Monthly advisory of onion and garlic crop for the month of June 2025
Reviving Tribal Heritage: Vanastha
₹8 lakh/year turnover
25+ tribal artisans employed
Supported by ABI-ICAR-DOGR
About the Entrepreneur
Sushma Shinde, a tribal entrepreneur from Bhimashankar, founded Vanastha to preserve and commercialize traditional tribal food products with support from ICAR-DOGR's Agri-Business Incubator. Her venture specializes in value-added products from forest produce using ancestral tribal knowledge.
Business Achievements
- Annual turnover of ₹8 lakh while maintaining cultural authenticity
- Empowered 25+ tribal women artisans with sustainable income
- Developed 12 traditional tribal food products for modern markets
- Preserved 8 endangered tribal food preparation techniques
ICAR-DOGR Support
Through the ABI program, ICAR-DOGR provided critical support including:
- Scientific validation of traditional preservation methods
- Modern food safety and packaging training
- Brand development and market linkages
- Access to processing facilities
"ICAR-DOGR helped bridge our tribal wisdom with modern food science," says Sushma Shinde.
Product Range
Vanastha's unique tribal products include:
- Wild honey infused with medicinal herbs
- Traditional bamboo shoot pickles
- Forest berry preserves
- Millets-based tribal breakfast mixes
- Medicinal mushroom powders
Social Impact
Vanastha has created significant community impact:
- Increased tribal household incomes by 40%
- Revived interest in traditional food knowledge among youth
- Established 3 women-led tribal producer groups
- Featured products in 15 premium organic stores across Maharashtra
Future Vision
Vanastha plans to:
- Develop e-commerce platform for tribal products
- Establish tribal food heritage center
- Expand product range to 25 items
- Obtain organic and GI certification for products
