When you enter Foodstories — the grocery store co-founded by Ashni and Avni Biyani for affluent, well-travelled consumers — you feel you are on a food safari as you encounter Hass avocados from New Zealand, plump blackberries from the Netherlands, orange sweet potato from the US, and a whole Korean food aisle. But what really catches your attention is the bio-hacking juice counter.
Here you can have a Coco Chia Cooler containing tender coconut water, marine collagen and chia seeds, which is “good for your skin”. There is also a “power mocha for your vitality”, with almond milk, espresso, peanut butter and fermented yeast protein. At this counter, customers can bio-hack their way to wellness and beauty, you are told, customising the ingredients as per their needs.
Bio-hacking juice counter at Foodstories
What exactly is bio-hacking? It is the intentional change to one’s lifestyle, diet and exercise regime in order to feel better and look good. A lot of it is diet- and nutrition-based, a sort of do-it-yourself biology, seeking out ingredients that are gut-friendly, good for skin, vitality and health. These could include fermented products, proteins, supplements, seaweed, collagen and so on.
Bio-hacking has been trending in the US for some time, says food and nutrition industry consultant Rinka Banerjee of Thinking Forks. For instance, Erewhon, the food retailer and café known for using bio-hacking principles, has under one roof all the ingredients bio-hackers usually have to search hard for, to make a power-packed drink.
Now the trend is gaining ground in India, too. Banerjee says the concept includes smoothies for the gut, skin, energy, and hydration. “It is an interesting space with people trying to find out what wellness benefits can be got from fruit and vegetables.”
Early mover
Initially dismissed as a fringe movement, bio-hacking is picking up, and marketers and retailers are looking at it. Foodstories is an early mover. Says Ashni Biyani, “At Foodstories, we’ve seen a growing shift toward bio-hacking, and it’s definitely here to stay. Our customers are deeply invested in longevity, in enhancing both lifespan and healthspan. They’ve realised that while clean food is essential, modern diets don’t always provide every trace mineral or nutrient required for an active lifestyle. So supplementation has become a daily habit.”
Coco Chia Cooler | Photo Credit: Chitra Narayanan
Adds Avni Biyani, “Whether it’s magnesium for recovery and sleep, ashwagandha for stress balance, or protein and creatine for strength and performance, these are now part of everyday wellness routines. Women, especially, are consciously choosing products like shatavari and even shilajit to support hormonal health and energy levels. We see constant demand for turmeric with high curcumin content for immunity and vitamin-C rich produce for overall vitality.”
The sisters say their bio-hacking counter was curated to support the mindset of eating well, living well with complete nourishment. The response has been incredibly strong, they say.
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Published on December 1, 2025