Revant Himatsingka, popularly known for his social media platform 'Food Pharmer', has hinted at a shift in his content focus while sharing the challenges of maintaining an independent voice in the food industry.
Despite amassing a huge online following- with over 2.7 million Instagram followers and 1 million YouTube subscribers- Revant Himatsingka recognised the need for change. In an Instagram post, he invited suggestions for "Food Pharmer 2.0", reflecting on his journey from leaving a high-paying job in the U.S. to exposing misleading marketing tactics in the packaged food industry.
Mr Himatsingka left a Rs 2 crore per annum job in the US and returned to India with a mission to hold food companies accountable for deceptive marketing practices. Over the past 18 months, he claimed to have rejected hundreds of lucrative brand deals, including offers from both junk food manufacturers and so-called clean food brands.
"The money these companies offered could have changed my life," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). However, his commitment to maintaining 100% unbiased reviews led him to decline all promotional offers, ensuring his content remained independent.
While his uncompromising stance has earned him credibility and public trust, it has also come at a financial cost. Mr Himatsingka revealed that for the first 14 months of running 'Food Pharmer', he made no money.
See the post here:
In his post, he further mentioned that his work schedule has taken a toll on his mental health. "I have worked every day since April 2023 without a break. I make videos on mental health, but my mental health is not the best," he wrote.
Mr Himatsingka revealed that despite his platform's widespread popularity, financial sustainability remains a major challenge. "Over the last 1.5 years, I've received immense love, support, likes, and shares. But love, respect, support, likes, and shares do NOT pay bills," he stated.
He emphasized the difficulty of expanding his impact with limited resources. "Everything requires money and a team. But I have no mentor and only a team of two college freshers. I've worked every single day for the past two years without a single day off, and I am extremely burnt out," he wrote.
While he clarified that he is not struggling financially on a personal level, he expressed frustration over his inability to scale his platform's reach. "I am struggling to scale our impact," he admitted, signalling the need for a new approach.
