She once carried food on her head and sold it on the streets. Today, she produces more than 80 varieties of traditional dishes and earns lakhs in revenue every month.
Just a year after her marriage, Meenakshi Sadanand Mishrikoti lost her husband. As a widow, many expected her to withdraw from public life and accept her circumstances. Instead, she chose to rebuild her life. With determination and courage, she started a small home-based food venture that has now grown into an enterprise worth over ₹1.5 crore, while also creating livelihood opportunities for several women.
Now 50, the Belagavi-based entrepreneur runs “Meenakshi Foods”, a well-known home-food enterprise specialising in traditional North Karnataka delicacies. What began with almost no capital has grown into a thriving business that provides employment to more than 15 women, including eight widows.
A Humble Start That Turned Into Success
Meenakshi began her venture in the simplest way possible. With no initial funds, she accepted advance payments from customers and used that money to purchase ingredients. She prepared items such as rotti, paddu, dosa, chakli, chuda and chutney.
In the early days, she walked through the streets carrying the prepared food on her head to sell it. Gradually, her efforts began to pay off. Today, she caters food for large gatherings including weddings, conferences, university convocations and even government programmes such as the winter legislative session.
Her enterprise now operates two outlets in Belagavi city and generates several lakhs in revenue every month, making her financially independent.
Early Life and Personal Challenges
Meenakshi is originally from Chachadi village in Savadatti taluk. Her parents are Sangappa Angadi and Sushila. She studied up to SSLC at KLE Society’s GA School in Belagavi.
Even before marriage, she supported herself by selling small quantities of homemade snacks. In 2003, at the age of 27, she married Sadanand Mishrikoti from Mahadwar Road in Belagavi. However, within a year, her husband passed away.
The tragedy left her deeply distressed. Relatives who visited her during that difficult period encouraged her to resume the work she was familiar with. With strong support from her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, she restarted her home-food business.
Expanding the Menu
Over time, Meenakshi steadily expanded her offerings and now prepares more than 80 traditional food items.
Her menu includes sajji and jowar rotti, flaxseed powder, sesame powder, groundnut chutney, round chakli, red chuda, raw chuda, tukda chakli, sev, kodubale, garlic sev, suruli holige, groundnut holige, karchikai, chiroti, shankarpali and chavda.
Among the sweets she makes are besan laddu, green gram laddu, wheat laddu, ladgi laddu, motichoor laddu, rajgiri laddu and rava laddu.
She also prepares a wide range of pickles, including mango, lemon, raw mango, kavali fruit, jackfruit, bitter gourd and chilli varieties.
Recognition and Institutional Support
Her women’s self-help group received a loan of ₹25 lakh under the Sanjeevini scheme, which helped her expand the business further. She has also been invited to set up food stalls at Saras fairs and exhibitions in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Odisha and West Bengal, where her traditional dishes have received appreciation.
In 2019, the Karnataka government honoured her with the Kittur Rani Chennamma Award for her achievements. Several organisations have also recognised her work.
Creating Livelihoods for Other Women
Speaking about her journey, Meenakshi says her personal experiences make her more empathetic toward widowed women.
“I understand the pain of losing a husband. Many women around us face the same situation. That is why I give them priority when it comes to employment,” she said.
Eight widowed women currently work with her enterprise. In addition, seven economically disadvantaged women and four men are employed throughout the year. During large catering orders such as weddings and public functions, the number of workers can rise to over 40.
Popular Among Customers and Leaders
Demand for her food rises sharply during festivals. During Sankranti alone, she sells nearly 70,000 sajji and jowar rottis and around four quintals of festival dishes. On average, she sells nearly three lakh rottis annually.
Her North Karnataka-style meals — featuring holige, rotti and stuffed brinjal curry — have been appreciated by several prominent personalities, including former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, H D Kumaraswamy and Jagadish Shettar; former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan; and state ministers Cheluvarayaswamy, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Madhu Bangarappa and Ramalinga Reddy. Actor Jackie Shroff, along with senior actors Umashree and Jayamala, have also tasted her dishes.
People originally from Belagavi who now live abroad, including in the United States and Dubai, often take her snacks back with them.
Customer Support Behind Her Growth
Meenakshi says the encouragement and trust of customers played a major role in her journey.
After her brother’s death, she supported the education of his two daughters and helped arrange their marriages. Today, she and her family own two houses in Belagavi. After meeting all expenses and paying wages, the business leaves around ₹1 lakh in monthly savings for the family.
“In the early days, we relied on advance payments from customers to prepare food. Today, the business runs comfortably with its own funds. But more than earning money, the satisfaction of helping other women become financially independent brings me the greatest joy,” she said.
For many women in Belagavi, Meenakshi’s journey stands as a powerful reminder that determination and resilience can turn even the toughest challenges into success.
