Vidhya Parshuramkar bags 4th Rohini Nayyar Prize for sustainable nutrition

Pune-based social entrepreneur Vidhya Parshuramkar has been awarded the fourth Rohini Nayyar Prize for her pioneering work in making nutrition more accessible, sustainable, and community-driven. Instituted in 2022 in memory of noted economist and Padma Shri awardee Dr Rohini Nayyar, the annual award carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, a citation, and a trophy.

At 24, Parshuramkar becomes the first woman recipient of the award, which was presented by S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, at a ceremony in New Delhi.

A farmer’s daughter and an MTech in Food Technology from IIT Kharagpur, Parshuramkar drew inspiration from her personal struggle with anaemia to develop nutrition-focused innovations through her venture Agrozee Organics and its flagship initiative, Millets Now. Her enterprise produces biofortified, ready-to-eat millet-based products aimed at combating malnutrition and iron deficiency anaemia.

Through the Nutri Dabba programme, her team provides nutritious millet snacks to schools while empowering women-led self-help groups and supporting over 7,000 smallholder farmers, thereby integrating sustainable agriculture with community health.

“For me, food is not just about products but about people farmers, children, and rural families coming together to build a healthier tomorrow,” Parshuramkar said on receiving the award.

The Rohini Nayyar Prize, instituted by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose, honours young changemakers under 40 contributing to India’s social and economic development.

Past recipients include Sethrichem Sangtam (Nagaland, 2022), Dinanath Rajput (Chhattisgarh, 2023), and Anil Pradhan (Odisha, 2024).

Foundation director Deepak Nayyar noted that the prize reflects Rohini Nayyar’s belief in nurturing young leaders whose efforts will shape India’s future.