Meet Satendrasingh Lilhare. Raised by his maa and maasi — two tribal women who struggled to keep the family afloat — he grew up watching them harvest for hours, only to earn a few rupees from exploitative middlemen.
Here’s the irony: Bastar’s forests are a goldmine of tamarind, mahua, custard apple, jamun, and more. Mahua, for example, is called the “Tree of Life” — every part of it feeds, heals, or sustains. But the women who collected it stayed trapped in poverty.
The problem? No access to fair markets. Middlemen dictated prices, and most of the profits vanished before reaching the farmers’ hands.
Satendra knew this cycle had to break. After a decade working in the social sector and completing a business management course just to understand markets, he launched ‘Bastar Se Bazaar Tak’ in 2020.
This wasn’t charity. It was dignity-driven business. “Tribal women don’t need pity,” Satendra says. “They need jobs, fair wages, and respect for their hard work.”
And the model is powerful: Farmers bring produce, get paid full mandi rates — no commission cuts. Women employees get a regular income, and cold storage ensures nothing goes to waste. Products are sold nationwide under the brand Forest Naturals.
The results? 1,550 tribal women empowered, over 50 tonnes of produce sold, Rs 1 crore revenue in just 3 years, and orders pouring in from Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Raipur and more — through Amazon & JioMart.
Satendra calls his venture a tribute to his maa and maasi. We call it a blueprint for rural transformation. Because when a forest becomes a sustainable bazaar, and women become entrepreneurs, India rises.