J-K woman entrepreneur highlights govt support, says "govt offers significant support to encourage women"
Udhampur, June 14
A woman entrepreneur from Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur has set up a spice processing unit under government-supported horticulture and entrepreneurship initiatives, saying that such schemes are helping create livelihood opportunities for women and strengthen rural value addition in the region.
The entrepreneur, Avilasha Salaria, has established an organic spice manufacturing unit named 'Salaria Food & Spices,' which procures raw materials directly from local farmers and processes them into a range of value-added products, while also providing employment opportunities to local women.
Speaking to ANI about her venture, Avilasha Salaria said, "We have set up a spice processing unit named 'Salaria Food & Spices.' We source local produce, such as turmeric, garlic, and ginger, directly from farmers and process it here to create various spice blends, including tikki masala. In doing so, we employ our unit to local women who are unable to work elsewhere."
Calling upon other women to take advantage of government support schemes, she said, "My message to women who stay at home is to step forward and become aware of the various government schemes available. The government offers significant support to encourage women to work and progress, thereby helping to eliminate unemployment."
Her husband and co-entrepreneur, Rohit Salaria, also explained the functioning of the unit and its product range, stating that local sourcing and value addition remain central to their operations.
"Our unit is called Salaria Food and Spices. We process spices and pickles. Most of the raw materials we use here are sourced from local farmers, such as turmeric and garlic. Our district has also been included under the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme for garlic. Through this initiative, we manufacture garlic pickles and garlic powder. We also make Kashmiri Tikki Masala, which features garlic, alongside various other spices like garam masala, meat masala, rajma masala, and our local chilli," he said. "We process spices and pickles."
Rohit Salaria further said the unit has benefited from consistent institutional support, adding that government departments have helped them scale and showcase their products.
"We manufacture these items by processing them right here. We have been running this operation for a long time, during which we received significant support from the Department of Horticulture of the Government of India, as well as the Department of Planning and Marketing," he said.
He added, "They have consistently provided us with platforms to showcase our products in different regions, including opportunities to participate in multiple buyer-seller meets."
"The government offers excellent projects across all departments for various types of processing units. Since we were highly interested in this field, we explored the schemes and established our business," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see government schemes actually working on the ground. The ODOP scheme for garlic in Udhampur is a smart move - value addition is exactly what we need in rural India. But I hope this support reaches more women in remote areas too, not just those with existing connections.
As someone who's worked with women entrepreneurs in developing regions, this is exactly the kind of initiative that creates lasting impact. Local sourcing + women employment + government support = sustainable development. Well done!
Bahut accha hai! 👏 But let's be honest - while these success stories are great, the real challenge is paperwork and red tape. Many small entrepreneurs in villages don't even know such schemes exist. Government needs to do more outreach in remote areas of J&K.
Organic spices from Kashmir? Sign me up! 🧡 This is the kind of 'Make in India' story we need to hear more often. Empowering women while promoting local agriculture - dual benefit! Hope their products are available online soon.
Impressive to see a husband-wife team working together like this. The government support for buyer-seller meets is crucial - small businesses often struggle with market access. This model could be replicated across other districts too.
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