Foodwize: How Two Women Are Transforming India’s Food Habits Through Sustainability and Education
Foodwize founders Srijata Sengupta and Priya Joshi are transforming India’s food habits through sustainability, education and conscious food choices. Foodwize is a Bengaluru-based social enterprise founded by Srijata Sengupta and Priya Joshi that works to transform food habits through sustainability, education and human behaviour. Its programmes connect consumers, students, chefs and organisations with healthier, culturally rooted and environmentally responsible food choices.
Foodwize and the Changing Food Conversation
Food has always meant more to India than what appears on a plate. It carries family traditions, regional identities, agricultural knowledge, livelihoods and memories passed from one generation to another. Yet, as lifestyles become faster and convenience increasingly shapes consumption, the relationship between people and food is changing. This is the space where Foodwize is building a different conversation—one that asks people to look beyond taste, price and convenience and understand the wider impact of what they eat. Founded in Bengaluru by Srijata Sengupta and Priya Joshi, Foodwize is a social enterprise working at the intersection of food, sustainability and education. Its central belief is straightforward but powerful: becoming wiser about food can help people become more responsible about the world around them. The organisation works with consumers, students, professionals and businesses to create deeper understanding of sustainable food systems and encourage practical changes in food behaviour.
Foodwize Founders Turn Concern Into Action
The story of Foodwize began with two professionals who had spent years building careers in corporate environments but eventually found themselves asking a much larger question: how could their skills contribute to a meaningful social and environmental challenge? Srijata Sengupta and Priya Joshi had known each other since their days at Accenture nearly two decades ago. Priya, an electronics engineer with an MBA in HR, had worked across geographies, while Srijata, a Tata Institute of Social Sciences graduate, developed a career in strategy consulting and human resources before becoming an HR leader in Accenture’s technology business. Their eventual move into sustainable food was not a conventional career transition. Priya pursued a master’s in sustainable food systems at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, while Srijata also left her corporate role. Together, they began building Foodwize in 2022, bringing professional experience, curiosity and a shared desire to address a systemic challenge through education and human transformation.
Foodwize Makes Sustainability Personal
One of the most distinctive ideas behind Foodwize is that sustainability cannot remain an abstract conversation about climate change, carbon emissions or environmental responsibility. It has to become personal. The organisation’s consumer programmes therefore begin with an individual’s relationship with food—what food means to them, how they make choices and what influences those decisions. Foodwize believes that understanding this relationship creates a stronger foundation for changing behaviour. Its learning experiences help individuals and organisations understand the connections between food, sustainability, health and communities. These include learning sessions, consumer experience labs, workplace programmes and immersive dining experiences such as “Pop-Up with a Purpose”. Instead of presenting sustainability as a list of restrictions, Foodwize attempts to make it experiential and accessible. Participants can explore seasonal ingredients, local sourcing, biodiversity, cultural food traditions and responsible consumption while still enjoying food. The objective is not simply to tell people what they should eat, but to help them understand why their choices matter.
Foodwize Connects Food With the Planet
The work of Foodwize becomes particularly relevant when food is viewed as part of a much larger ecosystem. Every meal is connected to farmers, producers, soil, water, biodiversity, transportation, livelihoods and culture. The organisation highlights this interconnectedness by helping people understand how sustainable food systems can contribute to healthier communities and a healthier planet. Its programmes encourage participants to explore ideas such as local sourcing, seasonal eating, reducing waste and supporting diverse food-growing communities. Foodwize also works with organisations to build practical sustainable food practices, including healthier menus and low-waste or plastic-free canteens. Its Grower-Producer Exchange offers another layer of learning by connecting participants with food producers and helping them understand the relationship between food, climate and soil. This approach reflects Foodwize’s broader philosophy that sustainability should not be treated as a separate corporate initiative. Instead, food can become an everyday lens through which people understand environmental responsibility, personal wellbeing, cultural preservation and community resilience.
