Final 12 months, a household in Shadora, a village in Ashok Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, had been watching TV. Searching channels, they got here throughout a enterprise featured on Shark Tank India that caught their eye. The pitch being telecast on the time was of a home made pickle enterprise from Bihar.
And that was a lightbulb second for one of many relations, 43-year-old Saroj Prajapati.
The homemaker and mom of two had lengthy harboured a dream of ‘doing one thing’ and making a reputation for herself. When she noticed that two homemakers had been in a position to create a enterprise out of a ability she had mastered, she knew that she had discovered her calling. Her pickles, particularly her mango pickle, had been all the time in demand with relations and mates making a beeline for it yearly.
Because it seems, her son, Amit Prajapati, runs a model constructing and digital advertising and marketing company. The 19-year-old shortly arrange social media pages beneath their model identify Mothers Magic Pickle India in June 2023, ran a couple of adverts, and shortly, that they had their first order.
Saroj would make and pack the pickle and Amit helped her model, label and dispatch it. Within the subsequent few months, their enterprise grew they usually needed to arrange an even bigger area and rent girls. As we speak, the 43-year-old sells over 800 pickles per thirty days and earns Rs 2.5 lakhs per thirty days seven months after beginning her enterprise. The lady who by no means set foot in a faculty is offering employment to 30 girls at the moment as nicely.
So how did she arrange a enterprise from scratch with no prior expertise? Right here’s her unimaginable story –
‘I made my first pickle at 15’
Born in Berkhedi village in Madhya Pradesh, Saroj was one amongst 9 daughters. Her dad and mom had been farmers and there weren’t many training alternatives for them. She spent her childhood on the fields watching her mom make meals and pickles, ultimately choosing up the abilities from her.
Whereas she learnt to prepare dinner all the things, what actually fascinated her had been pickles. She tells The Higher India that she made a uncooked mango pickle for the primary time as a 15-year-old. Little did she know that this is able to assist her stay her entrepreneurship dream nearly 18 years later.
As was the norm then, she was married at 20 and moved to Shadora. Quickly, she was busy with obligations at dwelling and taking good care of her two youngsters. However her husband, Bablu Prajapati, all the time inspired her, she says.
“All I had seen earlier than marriage was our village. My husband needed me to develop, and inspired me to take part in issues of native governance,” Saroj shares.
When a chance introduced itself to contribute to her neighborhood, she grabbed it, and served because the village sarpanch for eight years. Throughout her tenure, she met many ladies from rural areas and learnt about their monetary issues.
“I knew then that I needed to assist present an earnings for them,” she provides.
After she stepped down, she turned busy discharging duties at dwelling. Quickly, each her youngsters left for school and he or she was left with a burning need to construct one thing. She received the reply for her ‘what to do’ after watching the 2 girls on Shark Tank India.
Amit tells The Higher India that it so occurred that his mom was making pickles on the time as mangoes had been in season.
“Each relative or pal who comes dwelling throughout the mango season all the time takes a pickle jar dwelling. Everybody who tastes it turns into a fan. I assumed that this is able to be an ideal enterprise alternative,” says Amit.
Began with an funding of Rs 4,000
The very first thing the household did was order different home made pickles to test the style, packaging and pricing. After assessing their rivals, Amit, who stays in Indore, labored on the design and identify of the enterprise.
“I learnt web optimization on YouTube and determined that Mothers Magic Pickle India could be an excellent identify. I arrange Fb, Instagram and X (previously Twitter) pages. I purchased jars and received labels printed. We put up 10 posts on-line, ran a couple of Whatsapp adverts at a price of Rs 200 per day, and inside a couple of days, we received 30 orders from all around the nation,” says Amit.
Beginning with simply the mango pickle, they quickly launched extra pickles like inexperienced chilli, lemon, blended vegetable, and candy mangoes. Amit says that their merchandise are cheaper than others obtainable in the marketplace. They promote trial packs of 4 pickles of 100 gm every at Rs 299. One other scorching vendor is the combo pack of 4 200 gm pickles which every sells for Rs 349.
Their bestseller, the mango pickle, sells for Rs 199 for a 200 gm pack, Rs 299 for 400 gm and Rs 599 for 800 gm.
Saroj says that every one pickles are made by her utilizing conventional recipes handed on to her by her mom.
“I make the spice combine myself and purchase the mangoes and greens regionally. All pickles are made with out chemical substances and preservatives. We sun-dry the pickles and retailer them in barnis (conventional jars),” she provides.
The primary 200 orders had been made and packaged at dwelling itself, by Saroj. As orders elevated, they wanted an even bigger area. They arrange the Mothers Magic Pickle India unit at an empty area owned by her husband in Shadora itself. In addition they known as native girls to assist in the packaging of the merchandise.
So, what was the happiest day in her entrepreneurial journey? “The day I received my first order. I felt excellent that I did one thing,” she smiles.
Gyanendra Singh, who purchased a pack of 4 pickle jars, states that the standard of their pickles stands out.
“Normally, the pickles we purchase have vinegar in them, which impacts the style. Mothers Magic Pickles are refreshing, don’t trigger any burning, and are of very prime quality. Maa ke haath ka swaad hai inme (It reminds you of your mom’s cooking),” he says.
What stands out on this story of a mom’s ardour can also be her son’s fast pondering and digital advertising and marketing expertise.
Amit’s father, he shares, inspired him to comply with his ardour. {The teenager} first wished to pursue engineering, for which he went to Kota, Rajasthan, for teaching. As he attended lessons for JEE teaching, his curiosity quickly shifted to digital advertising and marketing and enterprise growth.
“I began studying about web optimization and advertising and marketing on YouTube. I labored with a digital advertising and marketing company once I was in Class 9 and earned about Rs 25,000 per thirty days. The lockdown was additionally imposed throughout this time and I knowledgeable my father of my change of thoughts,” he provides.
Whereas we learn tales of how dad and mom pressure their youngsters to pursue JEE and NEET, particularly in Kota, Bablu Prajapati is an outlier. He requested his son to comply with his ardour and pursue training within the discipline of his alternative.
Amit then accomplished his education by way of lengthy distance training and moved to Indore the place he’s pursuing a BBA presently. His firm’s identify is Adversarial India, which is a one-stop resolution for all of your digital advertising and marketing wants.
And what are his plans for the longer term? “I would like my mom to go forward. I’ve my total life forward of me. First, I would like my dad and mom to pursue their goals,” he says. This mom and son are the proper mix of ardour, a conventional ability and new age advertising and marketing that makes their model a hit.
You should purchase Mothers Magic Pickle by way of their web site or by way of Whatsapp. They’re quickly planning to increase to Amazon and Flipkart as nicely.
Edited by Padmashree Pande.