The Spice Man of Odisha
Sarat Kumar Sahoo, the visionary industrialist who founded Ruchi Foodline and built it into one of India’s most recognized food brands, has passed away. He was 75. Sahoo died while undergoing treatment at a hospital, leaving behind a profound legacy that began nearly five decades ago with a modest investment of just ₹5,000.
His journey is a defining story of Odia entrepreneurship. He meticulously transformed that humble operation into a dominant food conglomerate with an annual turnover of ₹500 crore. The Ruchi brand, now a household name, grew from a single product into a diverse portfolio supplied to over 18,000 outlets across India and seven other countries.
Born in Cuttack’s Ranighat into a lower-middle-class family, Sahoo’s early life was marked by hardship. His father ran a small, thatched-roof hotel, and Sahoo would assist by washing dishes. A significant turning point came in 1974 when the family's hotel was demolished, pushing them into financial uncertainty. However, Sahoo, who was also a gifted Kabaddi player, applied the focus and resilience he learned from sports to business.
After the setback, he joined an entrepreneurial training program with the Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC). He later gained invaluable hands-on experience working briefly at a spice factory in Kolkata. This knowledge became the catalyst for his life's work.
In 1976, at the age of 26, Sahoo returned to Cuttack and founded Om Oil and Flour Mills (OFML). He started in a 1,600-square-foot rented space in the Madhupatna Industrial Estate, securing a small bank loan to begin. In the company's nascent days, Sahoo was the chief miller, mechanic, accountant, and salesman. While his very first production was pure turmeric powder, his first major commercial product was Ruchi Atta, which he famously delivered to vendors in a bullock cart.
This hands-on, quality-first approach paid off. By 1980, he expanded from flour into spices, followed by vermicelli and pasta, even importing machinery from Italy—a significant innovation at the time.
Sahoo’s resolve was severely tested during the 1999 Super Cyclone, which inflicted over ₹10 crore in damages upon his operations. Yet, demonstrating remarkable resilience, he rebuilt the company, making it stronger than before.
He was not just an industrialist but also a dedicated philanthropist, establishing the Ruchi Pratibha Foundation in 1996 to identify and support talent across various fields. His guiding philosophy, which he shared with aspiring entrepreneurs, was that "enterprise needs effort, not just money."
Sarat Kumar Sahoo’s passing is mourned as the end of an era. He proved that from a small corner of Cuttack, a global brand could be built through unwavering dedication, innovation, and an unbreakable spirit.
