Mehmaon ko khush kar jaye Kharram Khurram Mazedaar, lazzatdaar Swaad swaad mein lijjat papad Sek ke khayein Tal ke khayein … Khurram Kharram

This 30 -second ad for papad( a thin, crispy, round flatbread) went on to become one of the most catchy jangles in the 90 s, a occasion when television set had just made inroads in middle-class Indian households.

This jingle, with a human-sized rabbit, was my merely saving grace when I attended birthday parties as a 10 -year-old. Where parents suggested their kids to their sing or dance on a Bollywood number, I would proudly chronicle the Khurram Kharram jingle that I had diligently learnt.

Two years thereafter, I still know the jingle by mettle.

If this desi jangle cemented its lieu in the audience’s mind, the humble commodity won hundreds of thousands of centres. Coming from a Gujarati family, I can attest that no dinner is complete without Lijjat Papad, which come in lip-smacking spices with parts such as urad, red breezies, garlic, moong, Punjabi masala, spice and jeera.

This brand was founded by seven Gujarati homemakers at a inadequate lend of Rs 80. As per a report by Femina, it proliferated exponentially, to a business worth Rs 1,600 crores.

Here is its fascinating history.

How It All Began

The year is 1959. It is time in Bombay( now, Mumbai ). Seven Gujarati-speaking maidens are furiously talking to each other on a terrace.

The agenda of the informal meet is to reduce the financial strain on their respective class by starting a means of livelihood. They are semi-literate and have no experience in rolling a company.

So, they decide to bank on their culinary skills of papad-making with a hope to earn a stable income. They begin reeling the papads and departure the terrace with four packets.

Jaswantiben Popat, Jayaben Vithalani, Parvatiben Thodani, Ujamben Kundalia, Banuben Tanna, Chutadben Gawade and Laguben Gokani march to the neighbourhood market, sell the papads, and specified the ball going.

“We were semi-literate, which limited our chances to get activities. But we realised our papad-making expertise could be used to earn small amounts of fund to help our partners increase their fiscal responsibility, ” Jaswantiben tells BBC.

To help them market the papads, Purushottam Damodar Dattani began mentoring them. He moved from one shop to another and finally sold the papads to a regional accumulation called Anandji Premji& Company in Girgaon Chowpatty.

Speaking to The Better India of the reasons why Anandji Premji decided to rely a group of relatively inexperienced maids, his son, Himmatbhai, says, “My father knew the women highly genuine and hardworking. Dattaniji required advance payments with confidence and that amazed my father. Dattaniji himself expended the day in our browse and sold all the packets in a few hours. That was the beginning of our relationship with the co-operative, and today, we find close to 25 kilos of Lijjat Papad daily.”

Jaswantiben says that they sold one kilo on the first day and gave eight annas. She tells National Geographic, “Next day two kilos retrieved a rupee. Women in our place discovered it rewarding and through word of mouth, we started building a team.”

In the next 3-4 months, the team ripened to 200 and the co-operative opened its second branch in Wadala. The annual auctions came up to Rs 6,000, a big amount back in 1959.

Looking at the adoption of their make in the market, the’ seven sisters’ acquired coin from Chhaganlal Karamsi Parekh, who too became their instructor. Fondly known as’ Chhhagan Bappa’, he was a observed social worker who served in multiple relief operations, including the earthquakes in Assam and Kutch in the 1950 s.

The big team did not spend reserves on hiring a marketing team, publicist or workforce, and instead channelled all its force towards’ aspect consciousness’.

As more wives uttered their interest to join, the founders decided it was time to acquire a statutory approval. In 1966, they registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. It was in the same year that the Khadi& Village Industries Commission named it as’ Village Industry’.

This was a turning point for the founders.

Almost 62 years later, the venture that began with seven maids has now turned into India’s oldest all-female cooperative that employs close to 45,000 women.

In 1968, Lijjat built its first branch outside Maharashtra, in Valod, Gujarat. As per the website, the pan-India venture soon has 82 disciplines, and exports to 15 countries. This papad crusade became well known for its consistency in penchant and tone.

Besides its whiz commodity, the institution also offers other concoctions like masalas, gehu atta( wheat flour ), chapatis( wheat flatbreads ), appalams, detergent pulverization, and laundry soap.

“One of the principles is to ensure that only the best quality of raw material are utilised in the papad, and there is no compromise on this aspect. Having maintained this tone in the last 60 years is a major reason for our success…..The tasks to be drawn from the Institution are about winning over the customer’s goodwill by offering good quality of produces. This is the secret of the Institution’s success, ” Swati Paradkar, President of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, told Inter-Actions.

This principle too reflected in the recruiting process. There are no prerequisites except that every woman has to abide by the quality guidelines.

