A Bengaluru couple has turned their idea of serving healthy, home-style meals into a business that earned Rs 56 lakh in just nine months. Diya Krishnakumar and Adithya Natarajan started their food startup, Wellfed, to make healthy meals affordable for working professionals.
Diya and Adithya studied computer science in Bengaluru and started working at the same IT company. They spent more than three years in the corporate sector. Like many working professionals, they often depended on restaurant food and food delivery apps for their daily meals.
Adithya recalled that healthy eating often took a backseat because of their busy schedules. In an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia, Adithya said, "Some days I would be coming home with take-out for dinner, and on others Diya would be barely putting together something for us to eat," he said.
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Diya also felt that cooking at home required more time and effort than many people realised. "A 20-minute recipe online takes twice as long when you start making it in your kitchen. Expecting that out of someone who has just spent the entire day in a cubicle, often in a high-pressure environment, is kind of a big ask," she said.
The couple then started looking for meal subscription services that could deliver healthy food to their homes. However, they felt most of the options offered too many different cuisines and fancy dishes. They wanted fresh and healthy Indian food that tasted like home. When they could not find such meals at reasonable prices, they decided to start making them on their own.
Diya also felt that cooking at home required more time and effort than many people realised.
"A 20-minute recipe online takes twice as long when you start making it in your kitchen. Expecting that out of someone who has just spent the entire day in a cubicle, often in a high-pressure environment, is kind of a big ask," she said.
In September 2024, the couple left their IT jobs to pursue their MBA studies and launched Wellfed. They started the business with Rs 15 lakh, most of which came from their personal savings. Their initial team had six members, including the two founders, a nutritionist, a cook, a steward and a delivery person. They first started by sending meals to their friends and family.
"We knew we had cracked the code: home-cooked-style food just hits different. No one wants to have pasta every day for lunch," Diya said.
The business received its first 100 customers after a Bengaluru-based nutritionist shared a reel about it on social media. The video helped the startup reach more people. However, the journey was not always easy. In early 2026, LPG shortages affected its operations. The founders had to change their menu, which also slowed the business's growth.
Wellfed offers familiar Indian dishes such as dal, aloo gobhi, jowar roti, adraki chicken and chole chaat. The meals include protein-rich ingredients such as paneer, tofu, soya and chicken. "But even then, we do provide special meals that include options like wraps, biryanis, and some Indo-Chinese favourites," Diya said.
Wellfed offers three meal subscription plans for customers. Its three-day trial plan costs Rs 289 per meal and includes lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, along with free delivery.
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The two-week plan costs Rs 279 per meal and the one-month plan costs Rs 269. Both these plans include lunch and dinner, along with free delivery, nutritionist guidance and unlimited meal carry-forwards.
The founders also wanted to avoid regular plastic food packaging. They ordered reusable lunch containers with a steel lining from a manufacturer in Maharashtra.
"The idea was also that when our meals reach people, they shouldn't feel like just another package that has come in from a regular food delivery application such as Zomato or Swiggy. It should feel like a homely dabba, with a thoughtfully made meal waiting to be savoured," Diya said.
Wellfed earned around Rs 45 lakh in its first year. Between January and September 2026, the startup generated Rs 56 lakh in revenue, surpassing its first-year earnings in just nine months. So far, the company has served more than 1,500 customers and delivered over 55,000 meals.