It was a gamble for Ambika Somasundaran when she resigned from her well-paid job and became an entrepreneur in 2017. However, it has paid off. Today, she runs Kariat Dry Foods, a business venture at Marottichal in the Puthur panchayat of Thrissur district. In addition to flours, curry masalas and powders under the brand name, Dry Mix, the company sells value-added products from moringa (drumstick).
“I worked with ESAF Small Finance Bank for 17 years and as part of my job, I used to conduct and coordinate entrepreneurship development, skill development and awareness programmes. Eventually, I developed an interest to become an entrepreneur. So I chose to resign and pursue my dream,” she says.
When it came to zeroing in on a business idea, Ambika says that she had several options. “Ours is a hilly terrain where there are enough raw materials in the form of vegetables, turmeric, nendran bananas and jackfruit. With the guidance of District Industrial Centre I took a subsidy under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme [PMEGP] to start the venture,” she says.
