The Mumbai-based startup is developing technology to help households, restaurants and institutional kitchens remove up to 99% of surface pesticide residues from fresh produce, based on tests conducted at NABL-accredited laboratories.
Washing fruits and vegetables before eating them is one of the most common habits in Indian households. Yet, how effective is a regular rinse under running water at removing pesticide residues from fresh produce?
For Jesal Sunil Desai, Founder and CEO of Mumbai-based deep-tech startup Estoqi, this question emerged from a personal experience that eventually shaped his entrepreneurial journey.
Around the time his father was seriously unwell, Desai began looking more closely at the food his family consumed. During his research, he came across information about pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables and the limitations of conventional washing methods.
Curious to understand the extent of the problem, he decided to conduct his own experiment. He sent ordinary tomatoes to a laboratory for testing before and after washing them under running water. The results showed little change in pesticide residue levels.
The experiment raised a larger question: if conventional washing methods were not sufficiently addressing the problem, could technology offer a better solution?
That question became the foundation of Estoqi Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Building a Technology Around Food Safety
Founded by Desai, Estoqi is developing solutions designed to make the everyday washing of fruits and vegetables more effective.
The company’s proprietary technology uses electrolysis to ionise regular tap water, producing a
high-pH wash water at pH 11.5, designed to help lift pesticide residues from the surface of fresh produce. The machine also provides hydrogen-rich drinking water at pH 9.5.
According to the company, its washing technology demonstrated the removal of up to 99% of surface pesticide residues in tests conducted at NABL-accredited laboratories.
For homes, ESTOQI Dual combines produce-washing and drinking-water functions in one machine. ESTOQI Clean, meanwhile, is an under-the-sink solution that provides produce-washing water.
From Individual Households to Institutional Kitchens
While the initial motivation behind Estoqi came from a concern within Desai’s own family, the company’s ambitions extend beyond residential kitchens.
Institutional kitchens, hospitals, restaurants and supply chains represent additional environments where large quantities of fresh produce are handled every day.
By developing the technology for both households and institutions, Estoqi aims to make its technology applicable across different stages of food preparation and consumption.
The company’s broader mission is to make safe and clean food more accessible to every Indian homes and institutions.
The Personal Philosophy Behind the Business
Beyond the technology, Desai’s entrepreneurial approach is influenced by his Jain values and the teachings of Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji.
A particular teaching has stayed with him: even if one cannot change the entire world, one can change the whole world for one person.
That philosophy became central to how he envisioned Estoqi. Instead of beginning with the ambition to solve everything at once, the focus was on making a difference to what reaches one family’s plate, and then extending that impact to others.
The company also places emphasis on laboratory-backed evidence, with a stated belief in proof over conviction.
Making Food Safety Part of Everyday Life
For Estoqi, the larger challenge is not simply developing another household appliance. It is bringing greater attention to an aspect of food preparation that often goes unquestioned.
Estoqi invites people to check beyond the labels of healthy and fresh, and become aware of the pesticide residues and it’s long-term impact on health.
As Jesal Sunil Desai continues building Estoqi, the ambition remains centred on one idea: ensuring that families do not unknowingly carry pesticide residues into their daily lives.
