Kolkata entrepreneurs revive India’s native gems with pure Nolen Gur, ghee & traditional snacks; their startup clocks ₹2.25 Cr in revenue

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”These words by the famous French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin suggest that our identity is mirrored on our plates.

For Kolkata-based duo Abhishek Choudhury and Senjuti Mahato, this isn't just a philosophy, it’s a mission.  

After decades-long corporate careers, they transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship. They built Earth Story Farms in 2021 with the aim of providing traditional, climate-appropriate native foods to every Indian, foods that are nearly extinct on urban plates.

Some of their major products include nolen gur, bilona ghee, honey, homemade pickles, and snacks made from staple grains such as ragi and bajra.

Because authentic regional producers are in short supply in cities, consumers often rely on mass-market brands whose offerings are frequently riddled with hidden sugars and adulteration. This significant gap has led to a loss of nutritional heritage and cultural identity.

"Our entire food system was scientifically built for our climate, our geography, and our bodies. When I saw that our traditional foods were going extinct and being replaced by outside diets, it felt like a large part of our identity was fading away," Abhishek Choudhury tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview. 

The unadulterated quality of produce from Earth Story Farms often matches or even exceeds the purity traditionally found only at the rural grassroots.

More importantly, by equipping over 1,200 farmers and women’s cooperatives across states with financial and operational support, they are increasing production capabilities and helping democratise authentic, premium nutrition for the masses.

About Earth Story Farms founders Abhishek Choudhury and Senjuti Mahato

Abhishek grew up in Siliguri, West Bengal, in a traditional family where both his parents worked in government jobs. 

After completing his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, in 2006, he followed a stable career path and spent nearly 12 years, from 2006 to 2018, working as an IT Technical Consultant with companies like Wipro and IBM.

In 2019, he completed a one-year full-time MBA at IIM Calcutta. Abhishek was a rank holder and a part of the Dean's Merit List from his batch.

Instead of opting for a high-paying corporate role after completing his MBA, he chose a different path. In 2019, he became the CEO of a Kolkata-based non-profit focused on malnutrition and rural livelihoods. 

For five years (2019-24), including the challenging COVID period, he managed everything from factory operations to supply chains and rural procurement. 

This hands-on experience gave him practical knowledge of running on-ground operations. In June 2024, he stepped down to focus entirely on building Earth Story Farms.

"We come from humble, middle-class families with government job backgrounds. We are first-generation entrepreneurs who took a massive bet on ourselves, and that hustle is deeply ingrained in our DNA," Abhishek says.

Co-founder Senjuti grew up in Bokaro, Jharkhand. Her family was originally rooted in farming, before three generations transitioned into academia, and she eventually chose to return to her agricultural roots.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Miranda House, Delhi University, in 2005, and went on to earn her Master’s in Political Science from JNU in 2007. After completing her studies, she entered the advertising industry.

Over 18 years (between 2007-25), she worked with leading agencies such as Contract, Dentsu, DDB Mudra, Ogilvy, and Rediffusion in cities including Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. 

The industry was intense and demanding, but it shaped her into a disciplined professional with strong brand-building expertise.

"I come from a very brutal corporate space where everything is black and white, either a task happens, or it doesn't. Abhishek comes from a space of structured trial and error. Blending my taskmaster approach with his problem-solving rigour is what drives this company forward," Senjuti says

In July 2025, recognising the brand’s strong growth potential, she left her corporate career to join Abhishek full-time.

Senjuti is also an aspiring Bollywood writer. She wrote a show titled Stories on the Next Page for Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar) in 2022 and is currently working on other projects, including an episodic OTT series and a feature film.

Abhishek’s Journey Towards Farming

The idea for Earth Story Farms started in 2019 when Abhishek was studying at IIM Calcutta. 

He kept thinking about one simple question: Do we really know what we are eating? He wanted to build a food-centric venture where food was grown cleanly, and people could trace where it came from. 

“No matter how many health benefits a product has, if it doesn’t taste good, it simply won’t work. Our primary goal is to make the food extremely delicious, and its healthiness goes hand in hand with that, never as a second step.” Abhishek tells Startup Pedia.

At that time, the idea was only in his mind, and things became real when he and Senjuti decided to develop a 10-acre plot of land they owned in Bankura, West Bengal. That was his first real experience with farming. 

They planted fruits, seasonal vegetables, turmeric, and lemongrass, and began selling them door to door in Kolkata in customised boxes under the brand name Earth Story Farms during COVID. 

The harvest volume depended entirely on customer orders, and they managed doorstep deliveries themselves. Orders were generated mainly through Facebook posts and word of mouth.

Why Vegetable Delivery Did Not Work in the Long Term?

In India, buying vegetables is a habit built over generations. People like to go to local markets, talk to the vendor, touch the vegetables, and choose them personally. It is a social and physical experience.

During COVID, many people ordered vegetables online because they had no other option. But once restrictions were lifted, customers slowly returned to their local markets and street vendors.

Abhishek understood that fresh vegetable delivery would not grow into a large, long-term business. It would be hard to scale across India and difficult to retain customers.

