India

Kerala Woman Turns Pickle Startup into National Award‑Winning Spice Venture

By etimes.in

Bindulekha S of Aryanadu in Thiruvananthapuram district rebuilt her life after a garment unit collapsed during Covid‑19, leaving her with unpaid loans. She borrowed Rs 50,000 from Kudumbashree, Kerala’s women‑led community network, and began making pickles on her veranda. Her first product, a North Indian‑style mango pickle made with mustard oil, was well received, especially after her cousin distributed it in Jaipur. The success led her to expand into tea masala and other spice blends. She named the venture Shri Krishna Pickles and Food Products and brought three other women into the business, creating a small collective enterprise that also operates a roadside eatery. Challenges such as leaking roofs and spoilage prompted her to seek training from organisations including ICAR‑Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Mithraniketan, IIM Kozhikode and Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, improving food‑processing techniques and product development. Rather than relying on supermarkets, she personally supplied her products to government offices across Thiruvananthapuram. In 2026, at the National Saras Mela in Vijayawada, her stall won second prize in the Best Natural Food Stall category for its variety, taste and quality. The award, presented by NTR district collector Dr G Lakshmisha, recognised her offerings of ginger powder, tea masala, chutney powder, sambar masala, sprouted ragi and various pickles. Bindulekha now views her venture as a platform for empowering other women to achieve financial independence, turning a failed business into a new entrepreneurial journey.