Bhubaneswar: The visionary founder of RUCHI Foodline, Sarat Kumar Sahoo, passed away on Sunday during treatment at a hospital in Mumbai. He was 75.
Sahoo’s family will bring his mortal remains from Mumbai to Cuttack. He had been battling cancer for several years.
A pioneer in the food industry, Sahoo was instrumental in establishing and popularising the RUCHI brand, which has become a household name in Odisha and beyond. Today, RUCHI Foodline operates over 18,000 outlets across India and has expanded its presence to seven countries.
Sahoo started the company in 1976 as Om Oil and Flour Mills, a small enterprise in a rented premises at the Industrial Estate in Cuttack. Under his leadership, the company grew into one of India’s leading FMCG brands.
Expressing his grief, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Sarat Kumar Sahoo, a prominent industrialist and founder of RUCHI Foodline. This is an irreparable loss to the industrial world of Odisha. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, and my prayers to Lord Jagannath for the eternal peace of the departed soul. Om Shanti.”
The statement was posted on the CM’s social media account on X.
