14 Crore Turnover at 31! Shocking Story of Bavithra Jagatheshkumar Turning Barren Lands into Gold

In the parched, rainfed expanses of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, where farming is a gamble against erratic monsoons, Bavithra Jagatheshkumar stands as a beacon of determination. At just 31 years old, this graduate from the College of Agri Technology in Theni has transformed a failing farmer producer company (FPC) into a thriving enterprise with a revenue of 14 crores and profits around 25 lakhs. As the CEO of Vilathikulam Pudur Pulses Producer Company (VPPPC), Bavithra embodies the grit required to navigate caste dynamics, gender prejudices, and economic vulnerabilities in rural India.

Bavithra’s journey began in 2019 when she took the helm of VPPPC, a social enterprise hybrid between a cooperative and a private limited company, promoted by the Tamil Nadu agricultural marketing department under the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP) in 2016. At the time, the company was on the brink of collapse—no income, only 823 members, and two employees unpaid for six months, ready to quit. Undeterred, Bavithra dipped into her own savings to clear most of their dues and convinced them to stay. She then embarked on an exhaustive outreach, visiting 61 villages to meet farmers personally.

“I explained how the company could improve their livelihoods and sought their cooperation,” she recalls.

Her efforts paid off: membership surged to 1,500 shareholders, primarily pulse producers in an arid region reliant on dryland crops like chilli, coriander, pulses, lime, and millets.

The challenges were multifaceted. As a woman from the Thevar community leading a group dominated by Kambalathu Nayakars (a most backward class), Bavithra faced caste-based skepticism.

Male farmers often dismissed her with patronizing remarks like, “What does this papa [girl child] know about farming?”

Despite her agricultural background and upbringing in Madurai, she had to prove her mettle through action. Financially, the rainfed nature of farming meant low cash flow, limited to a few months around the northeast monsoon. Banks were wary due to poor loan recovery histories among FPCs. Operationally, VPPPC’s survival was precarious—out of 57 similar FPCs promoted in 2016, only 12 remain active today.

Bavithra’s strategy was diversification and innovation. She expanded beyond pulses, opening a millet and grain processing unit, mushroom farms, livestock breeding facilities, and cattle fodder manufacturing. She launched retail outlets for farm inputs, a supermarket called Marudham selling local produce, a goat farm with 250 kodi aadu goats, and even planned a 10-crore investment in a slaughterhouse and modern meat packing unit for exports. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, she pivoted to mobile carts supplying vegetables and essentials from nearby towns, skyrocketing sales from 10 lakhs to 60 lakhs. This not only sustained the company but also built trust.

Access to finance was a game-changer. Bavithra secured a 20-lakh grant under the Mission on Sustainable Dry Land Agriculture (MSDA) and 5 lakhs in loans for processing units. She procured seeds on credit to produce 8,000 liters of oil, generating 60 lakhs in revenue, and repurposed the pulp for cattle feed—leading to new ventures like a feed shop and veterinary pharmacy. Her biggest coup was convincing Canara Bank to disburse 10-12 crores in loans for farmer diversification into mushrooms, poultry, and goats, achieving near-zero delinquency.

In 2019, she personally guaranteed a 3.5-crore Kisan Credit Card loan for 350 farmers, ensuring door-to-door disbursal and timely repayments.

Today, VPPPC is a role model FPC, with 14-crore revenue and a near-perfect loan recovery rate. It has improved livelihoods for 1,500 farmers through market linkages, government scheme access, and training in value addition. Bavithra’s board ensures inclusivity, with three women among five directors. Married and a mother of two, she balances family with her ambition to crack the IAS exam for greater impact. Her story underscores how strategic leadership can turn rural vulnerabilities into strengths, creating year-round income streams in challenging terrains. Bavithra’s enterprise not only generates wealth but fosters community resilience, proving that women-led rural businesses can thrive against all odds.

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