Foodwize Is Building Future Food Leaders
Education sits at the heart of Foodwize, but its ambition extends beyond awareness programmes. Through initiatives such as STHIRA, the organisation is working with young people to encourage innovation around the future of food. STHIRA, described by Foodwize as a Sustainable Food Innovation Challenge, brings together students from universities and disciplines to explore pressing challenges affecting food systems. Its 2026 edition features participants from more than 45 universities and 18 disciplines, with opportunities for promising ideas to receive incubation support. The programme examines food through multiple dimensions, including biodiversity, livelihoods, health and nutrition, and cultural relevance. Foodwize has also introduced a Virtual Incubator connected to STHIRA to help promising innovations move from ideas towards real-world solutions. This focus on young innovators is significant because the future of food will require more than better consumer choices. It will require entrepreneurs, designers, food professionals and changemakers who understand how traditional food wisdom can work alongside modern knowledge and innovation.
Foodwize Takes Sustainable Food Beyond Awareness
For Foodwize, changing food habits also means influencing the people and businesses that shape what consumers eat. The organisation therefore works with chefs, hospitality professionals and companies through programmes designed to embed sustainability into everyday food practices. Its Foodwize Ignite initiative focuses on professionals in the food industry and aims to develop leadership and capabilities for a more resilient food system. This is increasingly important as more consumers depend on restaurants, delivery platforms, cloud kitchens and institutional food services. Commercial kitchens make decisions about sourcing, menus, waste and ingredients on a large scale, meaning their choices can influence consumer behaviour and supply chains. Foodwize’s approach brings sustainability into these professional environments rather than limiting the conversation to individual households. Its work with corporate clients has included employee learning programmes and engagements with organisations such as Accenture, Mahindra & Mahindra, GE Vernova and Expedia, demonstrating how food education can become part of broader workplace wellbeing and sustainability efforts.
Foodwize Learns From Consumer Behaviour
The journey of Foodwize has also revealed an important challenge: knowing what is right does not always mean doing what is right. When the founders initially began working with urban consumers, they expected people already concerned about climate change and social issues to be ready to make more sustainable food choices. Their experience suggested a more complicated reality. According to the founders, research and interactions with consumers showed that convenience remained a powerful factor in everyday decisions. This insight changed how Foodwize approached education. Rather than beginning with distant environmental consequences, the organisation started by helping people understand their own food choices and relationship with eating. This is a crucial lesson for the wider sustainability movement. Behaviour rarely changes because people are given more information alone. It changes when knowledge becomes relevant, practical and connected to everyday life. Foodwize’s model therefore focuses on human transformation rather than relying primarily on technology or trends. Its work suggests that meaningful change in food habits may begin with something as simple as becoming more curious about what is on our plate.
Foodwize’s Vision for India’s Food Future
The larger ambition behind Foodwize is not simply to create a community of people who eat healthier meals. It is to help build an ecosystem in which consumers, businesses, food professionals, students, producers and innovators understand their role in shaping the future of food. The organisation’s vision is rooted in the idea that food connects people with nature, culture and livelihoods, making it one of the most powerful starting points for sustainability. In a country as diverse as India, this approach carries particular significance. Traditional grains, indigenous ingredients, regional cooking practices and seasonal food knowledge represent an enormous cultural and ecological resource. At the same time, urbanisation and convenience-driven consumption are reshaping how people eat. Foodwize is attempting to bridge these worlds by bringing together traditional food wisdom, modern knowledge, sustainability and education. Its journey shows that transforming food habits does not necessarily require abandoning pleasure or culture. It may instead require rediscovering the intelligence already present in the way communities have understood food for generations.
Foodwize Shows Why Food Choices Matter
The story of Foodwize is ultimately a story about changing perspective. Srijata Sengupta and Priya Joshi did not set out to build another food trend, diet platform or technology product. They chose to work on the deeper relationship between people and food, believing that lasting change begins when individuals understand the consequences of everyday choices. From consumer learning experiences and purposeful dining to youth innovation and professional development, Foodwize is creating multiple entry points into the sustainability conversation. Its work also carries a larger message for India: food is not merely something we consume. It is connected to farmers, ecosystems, culture, health, economies and the future of the planet. As India’s food landscape continues to evolve, the ability to make informed and responsible choices will become increasingly important. Foodwize is betting that education, curiosity and human behaviour can help lead that transformation and that when people become truly food-wise, they can become wiser about the world itself.
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