In a noteworthy move towards promoting healthier food options and women’s entrepreneurship, a professor hailing from the Tenkasi area in Tamil Nadu decided to resign from her job and establish her own chain of organic food products. Her venture focuses on producing items such as Aval Micher, a health mix, black urad, and kali derived from black Kowni rice. The distinctive feature of her brand is its emphasis on crafting nutritious snacks from traditional rice varieties and grains. Her inspiration for starting Daily Food Products stemmed from her realization that the food she was providing to her children during the COVID-19 pandemic lacked essential nutrients.
Her business not only aims to offer wholesome food for her own family but also endeavors to encourage her friends and relatives, as well as the broader community, to transition to natural foods. In an interview, she noted that people can be hesitant to adopt natural foods, especially during busy times, but they often opt for ready-to-cook options due to their convenience. She saw this as an opportunity to provide ready-to-mix healthy foods that would cater to this demand.
Although she has been operating her organic food business for the past two years, she has not witnessed substantial profits. Nevertheless, she maintains a small shop in the Kadayam Road Pavoorchatram in Tirunelveli district. The local community in the Tenkasi area primarily purchases organic snacks for children from her shop, with a particular focus on micher and cookies.
In a bid to support and empower women entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the state’s Finance Minister, unveiled an exclusive startup mission dedicated to women during his budget presentation for FY23–24. He acknowledged the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing credit and marketing their products, and the government’s initiative seeks to address these issues by facilitating women in various aspects of their businesses. As part of this initiative, the Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 7,000 crore in the state budget to provide a monthly cash allowance of Rs 1,000 while establishing the startup mission to bolster women’s entrepreneurship in the state.
