Our story
Twenty years of feeding India's institutions.
Foodking Catering Services was founded in Chennai in 2006 by a first-generation entrepreneur. Today it runs campus, corporate and central kitchens across eight cities.
Sarathbabu Elumalai
Born in 1979 in Madipakkam, Chennai, Sarathbabu grew up one of five children in a family supported by his mother, an Anganwadi worker who also made idlis that he sold before school.
He earned his bachelor's degree at BITS Pilani, worked for three years at Polaris, and completed his MBA at IIM Ahmedabad. In 2006 he started Foodking with ₹2,000 to bring good, reliable food to institutions. By 2011 it was operating in six locations; today it serves campuses, hospitals and companies in eight cities.
Milestones.
| Year | Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Born in Madipakkam, Chennai | One of five children raised by his mother, Deepa Ramani, an Anganwadi worker who took on extra work — including making idlis — to keep her children in school. |
| Mornings | Selling idlis before school | Before class each day, young Sarathbabu sold the idlis his mother made. His first lesson in food, customers and keeping promises. |
| BITS | BITS Pilani, then Polaris | A bachelor's degree from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, followed by three years at Polaris. |
| IIM-A | MBA, IIM Ahmedabad | Graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad — and chose to build a business instead of taking a corporate job. |
| 2006 | Foodking begins with ₹2,000 | Foodking Catering Services starts with seed capital of just ₹2,000 and a single idea: hot, hygienic food for institutions. |
| 2008 | Pepsi MTV Youth Icon | Recognised as a Pepsi MTV Youth Icon, and with the Example to Youth award. |
| 2010 | Hunger Free India | Launches Hunger Free India, an initiative to feed the poor, and campaigns for 10 October to be observed as Hunger Free Day. |
| 2011 | CNN-IBN Young Indian Leader | Foodking now runs in six locations across India. Sarathbabu receives the CNN-IBN Young Indian Leader award. |
| Today | Twenty years, 50,000+ meals a day | Foodking kitchens serve India's leading campuses, hospitals and companies across eight cities. |
Awards & honours.
- 2008 Pepsi MTV Youth Icon
- 2008 Example to Youth Award
- 2010 RITZ Chennai Youth Icon
- 2011 CNN-IBN Young Indian Leader
- Honour Honorary Rotarian
- Honour Honorary Alumnus, XLRI Jamshedpur
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