Reading Between the Lines: Why Food Labels Matter for India’s Health

Imagine buying a packet of “lightly salted” chips, only to realise it contains nearly half your daily recommended sodium intake. In India, where non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease are surging, food labels are no longer just technical details – they are a matter of life and death.

The Reality Behind Labels

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), over 70% of packaged foods exceed recommended limits for salt, sugar, or fat. Yet, labelling remains confusing, inconsistent, and often misleading. Terms like “natural”, “lite”, or “zero sugar” frequently mask high levels of unhealthy additives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that simple front-of-pack labels can reduce unhealthy food consumption by 20-25%, as seen in countries like Chile and Israel. Their policy brief strongly recommends “interpretive” labels – using symbols, colours, or warnings instead of technical data – to enable quick, informed decisions, especially among populations with low nutritional literacy.

Dr. Robert Lustig’s Warning

Dr. Robert Lustig, renowned paediatric endocrinologist and author of “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease”, asserts:

“You can’t tell people to eat less sugar if they don’t know where the sugar is.”

His research shows hidden sugars in packaged foods are a prime driver of global obesity and metabolic syndrome. In India, where processed food consumption is rising rapidly across urban and rural markets, this hidden burden will soon translate to unmanageable public health costs.

What’s Missing in India’s Labelling?

  1. Lack of front-of-pack warnings – Current Indian labels mention nutritional details on the back in fine print. Consumers rarely read, understand, or interpret these.
  2. Technical jargon – Terms like “polyunsaturated fats” or “sodium benzoate” fail to inform an average buyer.
  3. Misleading claims – Products labelled “100% natural” may still be ultra-processed with additives and preservatives.
  4. Low awareness – FSSAI’s Eat Right India campaign is a step forward, but literacy levels and regulatory enforcement remain weak.

By the way a black octagon (stop sign shape) with white bold text stating, for example shown in the picture used for this article in Spanish mean

  • HIGH IN SUGAR
  • “HIGH IN SATURATED FATS”
  • HIGH IN CALORIES

Such signs are displayed prominently on the front of the package, often with multiple labels if the product exceeds limits for more than one nutrient.

Learning from Global Examples

  • Chile’s warning label system (black stop signs) led to a 25% drop in sugary drink consumption within 18 months.
  • UK’s traffic light labelling helps consumers instantly see high (red), medium (amber), or low (green) levels of fat, sugar, and salt.
  • Israel’s dual label policy warns high sugar, salt, and fat foods while promoting healthier options with a green label.

Why This Matters for India

India is home to 77 million diabetics – second only to China – and cardiovascular diseases account for 28% of total deaths. A recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research showed rapid growth of obesity and hypertension even among rural youth, driven by processed food penetration.

Without clear, honest labelling, consumers remain vulnerable. Public health costs will escalate, impacting economic productivity and family livelihoods alike.

The Way Forward

Implement mandatory front-of-pack warning labels, prioritising high-risk categories like sugary drinks, snacks, and ultra-processed foods.
Simplify language, using symbols, colour codes, and regional language translations.
Regulate health claims, banning misleading branding until the product meets defined health standards.
Integrate label literacy into school curriculums and community health programmes under National Nutrition Mission.
Ensure accountability by empowering FSSAI to enforce compliance with penalties for violators.

Closing Call

India stands at the cusp of a health crisis fuelled by what we eat, but the solution begins with what we read. A simple, honest label can empower every consumer to make better choices, prevent disease, and reclaim control over their health.

It’s time we demanded to know what we eat.

🔥 Breastfeeding: The Ultimate Act of Power, Not Just a “Choice” 🔥

Imagine a world where the same society that hypersexualizes breasts in ads and movies shames women for using them to feed their infants in public. A world where corporations profit from powdered substitutes linked to infant deaths, while calling breastfeeding “inconvenient.” Welcome to our reality—one that’s long overdue for dismantling.

🌍 Ancient Civilizations Revered Breastfeeding. Modern Society Censors It.

Long before bras or billboards, breasts were worshipped as lifelines—not reduced to “assets.”

