Telangana Foods turns into role model for country in Take Home Ration models

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Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inspects the facility during the recent jubilee celebrations of the factory in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: Handout

Telangana Foods, the State government-owned nutrition food manufacturing enterprise, which has completed five decades of its service in supplying nutritious food to children and women, has been recommended by the Central government as the role model to be replicated across the country.

The recognition for Telangana Foods has come from a recent Government of India exercise to examine different Take Home Ration (THR) models being implemented in various States.

A committee constituted by the Centre, in association with international organisations GAIN and UNICEF, studied different models and reportedly recommended the Telangana model of manufacture and supply through Telangana Foods as a unique and effective model that could be replicated across the country.

Telangana Foods currently supplies nutritious food to children aged seven months to six years, including those categorised as severely and moderately acutely malnourished, through 149 ICDS projects and 35,781 Anganwadi centres in all 33 districts of Telangana. It caters to around 15.48 lakh children in the State.

It also supplies food to 16.12 lakh children through 55,746 Anganwadi centres in 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Its major ready-to-eat products include Balamrutham, Balamrutham Plus and snack food, besides hot food products such as Kichidi Mix and Upma Mix.

Chairman of Telangana Foods MA Faheem said its Balamrutham production capacity had increased from 1,500 metric tonnes to 6,000 MT per month, with an annual turnover of around ₹350 crore. It operates round-the-clock in three shifts and is an ISO 22000:2018-certified organisation.

Telangana Foods has expanded its infrastructure over the years. A snack food processing plant was established in 1980 with UNICEF assistance, followed by the Automatic Energy Food Plant in 1986. It functions under the Women and Children Welfare department headed by Minister D. Seethakka.

The State government had initiated two new projects, an extruder plant and a new Balamrutham plant, in 2011-12 at a cost of ₹80 crore. Though arrangements for the extruder plant were made earlier and it was inaugurated in December 2022, full-scale production did not begin then. Continuous production resumed in December 2024 following efforts by the present State government.

The new Balamrutham plant, with a production capacity of 10,000 MT, became operational in 2026 and was inaugurated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy last month. A foundation stone was also laid for a new canteen building and godown on May 7.

Another initiative was the launch of Upma and Kichidi mixes on March 28, 2026, aimed at providing nutritious morning meals to Anganwadi children. “The idea of Mr. Revanth Reddy to provide nutritious meals to Anganwadi children is being widely acclaimed,” says Mr.