Indian Startup Uses AI To Track Food Quality And Combat Malnutrition
The solution is offering a new model of food quality control while being a major step towards fighting malnutrition and improving the food supply chain
Published : February 22, 2026 at 4:05 PM IST
New Delhi: UdyogYantra.AI, an Indian startup, claimed to have developed a unique artificial intelligence (AI) system that monitors food quality, nutrition and the entire food processing chain. Showcased at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the technology aims to improve food processing, enhance nutrition, and increase farmers' incomes, Ankur Jain, the startup founder, said.
Jain pointed out that India ranks second in food production globally but lags far behind in the Global Hunger Index. He said that malnutrition remains a significant problem because of the extremely low level of food processing.
“While developed countries process 50 per cent to 60 per cent of food, India's share is only 2 per cent to 4 per cent. We have developed an AI-based food management solution to address this gap and increase farmers' incomes,” he said.
The technology developed by his startup tracks every step from the arrival of raw ingredients to the completion of a meal. “Using AI cameras and sensors, the quality of the raw materials is evaluated, following which the food is processed. The system monitors whether the recipe is being followed properly,” Jain said.
For example, if sambar is being prepared, the system identifies how much toor dal (split pigeon pea), how many tomatoes, what grade of oil, and how many vegetables are being used. “Finally, when the meal is prepared and served, the technology displays accurate data on the plate, including weight, temperature, calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and minerals,” he said.
Jain said that it’s impossible to tell the nutritional value of a food product by looking at it, but it becomes possible if its entire processing chain is tracked. “This end-to-end traceability is the biggest strength of this technology,” according to him.
He claimed that this system is already being used at several places. In the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, approximately 90,000 meals are being monitored through this technology in a child nutrition program. As a result, the malnutrition rate has decreased from approximately 25 per cent to 9 per cent.
UdyogYantra.AI founder further disclosed that the initiative has also been praised by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. “The organisation has also received the National Startup Award in the supply chain sector and has been honoured by the United Nations for its nutrition and food processing technology,” he said.
It is learnt that the system is designed and manufactured in India. The fabrication takes place in Noida and the assembly in Delhi. Jain explained that it represents only about one per cent of a food enterprise’s total costs, allowing the companies to achieve both quality control and automation.
A first-generation entrepreneur, Jain completed his engineering from the Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, which is affiliated with Delhi University, and later earned his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. After working with private companies for about a decade, he launched this startup in 2019.
His technology is being used in large kitchens and food processing units. The company aims to expand it to ordinary consumers as well and is building baseline data on recipes and food patterns from different states so that in future, ordinary people can understand the quality and nutrition of their food through a mobile app.
This AI-based solution is offering a new model of food quality control while being a major step towards fighting malnutrition and improving the food supply chain.
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