She Turned a College Project Into a Sustainable Skincare Startup Supporting 150 Donkey Owners

In 2016, as a postgraduate student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Pooja Kaul was on a packed government bus winding through the sunlit roads of Solapur, Maharashtra. While fellow passengers chatted around her, Pooja's mind was consumed by the pressure of her college project — a pilot study that could shape her career.

Then, outside the window, something unusual caught her eye — a herd of donkeys trotting beside their owner. Intrigued, she asked the bus driver to stop. That spontaneous detour led her to the Lashkar community, migrant labourers who relied on donkeys for work in brick kilns and construction sites.

“The families who own donkeys migrate each year in search of work. Despite toiling all day, they earn just Rs 300–400, barely enough to feed their large families — let alone their donkeys. These animals, crucial to their livelihood, are often neglected and underfed, especially during the monsoon when construction jobs dry up,” she shares.

Pooja wanted to collaborate with the community and help them find economic value in an often-ignored resource — donkey milk, known for its rich nutritional profile and similarity to human breast milk. But her idea was met with suspicion.

“They thought I was going to do black magic with the milk and their donkeys would die,” she recalls.

Undeterred, she spent six months visiting the community every evening, listening to their concerns and slowly gaining their trust. These conversations laid the foundation for Organiko, a social enterprise that would go on to transform donkey milk into handmade, sustainable skincarse products.

Turning a college project into a business

Pooja’s heart was set on turning donkey milk into a viable economic resource — one known for its high value and similarity to human breast milk. Yet, India’s cultural barriers around donkey milk required a Plan B.

So Pooja turned to a different use — skincare. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s homemade remedies, she took a soap-making course in Mumbai and began experimenting in a rented room near her college. “I was doing a lot of experiments. I even got blisters on my wrist from reactions during the early batches,” she shares.

She invested her personal savings — Rs 26,000 she had saved for a Goa trip — and launched a crowdfunding campaign that brought in another Rs 34,000. With that seed capital, she made her first batch of 250 soaps and returned to her hometown, Delhi.

She showcased her products at city exhibitions and received an overwhelmingly positive response — the validation she needed to turn her project into a full-fledged business.

Organiko: Sustainable skincare with a mission

Today, Organiko boasts a diverse product range from handmade soaps to face packs, and plans to expand into sunscreens, creams, and serums. 

Highlighting the benefits of using donkey milk in skincare, she says, “Donkey milk is rich in vitamins and fatty acids that deeply nourish and hydrate the skin. It soothes acne, reduces inflammation, and supports skin renewal naturally. In soaps, it creates a creamy, gentle lather that cleans without drying. Perfect for sensitive skin, it leaves your face and body soft, calm, and glowing.”

The products, priced between Rs 350 and Rs 1400, cater to a wide audience, fulfilling more than 500 orders monthly with customers across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi and more.

But beyond profits, Organiko has built a sustainable income model for donkey-owning families.

“We’ve helped increase the monthly income of many families from Rs 5,000 to about Rs 14,000,” says Pooja, who works closely with over 150 families across Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh.

A lifeline for donkey-owning families

For instance, Shahid, a 27-year-old construction worker in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, relies heavily on donkeys for his work. He manages a group of at least 20 donkeys, of which five are currently producing milk.

“When construction work was low, we struggled to feed our family of eight. Donkey milk had no demand. Most people prefer cow or buffalo milk,” he shares.

After partnering with Organiko in 2019, Shahid now earns about Rs 1,300 per litre of donkey milk. “Earlier, the milk had no value. Now, we can afford better living conditions and even fans and shelters for the donkeys,” he says.

At Organiko, Pooja says, she ethically milks donkeys every alternate day, ensuring their babies get enough nourishment first. “We never overmilk or stress the animals, our focus is on care and compassion. The milk is collected in small, clean batches and immediately stored in sanitised, temperature-controlled containers to maintain its purity and freshness. Every step is done with hygiene and love at the core,” she adds.

Breaking stereotypes, one step at a time

Running Organiko hasn’t been easy. As a woman in a male-dominated startup space, Pooja had to challenge many assumptions.

“People often mistake social entrepreneurship for charity work. Convincing investors requires proving our credibility at every step, especially as a woman entrepreneur,” she says.

Meanwhile, Pooja faced her share of hurdles with government support. “I applied under the National Livestock Mission in 2023, which offers subsidies for livestock startups. But after an 11-month-long process, there was no progress. It was disappointing,” she recalls.

However, her efforts weren’t in vain. “Our engagement helped bring visibility to the sector. In 2024, donkey farming was officially included under the National Livestock Mission by the Department of Animal Husbandry. Others can now access subsidies and support. So while the journey was frustrating, it helped trigger a positive policy shift,” she adds.

The challenges whatsoever didn’t stop her. Today, her work is helping rewrite the narrative around donkeys — once seen as beasts of burden, now becoming symbols of economic opportunity.

What began as a chance observation from a bus window has grown into something much bigger than Pooja imagined.

“My aim was to build a sustainable livelihood model — to turn something undervalued like donkey milk into a resource that brings dignity and income to these families. I thought this project would just lead to a job or internship. I never expected it to become a full-fledged enterprise,” she says, smiling.

All images courtesy Pooja Kaul