Arpitaben Patel, from Shivrajpur Kampa village in Meghraj taluka, Aravalli district, once limited her days to housework alone. But somewhere inside her, there was always a quiet ambition to do something more with her life. That ambition finally found direction the day she connected with KRSF — and her life changed from there.
KRSF didn’t just encourage her to start a business — it helped her see the business that was already sitting in her own kitchen. Arpitaben had a traditional skill for making pickles, passed down the way such skills usually are, without ever being treated as something commercial. KRSF’s guidance helped her turn that skill into an actual enterprise.
She began making pickles and chutneys from home, with her whole family pitching in. All through the year, she prepares pickles from mango, lemon, chilli, tamarind, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, and more — turning seasonal produce into a steady product line.
Through the joint efforts of KRSF and Kaarigar Clinic, Arpitaben received training in business management, marketing, mindset development, and market exposure — the practical skills that took her from “making pickles at home” to “running a pickle business.”
Her success didn’t stay contained to her own household. It inspired other women to join in too. Slowly, a women’s collective took shape, and the group came to be known as Jai Saraswati Sakhi Mandal.
The quality of their chutneys and pickles has earned them strong demand in the surrounding areas, with customers regularly praising the taste and consistency of their products. Arpitaben now holds an even bigger ambition — to see her pickles and chutneys reach customers in different countries.
In recognition of her enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication, she received the “Lakhpati Didi” honour under a Central Government scheme.
This recognition isn’t only about Arpitaben. It’s a source of inspiration for thousands of women like her — women writing their own history, starting right from their own kitchens. Through the collaboration between KRSF and Kaarigar Clinic, the story of one ordinary household’s sister has today become an inspiration for crores.
As the saying goes — where women are empowered, society thrives. Arpitaben’s journey is a living example of exactly that.
