When Linnet Mushran, a Delhi based social entrepreneur, set up Bhuira Jams in 1999 it was with the dual purpose of providing employment to the local women as well as of using the abundant local fruit. Over the years, Bhuira Jams has managed to impact the group of villagers in Rajgarh, Himachal Pradesh. The women in particular, are now taking better care of themselves and their families thanks to their economic self-sufficiency and increased self-confidence!

In the beginning the unit struggled, particularly in the area of collection of dues and was often cheated despite being charged very high trade margins. Inefficient production, distribution, purchase and supply and ad-hoc orders created a lot of inconsistency in the funds and Mushran had to dip into personal finances for any repair work at the factory.

"Working with the Earthy Goods team has added an extra dose of confidence to our unit. Starting with the feasibility study that helped us to improve efficiency EG helped us to correct trade-margins, place regular orders and receive advance payments all of which have resulted in steady cash flows. I'm happy to report that this year for the first time repairs at the factory have relied on Bhuira Jam's funds.

In terms of marketing, it has been like grafting a complete professional arm to Bhuira Jams: continuous promotional activities, activation of new retail shelves has resulted in improved visibility and reduced dependence on a particular buyer or market.

The future looks bright. Even after me, I'm confident in the abilities of my permanent staff of 7 women who have just finished their IT and basic accounts training. Nearly Rs. 0.7 million that goes into the village every year through direct and indirect wages is helping to spread wealth. Small and marginal farmers or those with just a couple of apricot or peach trees who may not have the muscle to negotiate with the mandi (local fruit market) come to us with their supply of fresh fruit. We are trying to eliminate all middlemen and buy directly from our network of fruit farmers at market rates.

We hope that like Bhuira, more villages through their panchayats look at development in a commercial way where farmers and women productively contribute to their own development", says Linnet.

The success of Bhuira Jams has attracted the attention of big Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Companies, who are now keen to explore this model further.