Sadananda Maiya took over his family’s restaurant, Mavali Tiffin Rooms (MTR), founded by his grandfather, Parampalli Yagnanarayana Maiya, in 1924. Known for its delicious idlis and coffee in Mavalli, Karnataka, MTR faced a challenge when it relocated to Bangalore.
In 1975, during an emergency, the government enacted the Food Control Act, which slashed the price of idlis from 25 paise to 10 paise and coffee from 1 rupee to 25 paise. This resulted in a loss of 1 lakh rupees for MTR within 19 days. To preserve the family’s 50-year legacy, Sadananda had to act swiftly.
He ventured into producing instant premixes, inspired by the popular dishes in their restaurant. In 1976, he founded MTR Foods and started by selling Rava Idli and Khara Bath mixes from their Bangalore location on Lalbagh Fort Road. The initial success led to the addition of sambar and rasam masala powders by 1982. However, Sadananda soon realized that local distribution limited their reach.
By 1983, MTR had partnered with ten shops in Bangalore and expanded its presence in popular stores like Nilgiri’s and Vijaya Bakery. By 1984, the product line grew to twelve, and distribution extended to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. MTR also introduced India’s first polyester poly-stand pack, enhancing product visibility. By 1990, MTR captured 80% of the Bangalore market, surpassing competitors like Hindustan Unilever and Nestle, though the overall Indian packaged food market was still under 100 crore.
To expand further, Sadananda invested 1 crore in 1992 to set up a new manufacturing facility in Bommasandra, Karnataka. MTR’s product line grew to include pickles, vermicelli, papads, and ice cream softies, achieving a 40% annual growth rate and raising 6 crores from Aquarius Capital.
The success of their softies led to the launch of 11 ready-to-eat meals in North India, using retort pouches that kept food fresh without refrigeration. MTR expanded to 500 locations and became a pan-India brand, raising 19.2 crores from JP Morgan in 2002.
With this funding, MTR went global, exporting to Japan, China, and Hong Kong, becoming the first Indian company to receive HACCP certification in 2002. It entered the US and UK markets, and by 2006, MTR Foods achieved 135 crore in revenue with a 17 crore profit, which attracted significant interest.
A Norwegian-based packaged food group, worth 30,000 crore, saw an opportunity in India. Sadananda saw this as a chance to make MTR the largest packaged food brand globally and accepted their offer. On February 13, 2007, Orkla Group acquired MTR Foods for 353 crores.
➡️ Today, MTR Foods is a 1000 crore brand with over 270 products.
It’s hard to imagine a trip without an MTR packet. This is the lasting legacy Sadananda Maiya has created.