§1What this business is

Women's SHGs, cooperatives and organic farmers supply mandua, jhangora, gahat, red rice, rajma, turmeric, ginger, herbal teas, honey, pickles, jams and cookies, as well as soaps, herbal oils and creams made from apricot kernels and nettle. The outlet sorts, cleans, packs, labels and certifies them, sells them in a shop in Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani or a tourist town, and also sells online and in bulk to hotels and restaurants. It is owned and run by women, often under an SHG or cooperative structure.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A women's SHG federation, cooperative or woman entrepreneur with links to organic farmers in the hills.

Who it is not for

An investor seeking a quick profit without investing in training and certification.

Advantages

  • Gives rural women ownership, income and business skills
  • Organic hill produce has a premium image
  • Wellness and cosmetic items widen the range
  • Cause-led brand attracts loyal buyers

Drawbacks

  • Competition from large retail chains
  • Supply from SHGs can be irregular
  • Buyers doubt organic claims without certification
  • Many producers need training in packing and branding

Skills you need

  • Retail and accounts
  • Food safety, packing and labelling
  • Organic certification and supplier checks
  • Social media and storytelling

Why difficulty 3/5: Moderate: combines packing, certification, retail and SHG coordination.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Health-conscious city shoppers
  • Tourists buying local souvenirs
  • Hotels, resorts and restaurants (bulk)
  • Online buyers in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru

How it sells

  • Own outlet
  • E-commerce and organic marketplaces
  • Fairs and tourism board tie-ups
  • Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp Business

Good to know

  • The profile cites the Indian organic food market growing about 20–25% a year.
  • Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB) supports organic farmers in the state.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Packaging machines2—
Cold storage unit1₹4.00 lakh
Labelling machine1—
Display racks and counters——
Billing and POS system1—
Processing and packaging units (total)—₹6.50 lakh

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Pahadi Women-Led Organic Brand Outlet in Uttarakhand

  • Mandua, jhangora, gahat, red rice, black wheat, rajma, amaranthfrom women's SHGs, cooperatives and organic farmers
  • Turmeric, ginger, coriander, herbal teas, honeyhill produce
  • Apricot kernels, nettle leaves, wildflowersfor soaps, oils and creams
  • Jute bags, paper packing, recyclable labelseco-friendly packing

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Pahadi Women-Led Organic Brand Outlet in Uttarakhand

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence (food packing and retail)
  2. Udyam
  3. GST
  4. Organic certification (NPOP / PGS-India) for the organic claim
  5. Legal Metrology registration for packed goods
  6. Drug and cosmetics rules compliance for cosmetic items (or buy from licensed makers)
  7. Trade licence

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

Stand-Up India suits a woman founder; NRLM supports SHG federations; PMFME can fund the packing unit; MUDRA and CGTMSE fit the ₹18 L loan.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Retail space and infrastructure ₹12.00 L + processing and packaging units ₹6.50 L + cold storage ₹4.00 L + branding and certification ₹3.50 L + working capital ₹5.00 L + miscellaneous ₹2.00 L = ₹33.00 L. Finance: promoter ₹10.00 L, bank loan ₹18.00 L, government subsidy or grant ₹5.00 L.

Working capital: Working capital ₹5.00 L within the project cost.

Year not printed on the profile — check current shop and equipment costs.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Export council / board: APEDA

  • The profile sees export of herbal teas, spices and natural cosmetics as a later step; each product needs its own HS code and NPOP certification for organic claims.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Loss of trust from a mislabelled product
  • Irregular supply
  • Low footfall outside tourist season
  • Certification costs

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working women-led pahadi organic products outlet unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (FSSAI licence (food packing and retail), Udyam), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

Want to start Women-Led Pahadi Organic Products Outlet?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Pahadi Women-Led Organic Brand Outlet in Uttarakhand

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.