The Secret Behind its Consistency in Taste& Quality

Due to weather conditions, topography, water caliber and so on, the savor of raw materials differ in every mood. Thus, all raw materials are obtained from one lieu and distributed to all forks. This course, the delicacy is the same, and the final product is consistent, irrespective of the region.

While the urad dal( a variety of lentil) comes from Myanmar, asafoetida( hing) is imported from Afghanistan, and black pepper comes from Kerala. Hing, which is also a staple ingredient in Indian kitchens, is carefully sorted and crushed into gunpowder.

For black pepper, they follow a distinct crush process. The pulverization is filtered through a channi( pan) and the remains are footed in the second round. To reach perfection, the pulverize is filtered again, this time, with the help of a table fan. The gunpowder is transferred from one jar to another in front of the love, blowing away the lighter pepper pods.

This process happens only in Vashi and Nasik. The desegregate of hing and seasoning pulverize is added to the flour and saltwater is prepared in the final step. After this, dough is prepared and distributed among the employees. Everyone is given a standard base and rolling pin to ensure the equal size of papads from each region.

In expressions of quality, diverge members often pay their staff members surprise tours at their dwellings to check if the papads are being wheeled and dehydrated in proper hygienic positions. Eventually, the products are experimented and coded in their laboratory in Mumbai.

Maid Empowerment

Lijjat Papad was acing’ employ from home’, long before it became an accepted sort of creation culture. A main reasons behind this was to give dames financial independence without requiring them to step outside their houses. This alternative admitted a homemaker to balance their own families with a source of income.

Those who did not have enough space at home were asked to check the papad caliber and carton at their chapters.

Employees referred to as bens( sister) begin their work as early as 4.30 a.m. Gals working at the Lijjat branch knead dough that is collected by another group of women who roll them into papads at their respective dwellings. A mini-bus picks the members from the closest point of residence to the branch and back home.

A Central Managing Committee in Mumbai with a staff of 21 members ogles after the overall monitoring.

Even after so many years, this trailblazing organisation has persist to its beginnings — to create employment opportunities for indigent females. No wonder mass production through machine-operated plans is a big no. By not ousting women with technology, the co-operative ensures a stable subsistence.

“Not merely self-employment, self-reliance, self-empowerment and self-dignity are equally important. The fluctuation started by Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad( SMGULP ), represents the true strength of Indian brides. The wives, who are a part of Lijjat, weren’t literate before, but now they know the importance of education, especially of their children. This in itself is a big development, ” says famou scientist Raghunath Mashelkar.

Every member of the co-operative is treated as a family member, enjoying various benefits.

For example, every ben is allowed to choose her neighborhood of production. An hire can also become a part of the managing committee through a democratic process of elections. Other benefits include is asking for a loan, opting for Lijjat scholarships for their own children, and basic literacy programmes in every sprig.

Their attempts are appreciated and honored by the company. For example, in 2002, public service employees in Rajkot got an incentive of Rs 4,000 each. Meanwhile, bens at Mumbai and Thane branches were given 5-gram golden coins.

“Lijjat furnishes economic opportunities through domestic undertaking. Once involved in this activity, ladies acquire confidence and status as they make money in a honorable behaviour. The more enterprising, responsible, and experienced member-sisters climb the administrative ladder. Lijjat demonstrates a miraculous practice of drawing commanders out of regular females, ” readsa paragraph from Empowerment Case Studies: Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad.

Minimalism Always Works

If you discover the arresting ad, you will find that there are no celebrities or larger-than-life shooting locales exhorting you to buy the papads. It is a very simple and minimalistic ad that leverages simply one thing — how a papad can come to your save any time of the day. The bunny, of course, is an intriguing addition.

Likewise, the undertaking has consciously bided away from brand launchings, social media vicinity and exuberant observances. Their simply focus is that consumers and bens are satisfied at the end of the working day.

Such minimalism is rare in today’s tech-savvy eras where one is bombarded with ads.

The Evergreen Product That Reeks of Nostalgia, Success& Self Reliance

Have “youve been” wished to know why Lijjat Papad continues to rule the papad area despite various challengers? Besides evoking nostalgia, there is a sense of comfort and trust that comes with those containers.

“It reminds me that even though change is constant and necessary for evolution, we have something to be grateful for. Lijjat Papad is one snack that never baffles, ” says my brother, Ronak.

Lijjat Papad is also Mumbai-based Nirmala Nair’s go-to snack every time she feels hungry. “Having a busy schedule does not always give me time to cook. So, I chop salads and lay them on the papad. It just takes five minutes to prepare a snack that is tasty and healthy.”

Apart from its buyers, the symbol “ve left” an everlasting commemorate as a proud swadeshi busines that has entitled thousands of lives. This papad firebrand has successfully managed to be a silent yet integral part of everyone’s life in more roads than one.

( Edited by Shruti Singhal)

Read more: thebetterindia.com