Jyoti Naik was one of the pioneers of the cooperative movement in India. She has served as president of the popular Indian brand Lijjat Papad. Today, Lijjat is known for more than just papad, the most popular crispy bread in India. The cooperative, which began with a small loan of Rs 80, today generates annual sales of more than Rs 1600 crore.

Everyone adores “rags to riches” stories and enjoys hearing about incredible achievement that was attained through pure willpower. All of that and much more can be found in Jyoti Naik’s tale of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad. Its remarkable simplicity astounds more than its amazing success.

Jyoti Naik: Background

Jyoti was the oldest of four siblings in her family. She began rolling poppadoms when she was twelve years old in 1971 and joined forces with Lijjat Papad. Despite her mother’s sudden passing in 1976, she kept working for a charity and taking care of her four siblings. Before being appointed Sanchalika (Branch Manager) and editor of the Lijjat Patrika newsletter in 1981, Jyoti worked for the Lijjat branch in a number of positions. She held the position of vice president from 1989 until her election as president in 1999. In addition to assisting in the creation of the sustainable company model, Jyoti employed several rural women. With Jyoti’s assistance, Lijjat Papad has grown to be a national success story for entrepreneurs, employing over 45,000 people across 81 branches.

Lijjat Papad: Like No Other

For the past 40 years, Lijjat has maintained its basic ideals, ensuring that every procedure is successful, members make a comfortable profit, agents receive their fair part, customers have the certainty of quality at a fair price, and society benefits from its charitable contributions. How was this all made possible? Its narrative demonstrates how a company may inject Gandhian simplicity into every aspect of its operations. Here, we examine the process of dissemination. Each morning, a group of women gathers at the Lijjat branch to knead dough. Subsequently, additional women collect the dough and roll it into papads. These women deliver the day’s worth of produce, which is evaluated for quality, along with the dough when they come in to collect it. The tested papads are packaged by yet another team. Every member receives her daily portion of vanai (rolling fee) for the labour they provide, and only because the rest of the system is set up to support it is this possible.

How It Operates

Simple hiring procedures serve as the beginning of the full cycle. Any woman who agrees to uphold the institution’s values and respects excellence is eligible to join and share ownership of the business. Also necessary are a tidy home and a place to dry the papads that are rolled every day for individuals who are part of the papad rolling process. Those who lack this facility can perform other duties, such as kneading dough, packaging, or conducting quality checks. Each box holds 13.6 kg of packed papads, and the production from each centre is delivered to the depot for that region. Six depots and sixteen branches are located in Mumbai alone.

Lijjat Papad: How it began

Seven women founded this cooperative society on the terrace of a building in Girgaum, Mumbai. In order to purchase the ingredients for their product, these homemakers borrowed Rs. 80 from a social worker in 1959, which was the beginning of the Lijjat papad’s adventure. The purpose of treating women as family members and referring to them as “ben” in business was to empower them. Lijjat Papad’s company motto is Sarvodhya, which signifies ownership (both in one’s professional and personal life). The business currently employs over 45,000 Lijjat Sisters, and in 2021 it reported a revenue of Rs 1600 crores. At Lijjat, each employee works with pride in her accomplishments. Furthermore, this pride is a result of their commitment to upholding the core values as well as the fact that they make high-quality goods. As a result, to them, the institution now feels like it has a shared destiny. Although the wages each woman receives are based on the amount of work she puts in, they all share equally in the profits they generate via combined efforts.

Lijjat Papad was given the Best Village Industry award by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission of India from 1998-1999 to 2000-2001. According to Jyoti, Lijjat has given women a platform to achieve economic independence, improving their status in society. She says, “I consider it an honour to be a part of an organization that works to enhance women’s rights.” Jyoti Naik was selected “Businesswoman of the Year” by The Economic Times in 2001–02. In addition, she was honoured for her services to women’s empowerment with the Vandemataram Rashtriya Seva Award.