In 2011, Elavarasi Jayakanth, a native of Tamil Nadu’s Usilampatti, saw her life completely change. She became the victim of a robbery at her own supermarket, which resulted in her losing all her money. The trauma from the experience left her shell-shocked, and she remained admitted in the hospital for months, unable to overcome the dejection at having lost her dream venture.
Elavarasi’s family had moved to Thrissur district in Kerala, more than 45 years ago. She grew up watching her parents and grandparents make sweets and snacks to earn their livelihood, and from a young age, helped them sell these products across different homes in her village.
After she was married, she continued down the same path as her family, and began making sweets and snacks at home, which she would then distribute to nearby stores and other homes. She says the aroma and quality of her products impressed the customers, and she saw a gradual increase in orders.
“I had always wanted to be a…