A Pune-based agritech startup has found itself at the centre of an online debate after launching a premium ghee product that it claims is made only under full moonlight to absorb “cosmic energy.” The ghee, priced at Rs 2,495 for a 500ml jar, is being sold by Two Brothers Organic Farms, a company backed by Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter Foundation, reported Moneycontrol.
From what is understood, the ghee is produced just 12 times a year, timed with each full moon. The startup claims that the ghee, made from the milk of free-grazing Gir cows, is churned between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. and cooked over a firewood flame, all while the moon is full, in order to capture its supposed health-boosting energy.
On the company’s website, co-founder Satyajit Hange describes the product as a “sensory experience” and an “ancient Ayurvedic elixir.” He explains that the full moon’s effect on tides and the human body justifies its role in the ghee-making process. The product is also advertised as lactose-free and made using traditional methods. But the marketing pitch hasn’t landed well with everyone.
Nutritionist and food writer Dr. Nandita Iyer took to the social media platform X to mock the concept, calling it an example of brands using exaggerated wellness claims to inflate prices. “Looks like brands are getting new marketing ideas from my parody videos,” she wrote, while still acknowledging that she considered Two Brothers “one of the better brands.”
Others were less charitable. “They do a lot of good work. Unfortunately, this one is cringe,” wrote one user, while another said the brand was “taking the customer for a fool.” Despite the backlash, the startup continues to enjoy the confidence of investors. In 2024, it raised over Rs 58 crore in a funding round led by Kamath’s Rainmatter Foundation. Kamath has publicly supported the company, saying the investment was driven by his team’s interest in health, nutrition and transparency around food quality.
Two Brothers Organic Farms markets itself as a socially driven enterprise working with small farmers and promoting organic, traditional farming practices. Whether this latest offering enhances or undermines that mission is a question now playing out in India’s digital town square.