  • Hinduism: The Rigveda (1500 BCE) calls breast milk “the first ambrosia.” Temples from Khajuraho to Mahabalipuram carved bare-breasted goddesses—their milk symbolized prosperity.
  • Greek Myth: Hera’s spilled breast milk created the Milky Way. Even Zeus was raised by a goat—proof that “mother’s milk” transcends biology.

Yet today, Instagram removes nursing photos for “nudity” while allowing formula ads that violate WHO guidelines. The same app hosts #BollywoodBikini posts with millions of likes.

Who’s really “backward” here?

📌 55% of Indian infants are exclusively breastfed—lower than war-torn Afghanistan (58%) (NFHS-5).
📌 92% of Indian mothers face harassment while nursing in public (BPNI, 2023).

🍼 Breasts Are Life-Saving Organs—Stop Reducing Them to Sex Objects

Female breasts are the only organs society sexualizes more than it values for their actual function: sustaining human life.

  • Breast milk is not just food—it’s a living superfluid with 1,000+ components (antibodies, stem cells, probiotics) that adapt to a baby’s needs (NIH).
  • Formula is a static, processed substitute—none of which replicate this biological miracle.

If men’s chests could produce a substance that saves 820,000 children annually (WHO), they’d be worshipped as gods. Yet women are shamed for using theirs.

Myth: “Breastfeeding is just a personal choice.”
Fact: It’s a public health imperative. When women are supported, entire nations thrive.

💀 The Billion-Dollar Lie: How Formula Companies Profit Off Infant Deaths

The $70+ billion formula industry spends billions marketing “convenience” while downplaying deadly risks.

  • Non-breastfed infants have a 74% higher risk of dying from infections in low-income countries (The Lancet).
  • In India, 1 lakh children die yearly from preventable diseases linked to poor breastfeeding—more than terrorism deaths (UN).
  • Formula ads show smiling babies—never the 1 in 6 Indian infants who die from diarrhea due to unsafe feeding (WHO).

Myth: “Formula is almost as good as breast milk.”
Fact: It’s a death sentence for thousands. Nestlé has been fined for pushing formula in poor nations (IBFAN).

⚖️ Breastfeeding vs. Beauty Standards: The Hypocrisy

Society celebrates breasts in bikinis but vilifies them in bibs.

  • In Norway, 80% of moms breastfeed past 6 months (vs. 55% in India) because it’s normalized—not hidden like a crime (UNICEF).
  • Instagram bans nipples in nursing photos but allows formula ads that harm babies.

Myth: “Public breastfeeding is indecent.”
Fact: It’s indecent to let babies starve to protect outdated norms.

⚡ Legal Wins: Breastfeeding as a Constitutional Right

Every year, nearly one lakh children in India die from preventable diseases that could have been avoided through breastfeeding. The human cost is tragic. The economic loss? A staggering $14 billion annually.

But the tragedy isn’t just in what’s lost — it’s in what’s ignored.

India has had the Infant Milk Substitutes Act since 1992, yet companies continue to undermine breastfeeding through indirect marketing, celebrity endorsements, and unregulated digital campaigns. Just last year, BPNI flagged major violations by well-known brands including Amul and Nestlé, calling attention to influencer-driven formula promotions on social media.

🧸 Teddy bears and hashtags cannot replace the bond between mother and child.

Courts are finally calling out systemic failures:

  • Supreme Court (2022): In Maatr Sparsh v. Union of India, ordered breastfeeding rooms in public spaces, calling stigma “unconstitutional” recognized breastfeeding as key to a child’s right to life and health.
  • The Karnataka High Court (Husna Banu v. State of Karnataka) upheld breastfeeding as a constitutional right under Article 21.
  • The Punjab & Haryana High Court affirmed a mother’s right to custody due to the child’s dependence on breastfeeding.
  • The Madras High Court, in a landmark judgment (U. Ishwarya case), asked if India should go further — make breastfeeding a legal duty, invest more in infrastructure, and hold authorities accountable when mothers are denied their rights.

