24 mantra

Overview

24 mantra is an Indian organic food brand established in 2004 and headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. It was founded by Rajashekar Reddy Seelam (Raj Seelam) through Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt. Ltd., building its reputation on certified organic agriculture, direct farmer relationships, and a vertically integrated “farm-to-fork” supply chain 5. As of 2026, the brand is wholly owned by ITC Limited, which acquired Sresta Natural Bioproducts on 13 June 2025 in a transaction valued at up to ₹472.5 crore 4 12.

The brand offers over 100 organic products spanning staples, pulses, rice, millets, flours, spices, oils, sweeteners, beverages, snacks, and processed foods 1. While primarily an Indian domestic brand, 24 mantra maintains a significant international presence, particularly in markets serving the Indian diaspora such as Singapore, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East 10 32.

Corporate history

Founding and early years

The origins of 24 mantra lie in founder Raj Seelam’s experience within the agricultural sector. While working at an agricultural-products company in 1992, Seelam observed the increasing use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and their impact on both farmland and farmer livelihoods 2. This experience motivated him to develop a business model centred on organic farming and sustainable incomes for cultivators.

Sresta Natural Bioproducts was incorporated in Hyderabad on 9 March 2004, with the 24 mantra brand emerging from this entity 3. The company entered a market where organic food was still a niche concept, facing the dual challenge of convincing farmers to convert to organic methods while establishing credible certification systems.

Certification and retail expansion

By 2007, 24 mantra had achieved organic certification against major international and Indian standards, including European, US NOP, and Indian NPOP frameworks 20. The brand entered organised retail in 2008 through an exclusivity arrangement with Spencer’s and simultaneously began exporting to Europe under its own label, marking its transition from an agricultural supply operation to a consumer packaged-goods brand 21.

Over the following decade, the product portfolio expanded beyond basic grains and pulses to include rice, dals, flours, spices, sweeteners, edible oils, beverages, ready-to-cook products, snacks, and processed foods 7 23. Industry sources describe the brand as having grown to encompass hundreds of products across multiple international markets 24.

Acquisition by ITC Limited

On 17 April 2025, ITC announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Sresta Natural Bioproducts 14. The transaction comprised an upfront consideration of ₹400 crore and additional deferred consideration of up to ₹72.5 crore payable over 24 months, bringing the total potential value to ₹472.5 crore 15 18. ITC completed the acquisition on 13 June 2025 4 13.

In its FY2026 reporting, ITC confirmed that Sresta had been amalgamated into the parent company with an appointed date of 13 June 2025, making 24 mantra an integral part of ITC’s FMCG and foods portfolio 19. ITC described Sresta as a pioneer in India’s organic packaged-food sector and positioned the acquisition as a means to strengthen its presence in the high-growth organic category 1 16.

Business model

Farm-to-fork integration

24 mantra operates a vertically integrated model that encompasses cultivation, aggregation, processing, packaging, and distribution 2. Unlike conventional FMCG brands that source ingredients from third-party traders, the company historically developed dedicated farming communities and supervised agricultural production directly. This integration aims to maintain organic integrity and traceability from farm to finished product 8.

The model involves selecting suitable agro-climatic regions, identifying and training farmers in organic practices, monitoring farms for compliance, maintaining certification, aggregating produce, and processing it under controlled conditions before packaging 9. Crops are matched to local soil and climate conditions to ensure suitability and yield stability 22.

Farmer network scale

Reported figures regarding the farmer network have varied across different reporting periods. At the time of the 2025 acquisition announcement, Sresta had approximately 27,500 farmers cultivating around 1.4 lakh acres across multiple processing facilities 17. ITC subsequently described the network as comprising roughly 27,000 farmers across 71 clusters in 10 states 16. The consumer-facing website presents a broader figure of over 34,000 farmers across 12 Indian states and more than 1,90,000 acres 5. These variations reflect differing reporting methodologies and timelines rather than contradictions; the consistent feature is the existence of a large, organised organic-farming network rather than reliance on spot-market procurement.

Traceability system

The brand has implemented a product-traceability system enabling consumers to track the journey of food from farm to package 8. This addresses a key challenge in the organic sector: verifying claims that are otherwise abstract to end consumers. By providing tangible provenance data, the system transforms the organic promise into a verifiable proposition 9.

Product portfolio

24 mantra has evolved from a staples-oriented brand into a comprehensive organic packaged-food company. Current categories include:

Staples and flours

The core range comprises rice, dals, pulses, cereals, millets, and grains 7. Flour offerings include wheat flour, millet flours, besan, and specialty blends 25 26.

Spices and oils

Spice products cover turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, and other whole and ground varieties 31. The brand also sells cold-pressed oils including groundnut, mustard, and sunflower oil 11.

Sweeteners and health products

Sweeteners include sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, and honey 27. Health-oriented items comprise chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa, moringa powder, and wheatgrass powder 7.

Snacks and processed foods

The snack range includes peanut chikki, sesame chikki, Bombay mixture, masala peanuts, murukku, shakkar para, and sev 23. Processed offerings extend to ready-to-cook products and breakfast cereals 33.

This evolution reflects a strategic shift from organic agricultural commodities to kitchen staples and finally to a broad organic FMCG portfolio 29.

