Professor Shifts to Organic Food Business for Health

In a noteworthy career shift, a professor from the Tenkasi region in Tamil Nadu has chosen to leave her academic role and embark on a journey to establish her organic food products chain. Operating under the name “Daily Food Products,” she has been running this business for the past two years. Her decision was not only driven by her desire to provide her children with healthier food options but also to inspire her friends and family to make the switch to natural and organic foods.

This enterprising woman’s product line includes Aval Micher, a health mix, black urad, and kali made from black Kowni rice. The unique selling proposition of her brand lies in its range of healthy snacks crafted from traditional rice varieties and grains. Her motivation stemmed from realizing the nutritional shortcomings in the food she was providing to her family during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent interview, she emphasized that people often opt for ready-to-cook foods during busy periods, as they may not be familiar with preparing wholesome meals from scratch. She strives to bridge this gap by offering ready-to-mix healthy foods, such as mixer and maida cookies, made without using white sugar.

Although she has been operating the organic food business for two years, she admitted that profits have been modest. Her small shop in the Kadayam Road Pavoorchatram in Tirunelveli district primarily attracts customers from the Tenkasi area, who predominantly purchase organic snacks for children. Her specialties, however, lie in micher and cookies.

This inspiring story aligns with the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to promote women’s entrepreneurship. The state Finance Minister, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, recently announced an exclusive startup mission for women during the budget presentation for FY23–24. This mission, backed by a significant budget allocation of Rs 7,000 crore, aims to facilitate women entrepreneurs in various aspects of their businesses, including access to credit and marketing support.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The News 18