Sarita Jain at her stall at Mahila Udyog Mela in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Feb. 15: Many a time when newspaper reports about a developing Bihar have been written, social scientists and economists have often made visionary predictions of a day when our homemade pickles and papads would find takers among the supermarket crowd.

Akshat Namkeen is a living example of the one-time prediction. And the story also exemplifies the true sense of women empowerment.

Sarita Jain, like any other educated and qualified woman had dreamt of a successful career. Holding a masters degree in economics, Sarita’s ambitions were crushed when after her marriage, she got no encouragement from her in-laws, especially her husband.

“My husband did not have confidence in me. He would often tell me I was not capable of pursuing a career. And that I should stay at home and manage household affairs,” she said.

Undeterred by discouragement, Sarita secretly nourished her desire to turn it into reality. Around nine years ago, she started supplying homemade snacks to the local shops. “My first investment was a meagre Rs 250, which I had saved secretly. I supplied 10 small packs of methi matri to a nearby shop and by god’s grace, five packs were sold on the first day itself. It was my humble beginning in the field of entrepreneurship. Then there was no looking back,” said Sarita.

A woman of strong will power, Sarita started her business without letting her husband know about it.

“I used to prepare the snacks when my children would be in school and husband in office. So nobody came to know about it initially,” said Sarita.

She took the pain to promote her brand independently. “I would put small chits of paper with Akshat Namkeen handwritten on it inside the packets. Then everyday I would visit one shop and market my product,” said Sarita.

Till date, Sarita approaches new clients personally. “The response to my namkeens has been really heart-warming. I started with local shops but today my products have found a place in the shelves of all the prominent departmental stores of Patna as well as super markets. My products are also supplied to Big Bazaar, Siliguri, and the contract with Big Bazaar, Patna, is already in place,” said a beaming Sarita.

Her unassuming looks may be deceptive. But Sarita Jain had been a one-woman army for long. Recently, she has set up her own workshop in the city and recruited helpers due to the ever-increasing demand. A regular participant in trade fairs like Mahila Udyog Mela, her products attract a large number of people.

Sarita has also diversified into other food items. “I recently started supplying fresh dhoklas on an everyday basis to a prominent restaurant of the city. Very soon, Akshat Namkeen will also put roasted items on the platter for the customers,” added Sarita.