How Patanjali Supports MSMEs And Fosters Local Entrepreneurship

In recent years, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have become an integral part of the Indian economy. MSMEs contribute over 30% to GDP and play a pivotal role in employing millions of Indians. They encourage innovation, upscale exports and support rural development. Needless to say, strengthening MSMEs is essential for inclusive growth and economic resilience in the country, which is why Patanjali is extending its maximum support for local entrepreneurs and rural producers.

1. Strengthening Rural Supply Chains

One of the many profound ways in which Patanjali is fostering local entrepreneurship is by sourcing all the required raw materials, including herbs, crops, grains and oils from local farmers. Patanjali has been very vocal about supporting local entrepreneurs, including women and ensures that they receive fair prices for their products. This model is supportive of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by providing employment opportunities as well as business opportunities to thousands of people across the country.

2. Promoting Organic Farming & Farmer Empowerment

Patanjali runs a Farmer Samriddhi Programme wherein they provide organic farming and cultivation techniques to the farmers, which not only helps them produce good quality products but also maximise their yields and returns. The training includes sustainable crop planning and organic pest control to minimise chemical exposure. The programme is run in partnership with NSDC and ASCI.

3. Building Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)

Under its Organic Research Institute, Patanjali collaborates with the Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium(SFAC) to register and empower Farmer Producer Organisations. In several districts of the country, including Lalitpur and Jalaun districts of Uttar Pradesh, these farmer producer organisations consist of more than 300 members that extend support to farmers by supplying them with seeds, fertilisers, markets and FSSAI-compliant services. This establishes a great community-based entrepreneurship.

4. Integrating Value Chains via Food & Herbal Parks

Patanjali’s Food and Herbal Park catalyses rural economic development. Studies show that by bringing together farmer groups, Panchayats and self-help groups, this model has been able to allow hundreds of self-help groups to take part in cooperative farming. As a result, a significant rise in employment, income and infrastructure was recorded.

5. Technological Tools & Digital Market Access

As we all know, digital India is the future. In order to provide digital empowerment to the farmers, Patanjali’s Kisan Samriddhi Yojna provides agritech tools, smart soil analysis, mobile applications for weather forecasting and market price intelligence. This helps farmers stay informed and make profitable decisions for their products.

6. MSME Financing & Dealer Support

Patanjali has partnered with fintech firms to strengthen the distribution at the grassroots level. This enables the MSMEs to receive immediate working capital through invoice-based financing. This helps the small farmers and entrepreneurs to effectively maintain their inventory and cash flow.

7. Promotion of Women-Led Enterprises

Patanjali is extremely supportive of women farmers and entrepreneurs. It works to empower female artisans, women’s farmer groups and women-led self-help groups.

8. National Recognition & Policy Alignment

As per a study, in the year 2024, Acharya Balkrishna highlighted Patanjali’s pivotal role in uplifting the economy of villages and aiding the growth of MSMEs across rural and remote areas. This shows their commitment to building national development goals.

Conclusion

From fair pricing to providing organic farming training to providing access to digital tools and establishing support groups, Patanjali has an inclusive strategy to support MSMEs and foster local entrepreneurship. The organisation works to bridge the gap between rural and urban entrepreneurship.