How 4k Homemakers Turned Food Entrepreneurs in Bihar

FOR PARVATI DEVI (30), cooking is more than a daily chore; it's a source of dignity, independence, and social recognition. "Earlier, I used to cook for my family at home. Now, I earn from my cooking," she says. "Senior police officers eat my food; some even recognize me. They call me Didi."

- HIMANSHU HARSH

She is one of the 12 "Didis" working in a canteen at Patel Bhawan, the Bihar Police headquarters, in Patna. The canteen is part of the Didi Ki Rasoi initiative launched in 2018 by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar under Bihar's women empowerment programme, JEEVIKA.

Today, there are over 225 Didi Ki Rasoi kitchens operating across Bihar in government hospitals, schools, and public offices. More than 4,000 women, referred to as "Didis," are employed in these kitchens and earn between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 a month.

Most of the women were homemakers, and the initiative seeks to leverage their cooking skills and turn them into skilled entrepreneurs making steady incomes.

As lunchtime approaches, the clanging of cutlery and the chattering of customers create a buzz in the canteen at the state police headquarters. Police personnel and other employees at the building gather around an L-shaped black granite counter, waiting for their turn. Behind the counter are a couple of women in brown aprons and white-brown salwar suits, their hair tucked neatly under hairnets.