Two alumni of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad have brought “ultra-healthy” Japanese mushrooms into the country. The brand name: Le Gourmetz-the Foodies!

WIMWI Foods Pvt Ltd, a venture by co-founders Kanupradeep Subramanian and Srishti Shah, IIM-A alumni (2014 batch), has launched India’s first high quality packaged Shii’take mushrooms, now available across all Hypercity stores in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Instead of getting campus-placed elsewhere, they chose to start their own venture to pursue a common passion to bring healthier food choices into India. The company is currently a part of IIMAvericks Programme, a Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) initiative, which invites IIM-A alumni to pledge their support for graduating students, who want to tread the unconventional path of entrepreneurship.

“Indian consumers are looking for healthier options for food which offer them the taste without the calories. They are looking for both quality and affordability in their vegetables. We have responded to this consumer need”, said Shaw.

Shii’take Mushrooms, jewel of the oriental cuisine, are the second most consumed mushrooms globally, she added.

Subramanian said the company wanted to promote cultivation of these mushrooms in India and build technologies to make this an attractive source of income for Indian farmers.

About the health benefits, the co-founders said these flavorful Japanese wood mushrooms have high protein content, are rich in vitamin B complex and dietary fiber. When consumed regularly they reduce cholesterol and develop protection against multiple diseases. Shii’take contains an active compound lentinan, which helps protect against cancer and is an official adjuvant for stomach cancer in Japan.

The high level of protein makes them an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and also for those non-vegetarians who want to reduce the amount of meat in their diet.

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