🌍 Global Shockers:

  • UAE: Employers must provide 2 paid hours daily for breastfeeding (18 months).

Philippines: It’s illegal to discourage public breastfeeding.

⚖️Breastfeeding is a child’s first right. It is a mother’s freedom. And it is a nation’s responsibility.

We are a nation where food marketing is louder than child rights.
Where digital influencers carry more weight than public health experts.
Where laws exist — but enforcement limps.

It’s time to:
✅ Enforce the IMS Act strictly.
✅ Monitor digital and influencer marketing.
✅ Invest in maternity infrastructure and public awareness.
✅ Recognize breastfeeding as a public health intervention, not a private inconvenience.

If we fail to protect this basic right — we don’t just fail our women and children. We fail our future.

Let’s not look away. Let’s act.

🚀 Time for Change. Here’s How We Fight Back:

We are a nation where food marketing is louder than child rights.
Where digital influencers carry more weight than public health experts.
Where laws exist — but enforcement limps.

1️⃣ Criminalize formula marketing (like tobacco) and ban predatory ads.
2️⃣ Mandate paid lactation breaks & workplace nurseries.
3️⃣ Boycott Nestlé & other brands exploiting vulnerable mothers.

📢 A Call to Action: Reclaim the Narrative

📸 Share breastfeeding photos with #NotForYourPleasure to:
✔ Challenge the sexualization of breasts.
✔ Normalize feeding babies as the ultimate act of love & power.

The next time someone shames a breastfeeding mother, ask:
“Would you shame a life-saving organ?”

Because breasts aren’t just body parts. They’re proof of a power that’s been ignored for too long.

🔥 #NotForYourPleasure #BreastfeedingIsPower #PublicHealth #WomenRights

📚 Sources: WHO, The Lancet, UNICEF, NIH, IBFAN, NFHS-5

✅ Like | 💬 Comment | 🔄 Repost to spread awareness!

(Let’s make this viral—mothers and babies deserve better!) 🚀

Choking on Tomorrow: Surviving the Apocalypse in Slow Motion

How Living in Delhi Turned Me Into a Climate Crisis Paranoid (and Why You Should Be One Too)

Forget alarm clocks. The first thing I notice each morning is the gritty taste of the air in my mouth reminder that, in Delhi, even breathing feels like a risk. I pull back the curtain and see my housing complex shrouded in a thick, gray haze. It’s not winter fog. It’s PM2.5, PM10, and a cocktail of invisible poisons. Welcome to Delhi—where the air is so toxic, you can almost chew it, and the Yamuna, once a sacred river, now looks like a slow-moving chemical spill.

I’m not just worried about the climate crisis. I’m obsessed. I’m paranoid. And if you lived here, you would be too.

What Is the Climate Crisis, Really?

Let’s get this straight: the climate crisis isn’t just about melting ice caps or polar bears stranded on shrinking floes. It’s the slow, relentless breakdown of the systems that make life possible. It’s heatwaves that melt roads, floods that drown cities, droughts that turn fields to dust, and air so foul it shaves years off your life. It’s the Yamuna, black and bubbling with industrial waste, and the air in Delhi, thick with a million exhaust pipes’ worth of poison.

The climate crisis is not coming. It’s already here. It’s the invisible hand squeezing your lungs, the silent thief stealing your future. Don’t know why I remember reading “Silent Spring” in 70s.

Why Is It So Damn Hard to Feel in India?

Here’s the thing: in India, we’re experts at surviving chaos. We dodge potholes, leap over open drains, and navigate a daily barrage of noise, crowds, and confusion. We’re so busy hustling for the next meal, the next job, the next breath, that we barely notice the slow-motion apocalypse unfolding around us.

The climate crisis is a slow burn, not a sudden explosion. It’s hard to panic about something that creeps in quietly—one degree hotter, one bad air day at a time. Plus, when you’re surrounded by 33 million people in Delhi, it’s easy to think, “If everyone else is coping, maybe it’s not so bad.”

We are like a fish who doesn’t know that she is swimming in polluted water as it is her home.