The Big Shift

So they decided to stop the vegetable delivery model. Instead, they focused on building a direct-to-consumer brand around packaged, traditional regional products that last longer and can be sold across India. One of their first key products was Nolen Gur, which is made in their own district of Bankura.

"Hyper-local delivery had a ceiling because Indians love to touch and feel their produce. To truly scale, we pivoted to a pan-India D2C brand focusing on packaged, culturally rich staples that travel well, starting with our own backyard's iconic Nolen Gur," Abhishek tells Startup Pedia.

Challenges Faced

Building Earth Story Farms came with several challenges. Their early vegetable delivery model worked during COVID but failed to scale once customers returned to local markets. 

Working with seasonal, preservative-free products like Nolen Gur also created difficulties, as production depends on the weather and shelf life is limited. 

Educating urban consumers about the value of traditional Indian foods has required continuous effort. On top of that, leaving stable corporate jobs was a financial risk, and managing product quality through third-party logistics remains an ongoing challenge.

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Earth Story Farms: How It Works Today?

What started as a small local vegetable experiment has now grown into a strong direct-to-consumer brand. 

Earth Story Farms connects rural producers with city customers and focuses on bringing traditional Indian foods back into modern kitchens.

The venture does not own large factories or huge farms. Instead, it works closely with local farmers, self-help groups, artisans, FPOs, and cooperative groups across regions.

The founders have invested around Rs 15 to 20 lakh from their personal savings to build the website, packaging systems, and basic machinery.

From this simple, partnership-based setup, Earth Story Farms has built a diverse range of traditional products.

Nolen Gur (Date Palm Jaggery)

This is their flagship product and the heart of the brand. Nolen Gur is closely linked to Bengali winters and the Sankranti festival. 

It has been used for generations as a natural sweetener, and many people consider it healthier than refined sugar because it has a lower impact on blood sugar levels.

To produce Nolen Gur, they operate from a small 2 to 3-bigha artisan setup in Bankura, West Bengal.

The sap is collected from these trees by local artisans called Shiulis, who gather it overnight in clay pots. It is made only during winter, when temperatures drop below 14°C.

To prevent quick fermentation, the sap is carefully boiled and filtered for about six hours without using any chemicals or preservatives. 

The finished product is then sent to a 2,000-square-foot unit in Kolkata, where packaging, quality checks, dispatch, and office operations are handled.

The brand supports around 85 to 100 artisan families and produces about 16 tons, or 16,000 kg, in the most recent season. As their main product, it drives a large share of their winter sales.

Bilona Ghee (Desi Cow Ghee)

This ghee is sourced from a dairy farmers’ cooperative in Medinipur, West Bengal. It is made from the milk of grass-fed, free-grazing cows.

Production is small and carefully controlled. They make 30 kg per batch, twice a month, which totals about 60 kg per month or around 720 kg in a year. The focus is on quality rather than high volume.

It contains Vitamin A, supports digestion, and is believed to help improve skin, hair, and overall well-being.

Pickles (Desi Achaars)

These pickles are handmade by a women’s cooperative. Earth Story Farms provides quality ingredients and traditional recipes, while the women prepare them.

They produce about 500 to 600 kg every month, which adds up to roughly 6,000 to 7,200 kg in a year.

They also offer pickles with GI-tagged ingredients/produce, such as Dalle Chilli Hogplum and Dalle Chilli Bamboo Shoot. 

Traditional fermentation methods add natural probiotics, antioxidants, and vitamins that support gut health and immunity.

Honey

Instead of regular farm honey, the venture sources wild Mangrove Honey from the Sundarbans. 

The honey is collected once a year in April under the supervision of the West Bengal Forest Department. It is lightly filtered and packed with minimal processing to keep it natural.

They sell around 1 ton, or 1,000 kg, of this rare honey each year. Since it is wild and regulated, the supply is limited annually.

Staple Foods

Ragi and Bajra are sourced from a cooperative in Jharkhand. These chemical-free, high-fibre grains are sold as whole grains, flour, and snacks such as Ragi Nimki and Bajra Chakli, which are made in fresh, cold-pressed groundnut oil.

They also offer regional rice varieties like Gobindobhog, Tulaipanji, Radhatilak, GI-tagged black rice of Manipur - Chak Hao, and Mugaishal Red Rice Poha, which is high in fibre and better suited for people who are mindful of their blood sugar levels.

Their spice range includes GI-tagged products such as Desi Haldi with high curcumin content and single-origin Black Cardamom from Sikkim, GI-tagged Idukki Green Cardamom, GI-tagged Kannyakumari Cloves, GI tagged Tellicherri Black Pepper. And single-origin Kerala Cassia Cinnamon. 

This category is expanding quickly, and while exact production volumes were not shared, it already includes more than 11 GI-tagged products, with plans to reach 50 or more next year.

How did Earth Story Farms Collaborate with Producers Initially?

When Abhishek and Senjuti realised they were in Bankura, the main region known for Nolen Gur, they chose not to build something entirely new. 

They noticed that traditional sap collectors and jaggery makers, known as Shiulis, were already working there. 

