INTRODUCTION Be it an evening snack, or a banquet or a meal at home, the pappad finds its due place on the dining table.

No Indian meal is complete without it, and India's b iggest `papad' success story is undoubtedly, Lijjat. Everyone enjoys 'rags to riches' stories and everyone likes tales of stupendous success achieved through sheer determination. The story of Shri Mahila Griha Udy og Lijjat Papad is all that and much more. Intro To the Industry: Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is registered under the KVIC Act- (Khadi & Village Industries Commission) The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory organisation e stablished in 1956 by an Act of Parliament. It plays a pivotal role in the stren gthening of rural economy by promoting and developing khadi and village industri es. The main objectives of the KVIC include skill improvement, providing employm ent in rural areas, transfer of technology, rural industrialisation and promotin g self-reliance among the people and to build up a strong rural community base. History Of The Firm: Shri Mahila Griha Udyog, the makers of the famous Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad Papad, is an organisation, which symbolises the strength of a woman. Only women can become the members of the organisation. All members are also the owne rs of the organisation and are fondly referred to as 'sisters'. There is a centr al managing committee of 21 members to manage the affairs of the organisation. T o aid the management, there are also Sanchalikas to look after the day-to-day af fairs of the individual centers and also of that of the Udyog as a whole. The or ganisation functions on the basis of consensus and each member has 'veto' powers . The Beginning: It all began on 15th march. 1959 which was a warm summer day with the sun shinin g brightly in the cloudless sky. A majority of the women inhabitants of an old r esidential building in Girgaum (a thickly populated area of South Bombay), were busy attending their usual domestic chores. A few of them, seven to be exact, gathered on the terrace of the building and st arted a small inconspicuous function. The function ended shortly, the result - p roduction of 4 packets of Papads and a firm resolves to continue production. Thi s pioneer batch of 7 ladies had set the ball rolling. As the days went by, the a dditions to this initial group of 7 was ever-increasing. The institution began t o grow. The early days were not easy. The institution had its trials and tribulation. Th e faith and patience of the members were put to test on several occasions - they had no money and started on a borrowed sum of Rs. 80/-. Self-reliance was the p olicy and no monetary help was to be sought (not even voluntarily offered donati ons). So work started on commercial footing Today, Lijjat is more than just a household name for 'papad' (India's most popul ar crispy bread). Started with a modest loan of Rs 80, these women took its turn over from Rs 6,196 in the first year to Rs 300 crore in the next few decades, in volving over 40,000 women on its revolutionary march. This story fanciful at any rate. But to say so would be undermining the contribution of a well thought-out Gandhian business strategy, equally well executed by his followers, late Chhaga nlal Karamshi Parekh and Damodar Dattani, who worked tirelessly from behind the scene. Their vision was clear an exclusive women s organisation run and managed by the m, a quality product that these women had the expertise to make, and, finally, a work environment which is not competition-driven and mechanised but based on pu re labour and love for the organisation and its people. Lijjat is today guided by separate divisions of advertising, marketing, sales pr

omotion and exports. There is greater coordination between branch offices (diffe rent production and marketing units) and centralised marketing, advertising and exports departments. the cooperative now has annual sales exceeding Rs 301 crore (Rs 3.1 billion). What's more stunning than its stupendous success is its strik ing simplicity. With quality consciousness as the principle that guided production, Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad grew to be the flourishing and successful organisation that it is today.