Inspirational story of a farmer woman becoming a food-processing entrepreneur.

Krishna Yadav has received many awards in 2013, at the Vibrant Gujarat conference, the then Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi had presented him a check of 51 thousand rupees as a farmer's honor.

Story of Krishna Yadav: from farmer to entrepreneur

The farmer grows crops in the fields and works hard for success. Likewise, if the farmer determines to be an entrepreneur, he can also grow a crop of wealth by working hard. A farmer can become an entrepreneur, but rarely any entrepreneur could become a farmer. Here is a story of a farmer family who is an entrepreneur today. The biography of them could be inspiring to the farmers of India and especially to the women-farmer.

Krishna Yadav was a devoted housewife:

Their venture started from 1994-95. Shrimati Krishna Yadav, who was the eldest of five siblings, was married to Shri Govardhan Yadav. They could not get much education, but both were very hardworking. Shrimati Krishna Yadav is a devoted wife who takes care of her family. Her husband, Govardhan Yadav, used to do a small business along with the job.

Had to leave home due to adversity:

No one's life always passes in the same situation. Like the tides keep rising in the sea; In the same way, there are ups and downs in life too. There is hardly anyone with such a fortune that there has never been any adversity in life. Govardhanji used to do a small business with a job. Unfortunately, due to a huge loss, he became poor and had to sell the house.

They left their homeland so that the future of their children should not be ruined. In the conservative society of her native Buland Sahar, people used to make fun of if a woman did any business. Women did not have so much freedom in that society. So the Yadav family settled in Delhi. Govardhanji searched for a job for about three months but could not succeed. Originally he was a farmer, so he took a field in partnership and started growing vegetables. But when they started selling the crop in the market, they were not getting suitable prices.

Useful links about training and agriculture programs are given at the end of the post.

How did the idea of making vegetable pickles come about?

When the Krishnaji and Govardhanji failed to sell the vegetables at appropriate prices and found a possibility of loss, they held into stress. Then Krishnaji recalled that her grandmother was used to make tasty pickles from vegetables, and the villagers used to praise them a lot. Krishnaji thought that if she makes pickles from vegetables and sells them, then there is a possibility of profit. The problem was that grandmother was no more to teach her, and Krishnaji did not know how to prepare the pickles. She thought that from where to have proper training of making pickles.

Training from Krushi Vigyan Kendra:

Meanwhile, they had seen a program about free training for making pickles on Doordarshan TV Channel, and they came to know that it is possible to have a training at Ujwa village from the government institute.
Krishnaji requested her husband to get the information about training. When they found an affirmative response, Krishnaji joined three months training class. Where she got complete training in making five types of pickles.
Afterward, she prepared other 25 types of pickles in different varieties at home and prepared the exact recipe for these products to keep their quality intact.

By spending Rs 3000, she made a variety of pickles, and they started to sell them.

Initially, they faced many difficulties in selling pickles:

They Invested 3000 rupees and made some varieties of pickles. However, they did not get expected success in selling the pickles. Customers were raising objections to unpacked goods and were asking for packaged goods. However, ultimately, against the expense of 3000, they earned 5000, so their confidence boosted up.

What strategies did they adopt to sell the pickles?

When enough pickles were not sold, Govardhanji regretted that the goods were spoiled and the money also lost. At least the vegetables could have been sold, albeit cheaply.

If it's not easy to grow crops for the farmers, where is it easy to grow wealth as entrepreneurs?
Marketing is an art that big and expensive education centers run to teach. Companies pay millions to the masters of marketing. Although this farmer family had had the training to make pickles,
they did not know about selling.

On Krishnaji's suggestion, Govardhanji started selling in the streets of the city. Then he selected a suitable place and started selling pickles and fresh vegetables.

Perhaps unknowingly, a marketing fund came in handy. He kept two pots of cold water. If anyone used to come to drink water, he used to give samples of pickles for free. Those who liked the taste of pickle used to come again and buy more goods. And this was a small beginning.

After the struggle of 5 years Yadav family formed company:

Formation of Shre Krishna Pickles Company.

They continued to sell pickles from that corner of the road for about five years, gradually became famous for having tasty pickles. As if the crop of entrepreneurship was growing. Customers demanded the packed products so they can parcel outside of Delhi easily. Ultimately they decided to provide a brand name to the product and to commence the packing. Krishnaji and Govardhanji formed a company in the name of Shri Krishna Pickles.

They provided training and employment to other women:

90 percent employees in the company of Krishna Yadav are females.

However, after upgrading the product, the demand for the pickles increased, and also the workload. So KrishnaJi invited the women of the neighborhood to join with them.
Being housewives, neighbors were not confident about themselves to do the work. Krishnaji said to them that they would get the appropriate training and would be able to do work nicely.

At last the crops of wealth also started to grow, a grand success:

Krishna Yadav and Goverdhan Yadav and their pickels shop.

Today, the Yadav family is the owner of seven companies, and the annual turnover is 5 crores in 2021. In addition to the pickles, Krishna Pickles Company produces 157 items like fresh juice, jam, marmalade, mustard oil, whole masala, atta, and much more. About one thousand people are getting employment in his company, out of which 90 are women. What could be a better example of soul dependence than this?

Krishna Yadav has received many awards:

Smt. Krishna Yadav was selected for the 2015 Nari Shakti Samman by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.
In 2014, the Haryana government honored Krishna Yadav with the state's first Champion Kisan Mahila Award for her innovative idea.
In 2013, at the Vibrant Gujarat conference, the then Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi had presented him a check of 51 thousand rupees as a farmer's honor.
President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil also called Krishna Yadav under a program and heard her success story.