Ranchi: Rohit, a young entrepreneur from Ranchi, has used his London higher education to transform Mahua flowers, a traditional and neglected product, into a successful business brand. Mahua, which till now was known only for making liquor, has been transformed by Rohit into a range of nutritious and delicious products. Due to which 300 people have got permanent employment.
Renaissance of Mahua: ‘Wild Harvest’ brand
Rohit has made 25 types of products from Mahua flowers under his brand ‘Wild Harvest’. He has changed the identity of Mahua from a flower of wine to a ‘treasury of nutrients’. Their product catalog includes chocolates, honey, ghee, daily use powders and oils made from Mahua. All these products are not only delicious to eat, but are also rich in nutrition.
Identification of nutrients
Rohit explains that Mahua flowers contain abundant amounts of essential nutrients, such as magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, B, C. He emphasized that despite being infamous for containing only alcohol, Mahua contains all these essential elements. Based on this scientific and nutritional value, he decided to use it in many other important things.
300 people got employment, women became empowered
This innovative effort of Rohit has directly benefited the local community. He has provided employment to a total of 300 people, out of which 200 are single women. These women are mainly from rural areas. Their main work is to collect Mahua flowers, dry them in the sun, grind them and extract oil from it. These women get regular wages on daily basis for their work, which has given them economic empowerment.
Huge demand for low fat products
Among their products, oil and ghee made from Mahua are very popular among consumers. The main reason for this is that they have low fat content and calories, while essential nutrients like zinc, magnesium and potassium are high. These products remain in high demand due to customers’ inclination towards health.
Rohit claims that after eating his Mahua chocolate once, customers will forget the taste of big brand chocolates, that is why his patent customers book in advance.
Innovation idea received from abroad
Rohit told that since childhood he had seen Mahua being used only for making liquor. But when he went to London and did research, he realized that this flower was actually a great medicine which was available near his house. It was from here that he got this unique idea and he came back to Ranchi and got involved in this work, which not only made good use of a neglected resource but also opened new doors of livelihood for the local people.
