Peeled Garlic Business of Vijay Shinde Flourishes with Support from Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation

Mumbai, Sept 2025 : The peeled garlic business of Vijay Rangrao Shinde from Sangli has taken off remarkably, thanks to his strong belief in the saying, “Where there is effort, success will follow.” True to this spirit, Shinde received crucial support from the Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation (APEMDC). Today, he supplies peeled garlic to hotels and restaurants in Sangli and Kolhapur.

Earlier, Shinde worked in a private job in Kalyan (Thane). After moving back to Sangli, he was troubled by the question of what to do next, as it was no longer the right age to seek a new job. In 2018, he decided to start a peeled garlic business. He purchased 10 kilograms of garlic from the market, manually separated and peeled it, and sold it to hotels. His very first attempt fetched him an order of 50 kilograms. That immediate response boosted his confidence and laid the foundation for scaling up his business with the help of machines.

Shinde had dreams in his eyes but no capital in hand. Initially, he would buy garlic from the market, manually peel it, and then sell it. Later, he purchased a small machine to process water-peeled garlic. During one such supply visit to a hotel, Shinde came across a pamphlet of the Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation. Without delay, he contacted their office and submitted a loan proposal through the Central Bank of India. Along with providing details about the scheme, the corporation guided him through the loan proposal process and extended full support to secure loan approval.

Speaking about this, Shinde said: “Six years ago, under the interest subsidy scheme of the Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation, I submitted a loan proposal of ₹7 lakh to the Central Bank of India. Once the loan was sanctioned, I purchased three machines required for garlic peeling. This cost me around ₹9 to ₹10 lakh. With these three machines, I can process garlic bulbs into cloves, grade them into large, medium, and small categories, remove their skins, and finally produce peeled garlic.”

According to him, it was only after receiving the loan that his business truly took shape. He registered his venture under the name VRS Enterprises. The garlic is sourced from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Currently, his unit employs 11 women and 1 man. What began six years ago with 10 kilograms of peeled garlic has now expanded to a scale of 10 tons per month. Shinde now sells around 150 to 200 kilograms of garlic daily, supplying to renowned hotels in Sangli, Kolhapur, Tasgaon, and Shirol.

The Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation gave wings to Shinde’s entrepreneurial dreams. Expressing gratitude, he said, “I sincerely thank Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Corporation Chairman Narendra Patil, District Coordinator Nisha Patil and her team, and the state government for their continuous support.”