But here’s the truth: just because we’re used to surviving doesn’t mean we’re immune.

Are You Really Affected? Here’s How to Know

Still think the crisis is “out there”? Let’s do a quick reality check:

  • Do you cough more in winter? That’s not a cold—it’s pollution.
  • Does your skin itch after a shower? Thank the Yamuna’s toxic brew.
  • Do you feel tired, foggy, or anxious for no reason? Chronic exposure to bad air can do that.
  • Have you noticed more people with asthma, allergies, or heart problems? That’s the climate crisis, up close and personal.
  • Do you dread stepping outside during a heatwave? Welcome to the new normal.

If you ticked any of these, congratulations: you’re already living the crisis.

Can AI Save Us? (Or At Least Help Us Breathe?)

I’m a tech optimist, I have to admit: AI might be our best shot at fighting back. Here’s how:

  • Hyper-local Air Quality Alerts: AI-powered apps can give you real-time air quality data, right down to your street. No more guessing—know when to mask up or stay indoors. I will liberally fund an Indian startup doing work like Aclima. Dr. Arkopal Goswami @IIT Khargpur – Are you listening?
  • Smart Water Monitoring: AI can track pollution levels in rivers like the Yamuna, alerting authorities (and us) before things get worse.
  • Climate Prediction: Machine learning can spot patterns in weather, helping us prepare for floods, heatwaves, and droughts before they hit.
  • Policy Nudges: AI can analyze massive data sets to show policymakers what’s working (and what’s not), pushing for smarter, faster action.
  • Personalized Health Tips: AI-driven apps can suggest when to exercise, what to eat, and how to protect your lungs—based on your location and health profile.

But let’s be real: AI is a tool, not a magic wand. It can help us adapt, maybe even slow the damage, but it can’t fix what’s already broken. That’s on us.

Micro Survival Guide: How to Handle the Apocalypse in Delhi

If you’re still reading, you’re probably as paranoid as I am. Good. Here’s how to survive (for now):

1. Mask Up—Always

N95 masks aren’t just for pandemics. They’re your daily armor against Delhi’s air. Wear one every time you step outside.

2. Seal Your Home

Invest in air purifiers. Use wet mops, not brooms. Keep windows closed during peak pollution hours (usually mornings and evenings).

3. Drink (Filtered) Water

Don’t trust the tap. Use a high-quality water filter, and if possible, get your water tested regularly.

4. Green Your Space

Grow indoor plants like snake plant, aloe vera, or money plant. They won’t fix the air, but every little bit helps.

5. Stay Informed

Download air quality and weather apps. Follow local climate news. Knowledge is power.

6. Push for Change

Join local clean-up drives. Support environmental NGOs. Vote for leaders who take climate seriously. Your voice matters.

7. Prepare for Extremes

Keep an emergency kit—water, masks, basic meds, a flashlight. Delhi’s chaos can turn deadly fast.

Final Word: Don’t Get Used to This

The scariest part of the climate crisis isn’t the heat, the smog, or the toxic river. It’s the way we learn to live with it. We normalize the apocalypse, one bad air day at a time.

Don’t. Get. Used. To. This.

Get angry. Get paranoid. Get involved. Because if we don’t fight for our future, no one else will.

Delhi isn’t just my home—it’s ground zero for the slowest, deadliest crisis humanity has ever faced. If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention. And if you are, welcome to the club. Let’s survive, and maybe even fight back, together.

Announcing Our First Investment: Scholarlify 🚀

We are thrilled to announce that Nexus 3P Foundation has made its inaugural investment commitment to Scholarlify, marking a significant milestone in our journey to empower transformative ventures in India.

At Nexus 3P Foundation, our mission is to catalyze positive impact by backing visionary founders who are solving real-world problems with scalable, sustainable solutions. Scholarlify embodies this spirit with its innovative approach and commitment to educational transformation.

Why Scholarlify?

Scholarlify aligns perfectly with our investment thesis—focusing on high-potential, purpose-driven startups that leverage technology for societal impact. We believe their work will set new benchmarks in the edtech landscape and create lasting value for learners and educators and donors alike.

