From Advertising Executive to Rural Entrepreneur, Anju Srivastava’s journey is one of grit and determination. After working as an advertising executive in the USA, she faced a tough decision. Should she continue her high-paying job or return to India for a challenging opportunity? Ultimately, in 2006, she chose to return and create change. Learn this under Startup Stories series of The Crazy Careers – 365 Days, 365 Startups!
Identifying the Problem in Rural Agriculture
When Anju returned, she observed a pressing issue in India’s agricultural sector. Despite agriculture contributing 60% to the economy, mustard farmers in Haryana earned only Rs 1500 monthly. Consequently, she felt determined to address this disparity and took a bold step.
Startup Stories: Starting Small with Big Dreams
Anju began with Rs 10 lakh in capital, renting half an acre of farmland in Tauru, Haryana. At first, she started growing basil, thyme, parsley, and peppermint. By 2008, she and her husband launched the Women Initiative Network (WIN) to empower rural women. However, the extreme weather conditions in North India made growing herbs unsustainable.
Pivoting to a Winning Idea Undeterred by challenges, Anju experimented with the leftover basil. As a result, she made pesto sauce for pasta and pitched it to Spencer’s in Gurugram. However, she offered it with chips instead of pasta. Surprisingly, customers loved it. Consequently, this success inspired her to pivot to dips and sauces. Thus, in 2011, Wingreens Farms was born.
Building a Brand with a Purpose Anju employed local women in Punjab’s Fazilpur district to make dips and sauces. Her first product, a garlic dip, came in a simple takeaway box with a handwritten label. By the end of the first year, Wingreens earned Rs 12 lakh in revenue. Furthermore, her focus on quality and community made the brand unique.
Scaling Without Marketing Wingreens’ growth was phenomenal. By 2015, the brand had earned Rs 5.5 crore without any marketing efforts. Moreover, in 2017, it secured Rs 32 crore in funding from Peak XV Partners. Consequently, this allowed the company to expand into 6,000 retail outlets across India.
Navigating Economic Challenges In 2017, consumer spending in India declined for the first time in decades. Nevertheless, Anju adapted by creating new product categories. As a result, by 2019, Wingreens offered 150 variants across 50 products, including unique dips like fiery desert mustard. Additionally, the introduction of pita chips further boosted sales.
Achieving 1000 CR Success Wingreens’ revenue grew 20x to Rs 102.2 crore by 2019. Furthermore, the brand expanded to 1,300 modern trade stores and 9,000 general trade stores across 140 cities. In 2021, it acquired Raw Pressery and rebranded as Wingreens World. Despite the pandemic, the company thrived through online sales.
Empowering Rural Women Entrepreneurs Today, Wingreens World clocks Rs 311 crore in revenue. Moreover, it leads the sauces and dips market with a 22% share. More importantly, Anju continues to work with over 700 rural women entrepreneurs, transforming their lives and making them lakhpatis. Therefore, her efforts exemplify the impact of inclusive growth.
A True Inspiration in Startup Stories Anju Srivastava’s journey from a US executive to the founder of a 1000 CR company is truly inspiring. Her dedication to empowering rural women and solving agricultural challenges sets her apart. Thus, this story is a testament to the power of perseverance and innovation in startup stories.