Over the past few years, Mahila Nav Jagran Samiti, a non-governmental organisation, has been planting trees on behalf of flavoured salt producer Namakwali during Uttarakhand’s famous Harela festival during July 16-17 to celebrate the wedding of Shiva and Parvati.

The NGO does this at the request of Namakwali, which celebrates the Harela festival, by planting a tree for every purchase made during that time.   

Shashi Baghuguna Raturi, founder of Namakwali, with two of her team members

Shashi Baghuguna Raturi, founder of Namakwali, with two of her team members

There is a common thread between the NGO and Namakwali. Both have been founded by Shashi Baghuguna Raturi, who recently made headlines when Car Dekho CEO and co-founder Amit Jain invested in her flavoured salt firm. Taking part in the Shark Tank programme, Jain announced an investment of ₹10 lakh for a 5 per cent equity in Namakwali.  

Creating awareness

Raturi launched Namakwali in 2018 by starting to sell her products through Instagram and Facebook. However, Namakwali was officially registered as a brand in 2020. The company was born out of her eagerness to create awareness about Himalayan cuisine and empower women through their culinary skills.  

She began her entrepreneurship journey focussing on promoting and selling Pisyu Loon Pahadi Namak, a traditional Himalayan salt in Uttarakhand. It is made by hand-grinding ingredients using a “sil batta” (traditional grindstone). “We launched Namakwali to empower village women and provide sustainable income opportunities,” said Raturi in an e-mail interaction with businessline. 

The speciality

Demand since the launch has grown with the product range expanding, including local products. The brand now has 21 stock-keeping units. This has been possible as Namakwali expanded to a network of 10-12 women who can produce a variety of salts. 

The traditional salt is meticulously ground with herbs and spices using the traditional grindstone, preserving the taste and texture. “We currently offer garlic-flavoured salt, ginger-flavoured salt and flavour salt. These salts not only enhance the flavour of dishes but also bring a touch of traditional Uttarakhandi culinary heritage to your table,” said the Namakwali founder.

Raturi, who founded the NGO in 1985, and her network of women buy rock salt from the market and mix it with other ingredients such as garlic and ginger through the grinding stone. The Namakwali founder and her team adopted a grassroots approach to popularise the salt. “Word-of-mouth recommendations played a significant role, supplemented by media and social media platforms, boosting its appeal and reach,” she said. 

Wellness-consciousness pushing sales

Today, Namakwali’s products are in demand from health and wellness-conscious customers keen on nutritional richness. “Overall, the combination of nutritional value, geographical origin, customer satisfaction and market trends synergistically drives the high demand for Namakwali’s products today,” says Raturi.

Besides other websites, Namakawali sells its products through its portal. It is getting orders from New Delhi, Mumbai the National Capital Region and Bengaluru.

On its part, the Mahila Nav Jagran Samiti focuses on women’s empowerment, child education, health, agriculture and other social causes in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.