How Rs 500 became Rs 5 crore: Delhi woman once lived on salt and roti. Today, her pickle empire earns crores annually. Who is Krishna Yadav?
You do not need a fortune to launch or run a business. All you need is vision, determination, and passion for what you do. Krishna Yadav, who moved to Delhi from a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, began her entrepreneurial journey with little fare – she sold pickles on roads. Eventually, she launched Shri Krishna Pickles, which grew into a flourishing empire over the years.
Krishna was born in Daulatpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where she never had the opportunity to receive a formal education. Following her marriage, she moved to Bulandshahr. However, her life took a difficult turn when her husband, who worked as a traffic police officer, lost his job, leaving the family in a financial crisis.
Krishna revealed her family’s struggles during that dark phase: when her husband’s ventures failed one after the other, they had to sell their home and survive on salt and roti.
“He tried to start a vehicle trading business, but we incurred huge losses. We had to sell our two houses, each spread across 150 gaj (approximately 1,300 sq ft). It became increasingly difficult for us to survive. We couldn’t afford to eat vegetables anymore and survived on namak roti,” she recalled.
The Turning Point
In an attempt to find work, Krishna relocated to Delhi and resided at her father's house. She, her husband, and their three small children came to the city with just Rs 500. She made multiple attempts to get employment, but her lack of formal schooling proved to be a significant barrier. Her spouse also had trouble obtaining employment. The couple switched to sharecropping and started farming after two months of unsuccessful attempts.
A significant breakthrough came when Krishna learned about a training initiative focused on reducing post-harvest losses through value addition while watching a television programme. She subsequently joined a course at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), where she acquired the skills and knowledge needed to prepare pickles and murabba (marmalade).
Krishna explained how, despite growing up seeing her mother make pickles from scratch, she did not have much knowledge on how to enhance the taste of pickles and to extend their shelf life, which she learned from the course.
The family started selling pickles on busy roadsides at first in 2002. “We set up a small table on the roadside and put our products on display. It was not a very busy road but we wanted to attract people to our stall. So, we placed two large earthen pots of water along with the pickles. I offered pickles as samples to those who stopped to drink free water,” she said.
This modus operandi helped her create a client base. She also promoted the products in local fairs. She eventually launched Shree Krishna Pickles. She initially sold karonda (black currant) pickle but later expanded her list to include mangoes, chillies, and lemons. Today, the brand offers over 250 varieties of pickles, chutneys, marmalades, and syrups. It also earns over Rs 5 crore per year.
Krishna was honoured with many awards for her extraordinary journey and contribution to the field of business. In 2016, she was the recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar, as well as the NG Ranga Award in 2014, among others.
Krishna’s journey teaches us an invaluable lesson: do not be intimidated or get bogged down by failures or setbacks, and have faith in your talent and grit.
Krishna was born in Daulatpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where she never had the opportunity to receive a formal education. Following her marriage, she moved to Bulandshahr. However, her life took a difficult turn when her husband, who worked as a traffic police officer, lost his job, leaving the family in a financial crisis.
Krishna revealed her family’s struggles during that dark phase: when her husband’s ventures failed one after the other, they had to sell their home and survive on salt and roti.
“He tried to start a vehicle trading business, but we incurred huge losses. We had to sell our two houses, each spread across 150 gaj (approximately 1,300 sq ft). It became increasingly difficult for us to survive. We couldn’t afford to eat vegetables anymore and survived on namak roti,” she recalled.
The Turning Point
In an attempt to find work, Krishna relocated to Delhi and resided at her father's house. She, her husband, and their three small children came to the city with just Rs 500. She made multiple attempts to get employment, but her lack of formal schooling proved to be a significant barrier. Her spouse also had trouble obtaining employment. The couple switched to sharecropping and started farming after two months of unsuccessful attempts.
A significant breakthrough came when Krishna learned about a training initiative focused on reducing post-harvest losses through value addition while watching a television programme. She subsequently joined a course at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), where she acquired the skills and knowledge needed to prepare pickles and murabba (marmalade).
Krishna explained how, despite growing up seeing her mother make pickles from scratch, she did not have much knowledge on how to enhance the taste of pickles and to extend their shelf life, which she learned from the course.
The family started selling pickles on busy roadsides at first in 2002. “We set up a small table on the roadside and put our products on display. It was not a very busy road but we wanted to attract people to our stall. So, we placed two large earthen pots of water along with the pickles. I offered pickles as samples to those who stopped to drink free water,” she said.
This modus operandi helped her create a client base. She also promoted the products in local fairs. She eventually launched Shree Krishna Pickles. She initially sold karonda (black currant) pickle but later expanded her list to include mangoes, chillies, and lemons. Today, the brand offers over 250 varieties of pickles, chutneys, marmalades, and syrups. It also earns over Rs 5 crore per year.
Krishna was honoured with many awards for her extraordinary journey and contribution to the field of business. In 2016, she was the recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar, as well as the NG Ranga Award in 2014, among others.
Krishna’s journey teaches us an invaluable lesson: do not be intimidated or get bogged down by failures or setbacks, and have faith in your talent and grit.
Next Story