Engineer Revives Grandpa's Oil Shop Into $1M+ Business

The dosas Sibi Manivannan ate as a child in Tamil Nadu had something special about them. The aroma of sesame and groundnut oil would fill his whole house, creating memories he'd carry into adulthood.

His grandfather made those oils the old way, crushing seeds in traditional stone mills. But when refined oils flooded the market in the 1990s, his grandfather's small village shop closed its doors.

At 30, Sibi decided to bring it back. After studying robotics and automation, he joined the family restaurant business and discovered something troubling when buying oils in bulk. Manufacturers were cutting products with cheaper palm oil and using chemical solvents that stripped away nutrients.

"I remembered how my thatha used to make good quality oils in a stone mill," Sibi says. "These were minimally processed, preservative free, and flavorful."

In 2017, he launched Gramiyaa with college friends Mohamed Yaseen and Naveen Rajamaran. They source low-moisture seeds from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Kerala, then sun-dry them instead of roasting. The stone mill extraction stays below 50 degrees Celsius, compared to refined oil processing that hits 200 degrees.

That high heat creates trans fats and destroys natural nutrients, according to a 2022 study in the International Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences. Gramiyaa's gentler process keeps the aroma, flavor, and health benefits intact.

The oils cost more upfront. Groundnut oil runs Rs 390, sesame Rs 590, and coconut Rs 420. But the thicker consistency means less oil gets absorbed during cooking, so a 4-liter combo lasts longer than a 5-liter refined oil packet.

The Ripple Effect

Mumbai resident Prachi Ghugare noticed the difference immediately when she switched to Gramiyaa's groundnut oil. "The vegetables taste better now," she says. Her son can even tell when she forgets to order and cooks with regular oil instead.

The business now produces 50,000 liters monthly and has reached 30,000 customers worldwide. Each bottle represents a small victory against the industrialization that nearly erased traditional oil making from Indian kitchens.

Sibi isn't just running a company. He's preserving a craft his grandfather practiced six decades ago, proving that sometimes the old ways deserve a second chance.