A majority of Indian villages are dependent on millet like bajra, jowar, etc. for their diet. You will hardly find any house opting for wheat chapatis instead of millet roti. Using it to their advantage, a Pune woman, Sharmila Jain Oswal, started a start-up which now earns crores per year bu selling millet-based products!
Pune Woman Earns ₹16 Cr Per Year By Selling Millet-based Products
Sharmila Jain Oswal’s son was at home when the pandemic struck the nation after earning his bachelor’s in political science. Their firm, “Gud Mom,” was inspired by a discussion about millets and the lack of nutritious food options.
‘Gud Mom’ offers a variety of products for sale on their website, on Amazon, and at other stores, including millet noodles, pasta, biscuits, crackers and herb sticks. The majority of the ready-to-eat foods and grains range for an affordable price.
The firm now employs more than 5,000 millet farmers nationwide and generates annual revenues of over ₹16 crore. The Indian Institute of Millet Research awarded “Gud Mom” the “Poshak Anaj Award 2022” and “Best Startup in Organic Farming 2021” respectively. Even, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured Sharmila for her efforts to promote millet planting.
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Now, she says, she looks forward to the day when millets are provided through the public distribution system (PDS). “We should distribute millets in ration shops if we want farmers to grow more of them. Compared to wheat and rice, they are healthier. To promote wider usage, they should also be a part of the mid-day meal programme, believes Sharmila.
Helped Farmers With Sustainable Methods!
With the aid of a Rs 10 lakh grant from NABARD, she launched her first sustainable water management programme in Buchkewadi, Maharashtra, in 2010. A water shortage in the area was making farming more and more challenging. In fact, she kept up her efforts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. She assisted farmers in Dungarpur, Rajasthan, transition from growing just one crop to growing several.
According to Sharmila Jain, they have assisted over 1.5 lakh farmers in five states over the past 20 years through water management projects, millet and vegetable farming, and capacity-building initiatives, which has resulted in a consistent income for them.
Also Read: Recipe: The Perfect Millet Biryani Recipe For A Hearty And Nutrient-Rich Meal
She has taught farmers how to grow millets like ragi, jowar, proso millet and pearl millet as well as vegetables, including uncommon ones like zucchini, to help them diversify their crops and save water.
Cover Image Courtesy: Sharmila Oswal/ Instagram