. To mitigate this, the team developed a new technology—cryogenics using liquid nitrogen to grind spices, leading to a new company and brand, Ella Foods.

“We have a 100-acre food park in Malur outside Bengaluru, which features a cryogenic grinding facility that uses liquid nitrogen at -190 degrees Celsius to grind spices,” she says.

Scientific innovation at the centre of food production

Traditionally, Dr Ella explains, spices are ground at high heat that oxidises them, denatures the minerality and vital nutrients, removes essential aromas and essential oils, and decreases the shelf life. 

In contrast, cryogenic grinding pounds spices at sub-zero temperatures and retains the essential oils, vitamins, and minerals that chilli or turmeric powder has. It also kills any microbial contamination present in the ingredient.

The firm started deploying the spices in a range of low-sodium pickles using a patented formulation, where it makes the pickles with cold-pressed oils and a lower sodium content.

The spices are also used in a range of snacks. Ella Foods also offers probiotic beverages and probiotic-enriched ready-to-eat products. 

“Our ethos behind Ella Foods is to use our strong suit—a bit of science, a little bit of innovation, and then try to add it into the manufacturing and processing of food. And then also stay true to the recipes that you innately know,” Dr Ella says.

Launched during the pandemic, the founders had to take a backseat with Ella Foods when vaccine development took precedence. In 2022, the focus was back on Ella Foods, with the range of products available on online marketplaces and a few retail chains. 

Soon, they will also be available on quick commerce platforms, Dr Ella says, adding its ready-to-eat foods are already available on Air India Express.

Dr Ella reveals that Ella Foods is not positioned as a generic brand because of the processing involved and the attention to the safety and quality of ingredients. 

“We are pivoting to online spaces and digital retail because it’s the future with the way our cities are growing and convenience being the hour of the day. We want to be available in airports and become more popular as gifting options,” she adds. The brand also aims to launch in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and the US.

She admits that understanding the marketplace, the target audience, and brand communication have been challenging. Also, as a second-generation entrepreneur, Dr Ella understands the responsibility of carrying forward a rich legacy. 

“I think of it as an opportunity to be unique and a trendsetter. That’s a place of power,” she says.