Farm Didi, led by a mission to uplift women in rural Maharashtra, promises more than just delicious products. It leverages women’s expertise in food production to create high-quality, preservative-free products.
In a country where traditional gender roles have long confined women to domestic duties, the rise of women entrepreneurs is a powerful testament to the winds of change. One such person spearheading this change is Manjari Sharma, the founder of Farm Didi, a foodtech startup with a mission to empower rural women in Maharashtra. The startup, founded in 2021, has already made a significant impact, transforming the lives of over 1,080 women entrepreneurs across more than 40 villages.
The initiative was also featured in Season 3 of Shark Tank India, in March 2024, where it drew the attention of Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, Sugar Cosmetics co-founder Vineeta Singh, boAt co-founder Aman Gupta, and Namita Thapar of Emcure Pharmaceuticals. Singh and Bansal invested Rs 1 crore in the start-up.
Farm Didi promises more than just delicious products. It’s a venture with a heart, aimed at transforming rural livelihoods.
Sharma’s journey to founding Farm Didi began with a seemingly simple question that echoed throughout her travels: “Didi, hum aur kya kar sakte hain? (Sister, what more can we do?).” This line, spoken by women she met during her project work at IIM-Calcutta, ignited a spark that would eventually lead to Farm Didi.
In 2016, as part of her work for the Bihar state government, Sharma, 36, travelled through several districts, including Begusarai, Khagaria and Patna, to understand the state of women’s empowerment. What she found surprised and inspired her in equal measure. Women, often the backbone of rural economies, were multitasking in ways that left her amazed: managing agriculture, running households, caring for children, and more, while their male counterparts worked in cities.
The self-help groups (SHGs) she encountered functioned efficiently, with women eager to contribute more but lacking the necessary opportunities. “The SHG meetings were incredibly focused and practical. There was zero wasted time. Each group tackled issues directly, whether it was discussing sanitation or deciding how to use funds for community projects. It was clear that these groups held real power,” she recalled.
This realisation planted the seed for what would later become Farm Didi. “When a woman starts earning money, 90 percent of it is reinvested into the family for better health and education,” Sharma recalled. Yet, there was a clear lack of avenues for these women to channel their energies and skills.
After her IIM project, Sharma embarked on a career in management consulting, travelling across the globe. However, the question posed by the women she had met stayed with her. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the migrant crisis, made Sharma even more determined to launch a venture that would directly benefit rural women.
She found the perfect avenue in food. As 80 percent of rural women are deeply involved in the agricultural value chain, armed with centuries of traditional knowledge about food production, this sector seemed a natural choice. “I kept thinking that if we could harness the power of women in rural India, especially in food—an area they know so well—we could make a huge difference,” said Sharma.
Thus, Farm Didi was born in 2021, focusing on over 40 villages in rural Maharashtra, leveraging women’s expertise in food production to create high-quality, preservative-free products. “I knew Maharashtra well, having lived in Pune for years, and thought it was a great place to start building this vision,” she explained.
Initially, Sharma thought providing microloans to women would help them become entrepreneurs. However, she quickly realised that access to finance was only part of the solution. Rural women needed expertise in marketing, packaging and understanding food safety and hygiene. Many businesses were failing because of these gaps, not because of a lack of funding.
Farm Didi took on the role of filling this gap by providing women with a mini-MBA-style entrepreneurship programme. This programme equips them with the knowledge they need to succeed as entrepreneurs, covering everything from food safety standards to marketing and business acumen. Women who join Farm Didi learn to create products that adhere to high standards, ensuring their marketability.
One of the standout innovations of Farm Didi has been its app, Didi Business, which allows women to list their products and sell them directly to consumers. In addition, the company has partnered with logistics firms to ensure seamless delivery of products to their warehouse in Pune, where they undergo final quality checks before being sold on e-commerce platforms.
To sustain and grow, Farm Didi remains bootstrapped, with some angel investment support. The total valuation for the venture, according to its founders, stands at Rs 25 crore, with an expected valuation of Rs 50 crore.
“We make sure that 20-50% of the profits go back to SHGs, while some is set aside for marketing. SHGs have seen their income grow three to four times since partnering with us,” Sharma said proudly. “Some women even have local followings now and continue selling products independently in their communities.”
Farm Didi’s offerings include 20 varieties of traditional products like pickles, papads, and chutneys. “We stick to local recipes, using no preservatives. And for the festive season, the didis will be making diyas and handicrafts too,” Sharma said.
Looking ahead, Sharma envisions Farm Didi expanding to 300 retailers in Pune and eventually to major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. “We’re aiming to impact a million lives across rural India,” she said, with determination.
The lead image on top depicts Manjari Sharma receiving a grant from Shark Tank India, a boost to Farm Didi’s mission of rural empowerment. (Photo courtesy Farm Didi)
Akansha Deshmukh is an independent investigative journalist who operates mainly in central India.
