Swadeshi scientist’s gift to tribal women in Coimbatore: Self- reliance
Coimbatore: Over the past decade, several women from tribal villages around Anaikatti in Coimbatore, once marginalised, have taken centerstage as entrepreneurs. Earning between 8,000 and15,000 a month, they have not only taken charge of their own lives but also brought electricity and sanitation to their homes, purchased gold and financed their own weddings. In 2024, they even turned exporters — 800kg of organic millet and herbal snacks to the USA, as well as terracotta clay cups to Qatar.
Behind the all-woman enterprise is R Soundararajan, a pharmaceutical scientist who returned to India from the US in 1996, and inspired by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, quit his job, used his savings, and bought land near Anaikatti in 2012 to support tribal women.
He founded Daya Seva Sadan, a livelihood support centre, and began training women to make eco-friendly areca palm plates. “At the time, most of the women were struggling with alcoholic husbands and no source of income,” says the 66-year-old. His one-acre centre now includes an organic farm, various product manufacturing units, a retail outlet and cafeteria, all run by tribal women. From four, the team has grown to 15 — 12 tribal women and 3 others, including widows.
The women make 65 products such as millet biscuits, jams and pickles and herbal rice mixes, aloe vera moisturisers and terracotta kitchenware. “The products are natural, biodegradable, and handcrafted,” says Soundararajan.
“I didn’t have a toilet in my house. It’s the first thing I built with my earnings,” says Venila, one of the entrepreneurs.
“Earlier, we were afraid to speak with outsiders. Now, we manage everything, from cooking and serving meals to handling purchases and accounts,” says Nagamani. She spent her savings to get an electric line extended to her home, which had no electricity for generations. Pavithra from Pattisalai village, who also works at the centre, married with her own savings, while her co-worker Devayani saved `1 lakh from her earnings to buy gold.
Soundararajan also distributed more than 100 solar lights to villages such as Poolaipathi, Kootupuli, and Pattisalai, which had no access to electricity. He also managed to help two women get four-wheeler driving licences, a first for the area. “My husband died a year and a half ago. I have a son and no support from my parents or relatives,” says Selvi, one of the women who drives an electric auto that provides free transportation for tribal women in the region.
“After finishing work at the centre, many women struggle to get home. Now I can drive them back safely. They feel more comfortable when there is a woman driving.”