Kanika Talukdar, hailing from Barama, Nalbari district with meagre 500 rupees and an indomitable spirit, started making vermicompost in her backyard.
Kanika lost her husband at a young age in 2008. Immediately she became the sole bread earner of the family and had to look after her four-month-old daughter.
Lack of Education and other hardship she battled while achieving success
The lack of formal education zeroed her employability, and she faced various difficulties and hardships while managing everything on her own.
But as the line goes, “night is the darkest just before dawn”, these adversities were only to make her stronger than ever.
She did many odd jobs before being landed in a one-day training at a Krishi Vigyan Kendra Nalbari, where she received training on vermicompost production. Notably, the movement changed her life forever.
Soon started her own Company ‘Jatayu Organics’
Slowly she became well-versed with vermicompost production technology and gained essential knowledge about the business, and started a company named Jayatu Organics in 2014.
She says, “The initial money I earned through selling vermicompost I decided to pump it back into the business instead of spending on household expenses as in the long run if the business grows the investment will come back to me anyways.”
Later with the help of the Dept. of Agriculture Assam, she managed to export her produce to different states of the country and other districts of Assam.
Being selected in NEATHUB was the turning point of her life
As per Kanika the turning point came in her life after being selected for an incubation program in North East Agriculture Technology Entrepreneurs Hub (NEATEHUB), the agribusiness incubator of Assam Agricultural University.
Kanika is a noted woman entrepreneur of Assam. She has received awards and laurels like the coveted “Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019” conferred by Asom Sangrami Mancha, “Progressive farmer of Nalbari District 2020” given by the Dept of Agriculture Assam.
She joined the incubator in 2019, and after the two-month-long Entrepreneurship Orientation Program (popularly known as Isanya).
In these two months refined and curated her idea of business. Besides, she learned many aspects of the business, including marketing and other legalities, she also converted her business into an LLP (Limited liability Partnership) company and diversified her products.
Current status of ‘Jatayu Organics’
At present, Jayatu organics have a wide range of products like enriched vermicompost, vermi wash, cocopeat powder, organic fungicide, etc., available in different Assam nurseries.
Besides, she has also started taking online orders. From a financial standpoint, the company has an annual turnover of over 25 to 30 lakhs.
Credits goes to incubation in NEATEHUB, she also received pre-seed funding of 5 lakhs from Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana under the RAFTAAR scheme.
Her inspirational journey from rags to riches is indeed encouraging for women of the region to take up entrepreneurship as a profession.
