MUMBAI: Around 1,000 women from different self-help groups (SHGs) across the state recently reached an agreement with hoteliers to supply pickles worth Rs 70 crore, in which the supply to city establishments would be an estimated Rs 20 crore.
These SHGs make pickles at home and distribute these to almost 2 lakh restaurants with the help of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India and the ministry of social justice and empowerment. “Eight hundred women from Raigad, Pune, Ratnagiri, and Mumbai are working together for the Project Pickle,” Sneha Bhalerao, a member of an SHG, said.
Project pickle can provide employment to 6.5 lakh women from the weaker sections of society. “It is estimated that the domestic hotel industry buys close to Rs 240 crore worth of pickles,” Bharat Malkani, former president of HRAWI, said. “Till now we have taken only home orders or done retail exhibition. We are looking forward to this project as it will help many women get a job,” she said.
Malkani said the name of the brand would be linked to the name of the village where the pickle is produced.
Sneha said pickles would be delivered in 1kg, 5kg and 10kg packages