Case study
The Gauribidanur Women-Led Papad Cluster
An 18-year-old women's papad enterprise was producing beside an open drain, losing a fifth of its raw material to aluminium vessels, and supplying Bangalore brands who repackaged the product under their own labels. This is what fixing that looks like.
What we found
- Around 18 years ago a group of enterprising women started making papad with help from young men who reached the Bangalore market; the group later took formal SHG shape.
- Members prepared the base material on the roadside, directly beside open running drains — an unhygienic setting that risks transmitting pathogens to consumers.
- Firewood cooking produced uneven rice dough and released large quantities of CO₂, causing health hazards for the women.
- Cooking in aluminium vessels caused material to stick to the inner surface, wasting roughly 20% of input and adding a dangerous metal to food.
- Most members had never been exposed to technical training or new product development; they followed the traditional route and sent the product to Bangalore through family members.
- Many supplied papad in bulk to major Bangalore brands, who repackaged it under their own labels and sold it with added margins.
- COVID-19 and heavy rains hit the women hard. No government scheme had reached them; officials gave assurances in open forums but members felt people came only for photo sessions.
What we did
- Project conceptualisation with the SHG members as owners rather than beneficiaries.
- Sectoral training and design thinking on product mixing, customised products, new variants and value-added products aimed at metro market customers.
- Training on uniformity of product attributes — size, shape, quality, taste, colour, flavour and appearance.
- Training on value addition and branding: brand awareness, packaging, presentation skills and customer interaction.
- Marketing skills covering customer interaction, sales follow-ups, repeat orders and customer satisfaction.
- Food safety standards as per Government of India guidelines.
- Capacity building including visits to production facilities of major FMCG brands.
- Common Facility Centre infrastructure to raise productivity and bring production indoors.
- Solar interventions through SELCO across the papad value chain: pulverizer, solar-powered papad making machine with conveyor belt and atta kneader, solar drying facility, and packing and sealing machines.
What is different now
- Production moved into a hygienic Common Facility Centre and off the roadside.
- Solar equipment replaced firewood, removing both the CO₂ load and the health hazard to the women.
- The 20% material loss from aluminium vessels was designed out of the process.
- Members gained the branding and packaging capability to sell under their own identity rather than supplying other people's brands.
From the field
Photographs from the project
Drop project photographs into /public/images/case-studies/gauribidanur-papad-cluster/
named 01.jpg through 05.jpg.
More case studies
From Grape Growers to a Raisin Processing Cluster
Grape growers in Vijayapura were selling fresh fruit into a volatile market. Organising them into a raisin processing cluster moved them up the value chain, into a product with shelf life and a wider buyer base.
Read case study
Fish Value-Added Products with the Fisherwomen of Pondicherry
Fish is among the most traded food items in the world, and demand for ready-to-cook products is growing fast. This cluster moves fisherwomen from selling fresh catch into producing for that market.
Read case study
Turning Fish Waste into Wealth at Udupi
Primary fish processing generates enormous quantities of waste — skin, scale, visceral mass, heads, fins, filleting frames. This project converts that waste stream into a second income for fisherwomen.
Read case study
Let’s build something that lasts
Whether you are a CSR team looking for a delivery partner, a government mission seeking implementation on the ground, or a foundation funding rural enterprise — we would like to hear from you.