Five years ago, Shaila and her friends came together to form a Self Help Group with the support of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) in their village in Nashik district. What began as a small venture—selling papads among friends in their village—has now grown into a promising enterprise.

“With NeevJeevan Foundation’s support, we received formal training and machinery that helped us expand our production capacity, especially of kurdai papads. Earlier, our sales were limited to the village, but today we proudly supply to customers in Nashik as well,” shares Shaila.

This journey has given the women more than just income—it has given them a new identity. “Earlier, people in the village knew us only by our names. Now, we are recognized as papad-makers, and that makes us very proud.”

Their vision is clear and ambitious: to take their products across India and build a brand known for quality and women’s enterprise.