Brand identity and philosophy

Name and symbolism

The name “24 mantra” derives from an ancient Sanskrit concept concerning the five elements of nature: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether/Space. The Sanskrit phrase Bhumir, Apo, Analo, Anilo, Nabha contains letters that sum to 24, giving rise to the brand name 6. This symbolism connects organic agriculture to traditional Indian conceptions of harmony between people, food, and nature, distinguishing the brand from those positioning organic solely as a modern health trend.

Core philosophy

The brand’s philosophy operates across multiple dimensions: providing clean, certified-organic food for consumers; ensuring stable markets and sustainable livelihoods for farmers; reducing dependence on chemical-intensive farming; promoting soil health and ecological stewardship; and building trust through supply-chain control and traceability 28. This three-way relationship—healthy soil, healthy farms, healthy food—with farmers as the connecting element, underpins all corporate communications 22.

Market positioning

24 mantra positions organic food as suitable for everyday consumption rather than as a luxury or specialist health product 34. By making routine Indian kitchen items such as rice, dal, flour, spices, oil, and sugar available in certified-organic form, the brand integrates organic purchasing into regular household buying patterns. This positioning sits at the intersection of health, Indian food culture, sustainability, farmer welfare, and convenience 30.

International presence

24 mantra exports to multiple regions including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific 10 32. In overseas markets, the brand functions simultaneously as an Indian grocery label, an organic brand, and an ethnic-food provider, particularly for diaspora communities seeking familiar staples with organic certification 24.

ITC specifically highlighted the brand’s strong international presence and deep connection with Indian diaspora consumers when announcing the acquisition 13. For Singaporean consumers, the brand represents one of several certified-organic Indian food options available through specialty grocers and online platforms catering to South Asian dietary preferences 27 32.

Distribution channels

Historically, 24 mantra has utilised diverse distribution channels including traditional retail, modern trade, specialty organic stores, supermarkets, e-commerce, direct-to-consumer platforms, and international grocery distributors 34. Corporate materials indicate presence across thousands of outlets in India and overseas 24.

The ITC acquisition provides access to a significantly larger FMCG distribution and manufacturing ecosystem, representing one of the principal strategic rationales for the transaction 16. This infrastructure is expected to enhance availability in both domestic and international markets, including Singapore.

Sustainability and certification

Organic standards

Products carry certifications relevant to target markets, including India Organic/NPOP, USDA Organic/NOP, and European organic standards 20. Certification was achieved by 2007 against these major frameworks, facilitating export market access where requirements differ by jurisdiction 9.

Ecological approach

Sustainability is central to the brand’s identity, linking organic farming to soil health, reduced synthetic inputs, farmer livelihoods, biodiversity, and responsible consumption 28. The farming model emphasises natural inputs and ecological balance, positioning sustainability as a systemic outcome rather than a marketing claim 22.

Strategic significance

Industry role

24 mantra played a pivotal role in transitioning India’s organic food sector from a niche agricultural movement to an organised branded packaged-food category. In the early 2000s, when organic farming was niche, consumer awareness of certification was limited, and reliable markets were scarce, the brand acted as a bridge connecting farmers needing markets with consumers seeking trustworthy organic products 21.

Competitive differentiation

Unlike conventional FMCG companies focused primarily on branding, manufacturing, and distribution, 24 mantra’s competitive advantage lies in its backend: farmer relationships, agricultural expertise, certification infrastructure, sourcing networks, processing facilities, traceability systems, and international distribution capabilities 16. ITC emphasised this backend strength as a key acquisition rationale 17.

Post-acquisition trajectory

Under ITC ownership, the brand gains access to enhanced capabilities in product development, innovation, sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain management, and distribution 18. By late 2025, ITC was publicly positioning 24 mantra as central to its organic-food growth strategy, highlighting the extensive product portfolio and farmer network 8.

The brand’s evolution can be summarised as follows:

2004: Established as organic farming enterprise
2007: Achieved major organic certifications
2008: Entered organised retail and exports
2010s: Expanded into national and international organic FMCG brand
2020s: Broadened product portfolio and implemented traceability
2025: Acquired by ITC Limited
2026: Operating as ITC-backed organic-food growth platform 8

Challenges

Despite its established position, 24 mantra operates in a demanding category. Organic farming and certification can result in price premiums relative to conventional alternatives. Consumer scepticism regarding organic claims necessitates robust certification and traceability. Agricultural variability affects supply consistency. Competition has intensified as both specialist brands and large FMCG companies enter the health and natural-food segments 34.

Perhaps the most significant strategic challenge following the ITC acquisition is scaling without losing authenticity. The brand’s identity was built around a specialised organic ecosystem; integrating into a major FMCG group creates growth opportunities but raises questions about preserving the attributes that originally established consumer trust 21.

Corporate structure

Historically, Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt. Ltd. owned and operated the 24 mantra brand. Following the 2025 acquisition and subsequent amalgamation, ITC Limited now owns the brand directly, with 24 mantra forming part of ITC’s FMCG and foods division 19. This structural change consolidates operational control while maintaining the brand’s distinct market identity 12.

About 24 mantra