However, much of the jaggery available in the larger market was often mixed or of inconsistent quality. Their aim was simple: organise this existing system and improve its quality.

Many villagers had date palm trees on community land or in their own backyards. They created a simple barter arrangement. 

Earth Story Farms would manage the trees during the winter season, and in return, the tree owners would receive a share of the final, high-quality Nolen Gur.

This early collaboration became possible largely because of Abhishek’s past experience. 

After spending five years leading a social enterprise focused on malnutrition and rural livelihoods, he already understood how to work with grassroots communities, manage rural sourcing, and build trust with village families.

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Roles of Senjuti and Abhishek in Earth Story Farms

At Earth Story Farms, both founders handle different but equally important roles.

Senjuti leads the front end of the business. She takes care of branding, packaging, social media, and overall communication. 

She also works on new product ideas, including innovations like the flavoured Gur Bites, and personally checks the taste and quality before launch. 

Along with this, she manages B2B sales, meets chefs and hospitality clients, and oversees warehouse operations while maintaining relationships with farmers.

Abhishek handles the back end of the company. He manages finances, accounts, and overall financial planning. 

Before each season, he studies market demand, sets production targets, plans budgets, and decides how many artisans are needed. 

He also oversees supply chain and logistics from rural production units to the Kolkata packaging centre. 

In addition, he supports farmers and women’s cooperatives by helping them access loans, set up machinery, and build storage facilities, while also working on capacity building, improving infrastructure and day-to-day functioning, refining recipes and packaging, and incorporating technology to strengthen their overall operations and ensure steady work throughout the year.

"At Earth Story Farms, we’ve divided our world into two: Senjuti is the voice and soul of the brand, handling everything from a product's final taste to its presence on a chef’s table, while I manage the backbone of the company, focusing on the numbers, logistics, and building long-term infrastructure for our farming communities," Abhishek says.

Business Model and Distribution

Earth Story Farms started as a direct-to-consumer brand, selling mainly through its own website. 

Their website is still their main sales channel, as it allows them to control packaging, quality, and shipping. 

They deliver across India, usually within 6 to 7 days, with faster delivery options available. The brand has around 20,000 active customers, and about 26-27% of them return to buy again.

"When we started, we didn't have a website or any infrastructure. We simply made a Facebook page, put up a photo of the Nolen Gur packaging with a WhatsApp number, and we packed and delivered the orders across Calcutta ourselves," he says.

Over time, they expanded beyond just their website. A major growth area has been B2B and HoReCa partnerships. 

They now partner with well-known cafés and restaurants such as Subko, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Bombay Sweet Shop, and The Bombay Canteen, providing them with premium, pure ingredients.

They are also present on quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart to meet instant demand, especially in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai.

In addition, their products are listed on marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and JioMart to reach a wider audience, although this means relying on third-party warehouses.

Offline, they have tied up with gourmet retail chains like Nature’s Basket. From the next financial year, they plan to begin exports, starting with markets in the Middle East, and are participating in expos to connect with international buyers.

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Pricing and Annual Revenue

Earth Story Farms positions itself as a premium, artisanal brand. Since they do not use preservatives, fillers, or artificial chemicals and rely on small-batch traditional methods, their pricing reflects the quality and rarity of their products. 

On their website, Nolen Gur cubes are priced between Rs 400 and Rs 800, while liquid Nolen Gur ranges from Rs 225 to Rs 650. 

Their Bilona Desi Cow Ghee starts at Rs 650, handcrafted pickles begin at Rs 240, and seasonal specialities like Joynagar er Moa are priced around Rs 949.

In FY 2021-22, the brand recorded revenue of around Rs 2.5 lakh, which increased to Rs 10 lakh in FY 2022-23.

In FY 2023-24, revenue grew to approximately Rs 32 lakh, followed by a sharp rise to about Rs 1.25 crore in FY 2024-25. 

For the current financial year, FY 2025-26, they expect to close at around Rs 2.25 crore by the end of March.

The sharp rise in revenue came after they expanded their product range to nearly 55 products and entered new sales channels such as quick commerce platforms, B2B HoReCa partnerships, and online marketplaces.

Their target for FY 2026-27 is over Rs 5 crore, and in the long term, they aim to reach a Rs 100 crore milestone within the next five years. 

Looking Ahead

Earth Story Farms has clear and ambitious goals for the next few years. 

Over the next five years, their larger target is to cross Rs 100 crore in annual revenue.

They are also preparing to enter international markets, starting with exports to the Middle East. 

The team plans to participate in global expos to connect with buyers and introduce traditional Indian staples to a wider audience.

A major focus remains on expanding their range of GI-tagged products. They are working with farmers in new states and aim to feature around 50 GI-tagged products by the end of the next financial year. 

At the same time, they are developing more ready-to-eat and snackable products, similar to their Gur Bites, to suit modern lifestyles without compromising on health or authenticity.

“We want Earth Story Farms to be seen as the ultimate one-stop shop for the celebration of our country's culinary jewels. Our goal is to be the bridge between how Bharat eats and how the rest of the world eats," Senjuti Mahato concluded.

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