Millets–Organic Food Startup: Inspired by CM Yogi, UP’s Daughters Set to Make Their Mark in Gulf Markets

Lucknow, December 2025 : Inspired by the vision and motivation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, daughters of Uttar Pradesh are not only becoming self-reliant but are now preparing to establish their identity in international markets as well. Through a millets-based organic food startup, two young women from Uttar Pradesh have created a remarkable success story that reflects the state’s emerging entrepreneurial strength. After building a strong presence in the Delhi–NCR market, they are now setting their sights on the Gulf countries, where preparations are underway to promote organic and millet-based products. For this purpose, farmers are being specially trained in natural and chemical-free farming practices.

Returned from DU, Created Jobs for Village Women

After completing their education at Delhi University, Shikha Singh Chauhan and Soumya Singh chose to leave conventional career paths and return to their villages. They opted for social entrepreneurship, working closely with farmers and rural women to enter the organic and millet-based food sector. Today, more than 15 women are engaged in production, processing, and packaging at their unit. Shikha Singh Chauhan is a graduate of Delhi University and holds a postgraduate degree in Food Technology from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Soumya Singh is a B.Tech graduate in Food Technology from Delhi University.

Women-Led Agribusiness Model Gains Strength

Soumya Singh said that supportive policies of the Uttar Pradesh government and assistance under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) helped expand their processing and packaging unit. This not only increased production capacity but also strengthened a women-led agribusiness model. As a result, their brand has rapidly gained recognition in the organic food market of Delhi–NCR.

Transparent Farm-to-Plate Model

Shikha Singh Chauhan, co-founder of Soha Organics, is a resident of Nagli Wajidpur, Sector 130, Gautam Buddha Nagar, while her partner Soumya Singh belongs to Baghpat district. To protect people from the harmful effects of chemical-laden food, they launched a millets-organic food startup based on a farm-to-fork model. Raw materials are directly procured from small farmers at fair prices, eliminating middlemen and ensuring transparency in the supply chain. Consumers, in turn, receive pure, chemical-free, and nutritious products.

Supply from Delhi–NCR to NAFED

A wide range of products including organic pulses, spices, ghee, millet pasta, millet noodles, multigrain items, and sattu chilla are supplied directly to the market. Farmers are paid fair prices for their produce. Khandasari sugar from Baghpat is also being supplied on a large scale. Currently, products are supplied not only to Delhi–NCR but also to NAFED. Work is also underway to develop special products for government nutrition programs to ensure safe and nutritious food for vulnerable sections.

Eyes on Gulf Countries, ‘Made in UP’ Ready

Shikha Singh Chauhan said that considering the growing global demand for organic and millet-based products, the next target is the Gulf market. Special focus is being placed on international-standard packaging and quality control to promote Uttar Pradesh on the global stage.

Emerging from the values of health, sustainability, and women empowerment, this success story of UP’s daughters shows that with the right policies, government support, and strong determination, Indian women can shine globally. This millets-organic food startup is not just a business venture but a new identity of a self-reliant Uttar Pradesh.