Help Rural Women Gain Essential Business Skills

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

Thousands of rural women have benefited from Mann Deshi’s initiatives. It’s a pleasure to share the story of one of our beneficiaries, Sunita.:

Sunita’s entrepreneurial journey began with making onion-garlic masala, encouraged by the appreciation from friends and early customers. The turning point came when she joined the Mann Deshi Foundation’s Digital Literacy Program, where she learned to use smartphones for online payments and product promotion through social media like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

This exposure encouraged her to enrol in the Desi MBA Program, where she gained skills in financial planning, time management, delegation, and business evaluation. More importantly, it helped her identify her hidden capacity and build self-confidence. She began to see her business as more than a home-based unit.

The real transformation began when she joined the Rural Chamber of Commerce for Women. During the pandemic, when her husband lost his job, Sunita assumed full responsibility for her family and learnt the value of her work. A revolving grant from Mann Deshi helped her procure raw materials during this critical period.

 The range of spice-processing machinery she saw at a machinery manufacturing unit during the exposure visit sparked the idea of purchasing the machinery and scaling her business. Her peers in the network meetings organised by the Mann Deshi Chamber encouraged her. To bring her concept to life, Sunita needed capital. The Mann Deshi Chamber guided her through the entire process—identifying the right government loan scheme, completing all formal registrations(Udyam Aadhar, FSSAI, Shop Act and tab testing certification), preparing the project report, and supporting her loan application.

With the support of the Mann Deshi Chamber, she secured a 25 lakh loan, purchased 20 machines, and expanded her product range to 14 varieties of masalas. The Chamber continued to guide her—helping her identify suppliers for raw materials at wholesale prices, obtain GST registration, and promote her business online through Google My Business, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Business.

As her production scaled, Sunita diversified her income by selling surplus raw materials and renting out machinery. The Chamber encouraged her to showcase her products at corporate exhibitions and the Mann Deshi Mahotsav, where she tapped into a wider customer base and achieved strong sales. She was also selected for ONDC onboarding, during which she improved her product packaging, labelling and branding. She also trademarked her label “The Sunita Masalas.” Her storefront on the ONDC has turned a new page in her life.

She repays the loan instalments diligently and regularly, as she is aware that it is essential for creating an impressive CIBIL Score and building creditworthiness.   At a personal level, with the same care, she has taken an education loan to send her son to Georgia.

 She employs two full-time staff, hiring 10 more seasonally. She receives orders from Mumbai, Pune, the US, and Dubai. These were initially from relatives and friends, but now even her previous customers recommend her name to others. Sunita is now preparing to launch snacks like chakali and nutritious laddus. She plans to obtain an export license for exporting her products and to construct an industrial shed, moving out of her rented space.

 Sunita now inspires others by sharing her journey through the Mann Deshi Chamber’s programs. Sunita’s journey from Digital Literacy to Digital Marketing proves that knowledge and handholding support at various stages of the business can transform women into confident, recognised entrepreneurs.

Our sincere gratitude to every supporter of the Mann Deshi Foundation.