Meet 65-yo who grew pure saffron in UP - launches spices brand that offers 100% pure, unadulterated products sourced directly from farms

You might be unknowingly consuming starch, artificial colors, and even banned chemicals every single day.

Sounds unbelievable?

But according to FSSAI testing conducted between 2022 and 2024 revealed, over 6% of 23,000+ spice samples across India failed to meet basic safety and quality standards. Shockingly, more than 1,500 samples were found adulterated with starch, artificial colors, and even banned chemicals.

Experts warn that the regular consumption of such adulterated spices can cause stomach ailments, liver problems, and in severe cases, chronic diseases.

To address this growing concern, 65-year-old entrepreneur Shubha Bhatnagar from Uttar Pradesh launched Shubhavni Satvik Spices—a brand built on the powerful belief that “Food is the greatest medicine.”

The Beginning: From Saffron to Spices

Before venturing into spices, Shubha had already earned trust and recognition for selling pure Kashmiri saffron under the brand Shubhavni. She personally ensured that the saffron’s nutritional value and purity remained intact from sourcing to packaging. This commitment helped the brand stand out in a competitive market.

Her saffron business generated around ₹10 lakh annually, but Shubha’s mission went beyond profit. She wanted to achieve two goals.  To deliver pure, nutritious spices to consumers and to provide sustainable employment to women in her community.

“Since saffron is a seasonal spice, we couldn’t offer year-round employment to village women,” Shubha shared in an interview with Startup Pedia. “By expanding into various spices, we could provide steady work throughout the year.”

Today, Shubhavni Satvik Spices offers 22 premium spice varieties, including saffron, Lakadong turmeric, black turmeric, cardamom, black and white pepper, cloves, cumin (whole and powder), coriander (whole and powder), cinnamon sticks, Byadgi and Kashmiri red chillies, red chilli powder, Ingmakhir ginger powder, mace, nutmeg, star anise, kasuri methi, carom seeds, and fennel seeds.

Each spice is sourced with purity and authenticity at its core, ensuring that every blend carries the true essence of Indian tradition and natural goodness.

Upcoming blends include Garam Masala and several other traditional spice mixes that bring authentic Indian flavors to every kitchen.

The brand currently sells through its website shubhavni.com and is gradually expanding into retail.

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What Makes Shubhavni ’s Spices Different

Shubhavni sources its products directly from farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) across India—many of which are women-led groups. By building these direct relationships, the brand ensures transparency, fair trade, and high-quality produce while empowering farming communities at the grassroots level.

From the lush hills of Meghalaya, Shubhavni sources Lakadong turmeric, black turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon—spices known for their rich aroma and potent medicinal properties.

In Kerala, often called the spice capital of India, the brand procures premium-quality black pepper, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and mace, each harvested with care by local farmers who have mastered their cultivation over generations.

From the arid yet fertile lands of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Shubhavni sources cumin, coriander, kasuri methi, ajwain (carom seeds), and saunf (fennel seeds), staple spices that add depth and warmth to Indian cuisine.

From Karnataka and Kashmir, the brand procures the vibrant Byadgi and Kashmiri chillies, known for their rich color, aroma, and distinct flavor.

In Meghalaya alone, over 800 women farmers supply spices to the brand.

But sourcing isn’t only part of what makes Shubhavni special. The real differentiator lies in its traditional stone-grinding process for turmeric, coriander, cumin, and other spices, along with hand-pounding techniques used for chillies, preserving their natural oils, aroma, and authentic flavor.

“We don’t use high-speed machines that spin at 2,900 RPM,” explains Shubha. 

“Such machines generate heat that destroys the nutrients. Our stone grinders use approximately 300 kg natural stone wheels that run at just 80–100 RPM, ensuring the spices retain their natural color, aroma, and essential oils.”

This gentle method ensures that the spices retain their natural aroma, flavor, and nutritional integrity, reminiscent of the purity our grandmothers once preserved in their kitchens.

