Guwahati, Jan 4: In a quiet corner of Assam’s Kamrup district, a 56-year-old tribal woman is redefining rural entrepreneurship—one marigold at a time.
Jayanti Rabha of Bahupara village in the Rani area has turned floriculture into a sustainable livelihood, earning over ₹1 lakh in just three to four months each season through marigold cultivation. What began as a modest experiment in 2019 has now grown into a community-driven enterprise empowering women across several villages.
Currently cultivating marigolds on one bigha of land, Jayanti has set her sights on expanding to nearly 20 bighas in the coming seasons. Beyond her own fields, she leads a self-help group under the Bandhan Vikas Jojana, bringing together women from the Rani area to collectively grow, harvest, and market flowers—creating regular income and local employment.
Speaking to Hub News, Jayanti said her journey faced interruptions after illness forced her and her daughter to step back from work. “I resumed fully last year. Now we cultivate marigolds on one bigha ourselves and across many villages through Bandhan. Our next goal is 20 bighas with support from the Rani Bahupara Bandhan Vikas group,” she said.
Marigolds mature within a month of planting and have a crop cycle of about five months. But the work is not without risk. “We planted nearly 10,000 saplings in August, but heavy rains in September damaged the crop. We had to replant in October,” Jayanti explained.
Despite weather challenges, the returns are steady. There are two cultivation seasons each year, each generating close to ₹1 lakh over a three-to-four-month period. Flowers grown in Bahupara are supplied to major markets in Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Jayanti also runs a handloom unit, Jyoti Industry, employing local women, and balances floriculture with vegetable farming—an effort that initially met with skepticism at home. “My husband preferred vegetables, but once the income from flowers increased, support followed,” she said.
She credits government assistance for strengthening the initiative, noting that her group received support under the Chief Minister’s Floriculture Mission last year.
Respected in her community for breaking social barriers, Jayanti recalls being the first woman in her area to ride a bicycle—once considered unacceptable for women.
After completing her BA, she even delivered newspapers door-to-door. Despite being qualified for formal employment, she chose entrepreneurship.
“Flower cultivation doesn’t just bring income—it brings confidence and independence,” she said, urging women to use the land they have.
Charu Boro, a Bahupara resident who benefits from the initiative, echoed the sentiment. “Because of Jayanti Baideo, flowers are grown here, garlands are made locally, and many of us have regular work. It has helped our village a lot.”
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