Urmila (58) and her daughter Aarti Samant (35) launched their brand – Masala Tokri – in February 2019 with an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh.

The Success Story: Indian dishes are not just food; they are an amalgamation of proper quantities of spices and herbs. These dishes not only fill the belly but also improve health because of the spices and herbs used during cooking. Indian spices are world-famous and have been in high demand for ages. We not only consume large volumes of spices but also export them to other countries.

This inspirational story revolves around spices, a mother, and her daughter. Urmila (58) and her daughter Aarti Samant (35) launched their brand – Masala Tokri – in February 2019 with an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh, and today they are making a revenue of over 9 lakh month-on-month and shipping more than 5,500 packets to other countries each month.

The Journey

According to Aarti, her mother was always a passionate cook, and rather than purchasing pre-mixed masalas from outside, she believes in making them at home. In 2017, the Mumbai-based housemaker enrolled for a course in Thane to learn how to make her own spices.

After the course, she took a risky leap and decided to turn her art of making spice blends into a profession. Initially, Urmila started sharing a few mixes with friends and family and gradually formed a group on WhatsApp where she received orders from customers.

By 2018, Urmila had made a base of loyal customers and also started exporting her masalas to countries like the UK, Singapore, Dubai, and the UAE. Seeing the venture’s expansion and the tremendous burden on her mother, Aarti decided to step in.

Together, the mother-daughter duo launched Masala Tokri in 2019 as a premium-gourmet masala company. Urmila takes care of the spices reaching the completion state, and Aarti, on the other hand, takes care of sales, marketing, and promotion-related activities.

The Different Brand

The market is dominated by big players such as MDH and Everest, and the mother-daughter duo knew that they would have to work on something that makes Masala Tokri stand out. They worked hard on the packaging of their products, and the taste of the spices itself is the biggest differentiator. According to Urmila, 80 percent of their spice blends are from the regional heartland of India and are also chemical and preservative-free, freshly pounded in their own masala chakkis.

Providing Employment to Other Women

Urmila and Aarti employed other women to fulfil the growing demands of the Masala Tokri spices. They also provide a friendly environment to the employees with flexible shifts.

The Bonding

The bootstrap business has brought the mother-daughter closer to each other and strengthened their bonding. Aarti stated that she has seen child-like curiosity in her mother for the way she enjoys her work.

Masala Tokri Products

Currently, Masala Tokri is selling a variety of masala mixes, including Goan Fish Curry Masala, Malvani Meat Masala, and Pindi Chole Masala, etc.

Some of the retail outlets where Masala Tokri products are available are – Shital Innovative Foods, Zida Impex LLP, Amazon, LBB, Flipkart, Haiko, Dorabjees, and O basket. The products are also available on their official website.