Success Story: With the inspiration of CM Yogi, the daughters of UP have made a mark in Delhi-NCR by starting Millets-Organic Food Startup. This model, strengthened with the support of AIEF Fund, is now preparing ‘Made in UP’ products for the market of Gulf countries.
Inspired by the vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the daughters of Uttar Pradesh are no longer limited only to the local or national level, but are preparing to make their mark in the international market. Through their millets-based organic food startup, two young entrepreneurs from UP have gained a strong hold in the Delhi-NCR market and are now taking steps towards establishing the presence of ‘Made in UP’ products in Gulf countries. This initiative is progressing rapidly with the help of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and policy support of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
After completing their studies from Delhi University, Shikha Singh Chauhan and Somya Singh returned to their village and chose social entrepreneurship instead of corporate careers. Both of them started working with farmers and rural women in the field of millets and organic food. Today his unit has more than 15 women involved in production, processing and packaging. Shikha Singh Chauhan is a post-graduate in Food Technology, while Somya Singh is a B.Tech in Food Technology. The education and experience of both have given technical strength to this startup. According to Somya Singh, the expansion of the processing unit was possible with the support of Uttar Pradesh government schemes and AIF funds. This increased production capacity and strengthened women-led agribusiness models. The result of this is that their brand is rapidly gaining recognition in the organic food market of Delhi-NCR.
This startup works on the farm-to-fork model. Raw materials are purchased directly from small farmers and they are given fair prices. Farmers are also being given training on natural and chemical-free farming. Through this supply chain built without middlemen, pure, nutritious and safe products are reaching the consumers. Products like organic pulses, spices, ghee, millet pasta, noodles, multigrain and sattu cheela are becoming popular in the market.
At present these products are being supplied to Delhi-NCR as well as NAFED. Work is also underway to develop special products for government nutrition programs. According to Shikha Singh Chauhan, in view of the global demand for organic and millets products, the focus is now on the market of Gulf countries. Special attention is being paid to packaging and quality control in accordance with international standards. This initiative of the daughters of UP is not only a successful business story, but is also emerging as a strong example of self-reliant Uttar Pradesh and women empowerment.