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The Healing Power of Spices

One of Shubhavni’s flagship products is Lakadong turmeric, sourced directly from a Padma Shri award-winning farmer in Meghalaya.

While regular turmeric contains only 1.5%–2.5% curcumin, Lakadong turmeric boasts 8%–12%, making it three to four times more potent.

Curcumin is the compound responsible for turmeric’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing properties. When combined with Kerala’s black pepper, famously known as “black gold,” the absorption of curcumin increases dramatically.

“We educate customers to add a pinch of black pepper to turmeric milk,” Shubha says. “It’s a small step that helps the body absorb curcumin much better.”

Shubhavni also promotes black turmeric, a rare and medicinally rich variety known to support joint health, sugar regulation, and weight management—all backed by Ayurvedic wisdom.

Turning Everyday Spices into Wellness Gifts

During the recent festive season, Shubha came up with a novel idea—Wellness Gift Boxes.

“Why do we always gift sweets or dry fruits?” she asked. “Why not gift something healthy, like spices?”

And thus, Shubhavni’s Wellness Gift Boxes were born—elegant wooden and glass-packaged sets of handpicked spices from across India, each chosen for its unique health benefits.

“If you buy sweets, you spend around ₹1,200 per box. Our 6-spice wellness box costs just ₹950 and actually benefits your health,” she shared with Startup Pedia.

Each 6-spice box includes Lakadong turmeric, black pepper, cardamom (8+ mm), cloves, cumin seeds, and coriander powder.

These are everyday essentials found in almost every home. A thoughtful and useful gift that blends tradition with practicality.

Priced between ₹950 and ₹1,050, each box comes with a wellness card featuring a QR code that connects customers to Shubhavni’s Instagram. There, short educational videos share insights into the benefits and everyday uses of each spice.

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Other curated options include:

A Wellness Gift Box featuring Lakadong turmeric, black turmeric, and saffron, a thoughtful blend of spices celebrated for their health benefits, including support for joint care, heart health, and balanced blood sugar levels.

Another special edition focuses on women’s and heart health, with a soothing trio of Cardamom, Cloves, and Saffron.

Each of these saffron-infused gift boxes is priced at ₹1,050 and includes a beautiful borosilicate glass Punchmukhi diya, making it a perfect balance of tradition, wellness, and elegance.

“Our goal is awareness,” says Shubha. “Even if two out of ten people learn and use them correctly, we’ve made an impact.”

The response has been overwhelming. Within just 22 days of launch in September 2024, Shubhavni  sold over 250 boxes at the UP International Trade Show, earning nearly ₹3 lakh in sales.

Their biggest breakthrough came at the same event, where they not only sold out their stock but also received corporate and wedding gifting orders.

“One bride ordered 120 turmeric-and-saffron boxes for her haldi ceremony. That’s when we realized people are ready for thoughtful, wellness-driven gifting.”

In just a few weeks, the UP-based startup achieved ₹2.5–₹3 lakh in sales, proving that even a small-town venture can make a big impact with the right vision. 

Shubhavni’s journey began during the 2020 pandemic with the aim of providing employment to women in the village.

Today, the startup employs 22 women, of which 6–7 work full-time, earning ₹8,000–₹9,000 per month in a clean, safe, and respectful environment.

“They work from 9 to 5:30, have dignity in their work, and financial stability. That’s what matters most to us,” says the founder of Shubhavni  Satvik Spices.

The Road Ahead

Looking ahead, Shubhavni Satvik Spices plans to expand into 5–6 cities over the next year, including Noida, Lucknow, Agra, and Delhi-NCR. The team is also working on launching Atta, inspired by valuable customer feedback.

They are also in discussions with quick commerce and other e-commerce platforms to list select products while strengthening their direct-to-consumer channel.

“Our focus is on slow, steady, and quality-driven growth. We don’t want exponential growth that compromises purity,” the women entrepreneur Shubha said. 

The brand also aims to gradually scale its processing capacity and establish distribution centers and retail shelves in major supermarkets across India. 

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