Dr. Srinivasa K. Rao is a biotechnology, life sciences, biomedical scientist with experience in teaching, basic research, R&D, training, liaison and business development. Currently he is popularizing, farming and processing quinoa in India with the support of farmers in India and Bolivia. He edited a book ‘Quinoa: Nutritional & Health Benefits’. He launched a brand, “Dr. Quinoa” in the Indian market to make the grain more affordable.

Dr. Rao has teaching experience in cell & molecular biology, developmental biology and biotechnology at City University of New York (CUNY). His Ph.D. thesis from the University of Paris, France in 1988 was on the molecular genetics of hemoglobinpathies. His post-doctoral work at Columbia University & the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York was on gene expression and regulation. Currently, Dr. Rao is the founder and President of North East Biotech, LLC. In addition to quinoa, the company’s other projects in the area of malnutrition include the development of a growth meter and Poshak, a software for improving nutrition and food security using Neglected and Under Utilized Species (NUS). The company also created value for small oranges in India. 

Dr. Rao is frequently invited to lecture and motivate students in pharma, life sciences and biotechnology. His vision is to make the next generation part of the biotech revolution to solve problems such as malnutrition.

What prompted you to start the research in Quinoa ? Was it the issue of malnutrition in India?

Scientists and doctors are saving lives with vaccines and medicines very well. But malnutrition is making millions rich and poor live and function at suboptimal levels.  Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is a major public health problem in India. Agricultural productivity can be a powerful tool to reduce malnutrition concluded a recent study led by Dr. A. Gangesh Kumar of International food policy research Institute, New Delhi. NASA scientist in 1993 published the usefulness of quinoa as an important food items for long term space missions.  Quinoa has two times more protein than rice. Its protein quality value is closer to fish. Therefore, growing quinoa and making it a staple food is the right choice for the new generation. Therefore, I started my work in Quinoa field.

Can you tell us more about Quinoa health benefits with reference to the South Asian population? 

Majority of the 1.7 billion South Asian population use rice as the staple food. Per capita consumption of rice is about 85 kilos per person per year.  Eating high carbohydrate Rice and not having sufficient physical activity is leading to accumulation of excess calories in the body. That is causing health problems, mainly diabetes in south Asian population. Quinoa’s high protein, needed fat, lower carbohydrates, higher fiber and rich micronutrients are giving several health benefits. They are presented in nut shell at www.drquinoa.com website and discussed in detail in the book we edited Quinoa: Nutrition & Health benefits.

How is the response to the markets in India? How can readers of Lokvani help?

We launched Dr. Quinoa brand Quinoa in Qmart in Hyderabad India last month. We introduced quinoa at Rs. 299 per half a kilo, which competitors are selling at twice that price. In the last few weeks Sujana, Vijetha super markets also started selling Dr. Quinoa brand Quinoa. This week Ratnadeep Super market will start selling. We thank the owners and the staff of the super markets who are helping us to makeQuinoa affordable in India. Lokvani readers are knowledgeable about quinoa and other health foods. Therefore, they can make their parents, relatives and friends understand the importance of using Quinoa daily in their food.

If US residents want to introduce Quinoa to their families in India what is the best way?

Dr. Quinoa brand has a program for NRI to buy for their parent, relatives and friends in India. We offer them free courier service to anywhere in India for all the NRI orders with a minimum of 5 kilos for $50 USD.  We can offer another 10% discount bulk orders of 20 kilos or more.

Finally can Quinoa replace rice as a staple ?

India produces approximately 100 million tons of rice annually. As of now quinoa production is at a few thousand tons only. Even if India produces a Million tons per year as I suggested in my Economic Times it will be 1% of the total rice production.  Though quinoa has all the necessary qualities to replace rice it will take some time for Quinoa to be a staple food. But whoever starts using Quinoa slowly replace rice with quinoa in all their preparations.

|