Success Story: Who is Krishna Yadav? Meet The Delhi Woman Who Turned Farm Produce Into A 5 Million Pickle Business

Krishna Yadav moved to Delhi with her husband and three children, carrying only Rs ₹500. After struggling to find work, she started selling pickles by the roadside. Her business eventually grew into a brand offering more than 250 types of pickles, chutneys, jams and syrups.

Building a business doesn’t necessarily require a significant amount of start-up capital. Krishna Yadav’s entrepreneurial journey illustrates how a small start, technical training and customer understanding can help turn a roadside venture into an established food business, reported the Economic Times.

Yadav, who moved to Delhi from a village in Uttar Pradesh, started selling pickles by the roadside before starting Shri Krishna Pickles. The business has since expanded its range to more than 250 varieties and is reportedly making more ₹5 million annually.

Read also | ’10+ Lakh turnout’: Rahul Gandhi leads INDIA Bloc rally against Gyanesh Kumar

Born in Daulatpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav did not have the opportunity to receive a formal education. She moved to Bulandshahr after her marriage. However, the family’s financial situation worsened after her husband, who worked as a traffic policeman, lost his job.

The family faced further setbacks when her husband’s business ventures failed, forcing them to sell their homes and struggle to meet basic expenses, the Economic Times reported.

“He was trying to start a vehicle business, but we suffered huge losses. We had to sell our two houses, each with an area of 150 gai (about 1,300 square feet). It was getting harder and harder for us to survive. We could no longer afford to eat vegetables and were surviving on namak roti,” she recalled.

Moving to Delhi ₹500

Looking for a fresh start, Yadav moved to Delhi and started living in her father’s house. She arrived with her husband and their three young children and was carrying just enough ₹500

At first, the couple struggled to find employment. Yadav’s lack of formal education made it difficult to secure employment, while her husband also faced problems finding work. After two months of unsuccessful attempts, they switched to crop sharing and started farming.

The turning point came when Yadav watched a television program on an educational initiative aimed at reducing post-harvest losses through value addition. Subsequently, she enrolled in a course at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), where she learned how to prepare pickles and murabba.

Although she grew up watching her mother make pickles, the training helped her understand how to improve their flavor and extend their shelf life.

How free water helped her find customers

In 2002, the family started selling cucumbers along busy roads. Their initial marketing strategy was simple: set up a small stand, offer free drinking water and introduce passers-by to their products through samples.

“We set up a small table on the roadside and displayed our products. It was not a very busy road, but we wanted to attract people to our stand. So we placed two large clay pots with water along with the cucumbers. I offered the cucumbers as samples to those who stopped to drink water for free,” she said.

Read also | How chokepoints have Singapore in deep water with its neighbours

This approach helped Yadav build an initial customer base. She also took her products to local fairs to reach more buyers.

At first it sold karonda (blackcurrant), then expanded the range to include mango, chilli and lemon varieties. The venture eventually evolved into Shree Krishna Pickles.

From one pickle variety to more than 250 products

The business has expanded considerably since its roadside beginnings. Today, the brand offers more than 250 types of pickles, chutneys, jams and syrups. He reportedly earns over ₹5 million annually.

Read also | Fly abroad? How could Digi Yatra make airport entry and boarding easier?

Yadav was also recognized for her entrepreneurial journey and contribution to business. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016 and the NG Ranga Award in 2014, among others.

Her journey follows the growth of a small food business that started with limited resources and a roadside sales strategy into a business with a broad product portfolio.