Achievers: The inspiring story of Currykkoottu, the startup with a farm-to-plate idea

In our society, obtaining a higher education degree and finding employment requires years of waiting. We don't attempt to stand on our own two feet during the interim. There aren't many people that are like that. What if students combine work and entrepreneurship with their studies, though? This concept, which is prevalent in European nations, is being made possible by a group of students here in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Students range from those pursuing degrees to researchers and graduates of computer engineering. Some people run their own businesses, while others work in a variety of professions. From marketing, sales, and production to product research, in all the segments one will find students. This diverse team is working on a project called "Currykkoottu" which is based in Thiruvananthapuram.

In June 2022, a group of college students from various Kerala institutions founded Currykkoottu. Currykkoottu's proposal is to sell cleaned, washed and chopped vegetables that have been purchased directly from farmers. The Kattal Industrial Development Council, founded by Kattakkada MLA IB Satish as chairman and District Development Commissioner Dr. Aswathy Srinivas IAS as convener, has been working with this young entrepreneurial group for the past 1.5 years. The products are being sold in various government offices including Secretariat, Vikas Bhavan, Public offices, Kerala University and hypermarkets in the city. The team has also opened a premium shop in Sasthamangalam. 

They organise local farmers' groups in rural regions like Kattakkada, Balaramapuram, and Vellayani to use the vegetables that they receive from them for their production activities. The curry leaves packet also contains the appropriate number of curry leaves in addition to the vegetables needed for each recipe. This makes it possible for anyone, even those with no prior cooking experience, to quickly make any food. Products made with Currykkoottu might also assist you in forming a habit of eating healthy.

The Beginning

On June 13, 2022, a group of university students created the concept of Currykkoottu with the aid of the Industrial Development Corporation. The initial part of the project concentrated on Thiruvananthapuram's government institutions. In the world of higher education, dropping out of college owing to financial issues is not unusual. The Currykkoottu initiative first began to function by getting involved in a situation like this.

Graduate students from various colleges began selling in the evenings at government offices. Every activity involves students. Their goal is to create a large market for local farmers' organic products both directly and through online platforms. They also hope to provide fresh produce and culinary dishes for people who are impacted by urban traffic, as well as the market potential for various traditional dishes on the global market and branding opportunities for unadulterated food culture. The investor meeting in Kattakada that took place in April brought this closer to reality.
In Sasthamangalam, Currykkoottu opened its first premium eco store with the goal of promoting pure, healthy food culture. In this ecoshop, you can find local vegetables that have been gathered from farmers, dishes that promote returning to traditional eating habits, value-added goods created especially for a healthy lifestyle, pure goods for everyday use, nutritious vegetable juices, value-added goods from small businesses, and Currykkoottu products. In the following phase, they intend to open high-end Currykkoottu eco-shops in a number of Kerala cities.

KIDC

KIDC offers a comprehensive support ecosystem to investors, including a Single Window Clearance for fast and transparent clearance, a dedicated marketing team to assist with market research, branding, and event management, loan support from leading banks and financial institutions, entrepreneurship training programs, cross-selling opportunities among investors, and the Government as a buyer initiative, which offers significant revenue and growth opportunities for businesses.

It aims to make Kattakkada the most industrial-friendly constituency in Kerala. Following this, an investment opportunity of 383 crore rupees was revealed in the investors' meeting held at Kattakkada with the help of the Kerala Industries Department. Currykkoottu was one of the two startups selected at the investor meet.

What's next?

Plans to establish a farmers' organisation in the Kattakkada constituency are now in progress, with the goal of launching resource collecting for regional vegetables under the direction of this committee. A database of the vegetables grown in Kattakada will be created during the course of the following six months, the farmers will be paid, these items will be listed on the Currykkoottu website, and a system is being developed to allow buyers to pre-order the products. Farmers will receive higher financial returns as a result, and customers will know that the vegetables they are purchasing are reliable. Additionally, they think that after the Vizhinjam project is completed, it will be feasible to promote it on the global market using the Currykkoottu platform.
 

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