Download Our Investment Thesis

To all founders and funders: We invite you to explore our detailed investment thesis, which outlines our guiding principles, focus sectors, and evaluation criteria. Download it here for insights into how we select and support impactful ventures:

👉 nexus3p.org/#thesis

Connect With Us

Whether you are building a breakthrough solution or seeking to co-invest in the next wave of impactful building transformative deep tech solutions startups, we would love to connect. Let’s shape the future together—reach out to us and join our mission to drive meaningful change.

Together, let’s invest in ideas that matter.

#Nexus3PFoundation #ImpactInvesting #EdTech #StartupIndia #InvestmentThesis #Scholarlify #SocialImpact

9 Years of Heart, Hustle & Hope: My Wingify Foundation Journey (And What’s Next!)

I’ve never been much of a writer—preferring to let our incredible partners, teammates, and volunteers take the spotlight. But some stories demand to be told by the person who lived them. This is one of them.

Maybe it’s nostalgia kicking in (hello, midlife!), but this isn’t just a trip down memory lane. It’s a love letter to an adventure that changed me—and, I hope, left a tiny dent in the universe.

How It All Began

Let’s keep it real: The Wingify Foundation wasn’t born from some grand corporate manifesto. It started with a “Well, we have to do this… so let’s do it right.”

Back in 2009, my son Paras bootstrapped Wingify into existence. By 2010, we were officially a company—him coding, selling, and hustling; me handling the “unglamorous” but crucial back-end work (accounting, legal, ops—you get the drill). We were profitable from Day 1, which was thrilling… until our auditor dropped a bombshell: “Congrats, you’re now big enough for mandatory CSR!”

Year 1? We took the easy route—cutting a cheque to the PM’s Relief Fund (and sending our poor CA on a wild goose chase for a receipt). Year 2? We funded an NGO… and quickly realized good intentions ≠ good impact. Frustrated (and honestly, a little ashamed), we decided: If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it OUR way.

And so, in 2015, the Wingify Foundation was born.

From Rural Roots to Fighting for the Air We Breathe

Our early days were all about rural development—food, farming, skilling, even winning a national CSR award. Then COVID hit. Overnight, we pivoted to saving lives: oxygen cylinders, hospital wards, vaccination drives.

But post-pandemic, a book (Doing Good Better by William MacAskill) slapped me awake: Climate change is the fight of our lifetime. So we went all-in on Delhi’s toxic air—because if we couldn’t fix the whole planet, we could at least move the needle where we stood. Don’t take my word for it—our partners, scrappy team, and die-hard volunteers did the heavy lifting. See the magic here.

Why This Goodbye Hurts (And Excites Me)

A few months ago, I stepped down as Wingify’s trustee. It’s bittersweet—this Foundation was my heartwork, not just homework. I never took a salary, but the rewards? Immeasurable.

Now? I’m doubling down on impact—with a twist.

What’s Next: Nexus 3P Foundation

Impact investing isn’t charity. It’s betting on solutions that outlive us. That’s why we’ve launched Nexus 3P (Planet, People, and your choice of the third P—Purpose? Peace? Positive? Possible? Peace? Prosperous? Profit? You pick.).

We’re building a launchpad for sustainable agriculture, environmental tech, and public health innovation—because the future isn’t just coming; it’s ours to shape.

Join Us (If You Dare)

This isn’t for everyone. But if you’re:

  • A fearless builder (founders, we need you),
  • A data-obsessed truth-seeker (IQ won’t scare you),
  • A relentless connector (coalitions > clout),
  • A strategic fundraiser (money moves missions),

…then let’s talk.

We’re recruiting interns, dreamers, and doers—full-time, part-time, Delhi-based or remote. Want a resume that says “I played it safe”? Cool. But if you’d rather leave a legacy, drop us a line.

The world doesn’t need more followers. It needs architects of change.

Ready to build? → reachout@nexus3p.org

(And to every soul who walked this journey with me—thank you. This isn’t goodbye. It’s “See you in the trenches.”)

 Let’s go.