Indian women's are turning home kitchens into successful Businesses

Every Friday, Sharmi Adhikary returns from work to her apartment in Noida and gets busy arranging a feast. She takes a brief break, tucks in the pallu of her saree and enters her kitchen. She will be conjuring up pure magic for absolute strangers the next two days and she knows she needs to be fully prepared.

Mouthwatering, authentic Bengali delicacies cooked in the clean, cosy kitchen of her 18th floor 2BHK flat are delivered across Noida, Gurgaon and Delhi. As the aromas waft and spread, so does the popularity.

The 40 year old freelancer lifestyle journalist and social media influencer is one of the thousands of women across India who have commercialised their kitchen. The business of cloud kitchen, which became big during the Covid induced lockdown, has only grown bigger, thanks to the delivery platforms.

For many homemakers, the kitchen is the route to the bank. Their special touch in every dish, coupled with efficient digital ordering systems, has acquired them a dedicated customer base. The soulful cooking that once fed a family, now feeds dozens who crave authentic home cuisine.

If some women are supplementing their family income, others have tasted success and scaled up their business as a true-blue commercial venture.In Lucknow, 51 year old Meenakshi Arya has, too, turned her love for cooking into a small commercial venture. She started ‘Punjabi Kadhai’ amid the pandemic.

What started by offering food services to Covid patients during the lockdown has grown in scope and size today.The lockdown, which saw many businesses teetering on the brink of closure, gave a boost to cloud kitchens.