Kanika Talukdar Builds Rs 75 Lakh Vermicompost Business From Rs 500, Producing 70 Tonnes Monthly
Updated
Updated · Moneycontrol · Jun 8
Kanika Talukdar Builds Rs 75 Lakh Vermicompost Business From Rs 500, Producing 70 Tonnes Monthly
1 articles · Updated · Moneycontrol · Jun 8
Summary
Rs 500 was enough for Kanika Talukdar to start a backyard vermicompost experiment in Assam that has grown into Jayatu Organic Products, now generating Rs 70-75 lakh in annual turnover.
70 tonnes of vermicompost now leave her 1.5-bigha home-based unit each month, using neighborhood organic waste and farm inputs to supply farmers, nurseries, retail buyers and direct consumers.
2018 marked the sales turning point: after local farmers initially resisted organic manure, Talukdar ran community outreach and radio campaigns to build demand for vermicompost over chemical fertilizers.
Rs 27.5 lakh in grants and support from the District Industries Centre, Assam Agricultural University, IIM Calcutta and NRETP helped her expand production, add organic pesticides and gomaya incense sticks, and win government contracts through GeM.
2008 was the crisis that set the path in motion—widowed with a four-month-old daughter and no steady income, Talukdar now says she wants to scale online sales and create more rural jobs for women.
Can grassroots organic ventures truly scale to challenge India's chemical fertilizer industry?
Is her success a replicable blueprint for rural empowerment or a rare story of individual grit?
What happens when the initial government support for such inspiring ventures eventually fades?
From ₹500 to ₹2.5 Crore: How Kanika Talukdar’s Jayatu Organic Products is Empowering Rural Assam Through Sustainable Agriculture
Overview
Kanika Talukdar’s journey began with the loss of her husband in 2008, leaving her a single mother facing severe financial hardship in Borjhar village, Assam. Despite taking on low-paying jobs, her struggles continued until 2014, when she joined a local self-help group and attended a transformative vermicomposting workshop organized by Krishi Vigyan Kendra. This experience sparked hope and inspired her to start her own venture with minimal resources. Through resilience and innovation, Kanika built Jayatu Organic Products, which now stands as a thriving enterprise promoting sustainable agriculture and empowering rural communities across Assam and beyond.