Sparking Sustainable Change: Nisreen

Madraswala’s Entrepreneurial Adventure

Earning a degree in Sociology and certifications in Functional Medicine

Practice, Nisreen Madraswala explores various disciplines and assumes
diverse roles. Her experiences extend from teaching and translating French
and volunteering with the World Health Organization; to actively
participating in Rotary International. Passionate about her work and
community engagement, she consistently seeks opportunities to contribute
meaningfully to her chosen fields.

In this conversation, Nisreen shares the impetus behind her commitment to promoting health and
wellness through her profession.

What inspired you to start MUNSHI Holistic Services? Could you share the story behind your
journey that led to the creation of your company?
Thirteen years ago, my health journey led to the creation of MUNSHI Holistic Services, inspired by the
transformative benefits of a traditional powder, concocted by my grandmother. Through my health
improvements and a commitment to nutrition and functional medicine, I sought to share these insights
for the well-being of others. The name "MUNSHI" reflects the central importance of family to me as the
product is an acronym after my family. Initially shared among friends, the venture expanded with the
support of Luke Coutinho, India's fitness ambassador, and now, it reaches diverse individuals and
places, gaining recognition at a steady pace.

The Product advocates ‘holistic services’ as its motto. Aside from gut health what is your approach to
offering a holistic health plan?
Being an active member of the Rotary International Club has lent itself to allowing me to participate in
numerous projects; including collaborating on initiatives such as blood donation drives, cancer
awareness campaigns and early detection campaigns with follow-up, along with clean-up drives; all
within and outside the Dawoodi Bohra community, in Chennai. I have built my network over the years
by rendering prime importance to overall health as a core value.
How has your work been recognized on a larger scale, and what opportunities has this recognition
brought you?
My work earned me recognition from the government of Telangana, India, allowing me the opportunity
to present my product at the Wehub forum, a platform for women entrepreneurs. Additionally, my
connections extended internationally after a Kenyan minister found value in my Indian remedy.

As is established, good health stems from nutritional intake. Can you elaborate on your efforts to
promote the consumption of nutritious food?
The traditional Dawoodi Bohra cuisine has been my source of inspiration and it has been my humble
attempt to nurture, nourish and strengthen the health of my family and my customers by offering
healthy alternatives to rich foods and thereby a sustainable solution aiming at wellness. To this effect, I
collaborated with The Hyatt Regency in a food festival which provided me with the opportunity to
showcase the traditional Bohra cuisine on a global platform.

Can you give us an example of how you replace traditional menus with a healthier version?
My motivation for working on healthier versions of traditional menus stems from my commitment to
promoting wellness. One example of a healthier version is adapting recipes to use ingredients that are
more nutritious and natural; replacing certain oils with healthier alternatives or reducing sugar content
in traditional sweets. For example, I have replaced refined oil with groundnut oil for cooking and
replaced jowar in place of wheat in the traditional malido (a sweet that is relished in many cultures
including Parsi and Afghans and is usually made on auspicious occasions).

Curating pop-ups and participating in food festivals has helped integrate my knowledge of nutrition and
replace cooking methods, protein and carbohydrates in the menus to offer people the taste of our much
loved traditional recipes without compromising on flavour.

How do you balance your diverse range of activities, from teaching French to running MUNSHI
Holistic Services and social initiatives?
I simply try to manage my time with a clear sense of purpose and prioritize my commitments based on
their importance. A lot of what I do allows me the flexibility to juggle several different tasks as I am not
caught in a time-bound environment, and in my opinion, ‘flexibility’ is the biggest advantage of being an
entrepreneur. It allows me the space to create a healthy balance between work and my personal life.
Could you share more about your upcoming projects that are in the pipeline?
I have several exciting projects lined up. These include expanding my range of clean, chemical-free
products, conducting clinical trials for my gut cleanse powder, and working on even healthier versions
of our traditional menus. I'm also exploring international collaboration opportunities to further spread
wellness awareness.

How does your entrepreneurial narrative align with your purpose?

I would like to believe that I’m contributing to creating sustainable products that could lead to low
footprint living, and people & environment health. I also hope that more people take fitness and
wellness seriously and continue to work together to create a healthy and sustainably conscious world.