Pallavi Vyas: A Journey from Housewife to Rural Entrepreneur

Pallavi Vyas has a remarkable story of transformation. From being a housewife to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur in India’s organic dairy sector, her journey is full of grit, innovation, and purpose. Pallavi founded Shanta Farms, which not only built a state-of-the-art dairy but also introduced moringa-based nutrition products that have positively impacted over 70,000 lives. Today, she is recognized as a rural changemaker and a key player in India’s sustainable agriculture movement.

Pallavi was born and raised in Rajasthan. Her parents worked in government service, and she grew up with strong values. After marrying and spending years as a homemaker, Pallavi, who holds an MBA, felt the urge to contribute meaningfully to society. She began her career with agency-based work but soon felt unfulfilled. Her love for nature led her to start a boutique floral business, where she created custom bouquets and grew flowers on her own.

With encouragement from her mother-in-law, Pallavi found the confidence to pursue her career. However, her mother-in-law’s cancer diagnosis changed everything. Balancing family responsibilities with two young children left Pallavi at a crossroads. This situation inspired her to turn family land in Indore into a business. Around 2013, she started working on organic produce exports, long before organic farming became popular in India. Driven by a desire to give back to society, she ventured into dairy farming.

Pallavi aimed to provide clean, organic milk free from chemicals. Starting with just six cows, her business quickly grew. She invested in advanced dairy infrastructure and imported cutting-edge machinery. Sensors were installed to monitor cow health and productivity, ensuring that her dairy operated on ethical and organic principles.

Shanta Farms launched a door-to-door milk delivery service in Indore, supplying fresh and pure milk to over 400 households daily within three years. However, Pallavi faced challenges in sourcing quality fodder in a drought-prone region. Local farmers had limited experience in livestock nutrition, so she took specialized courses abroad, including in the Netherlands, a leader in organic dairy practices.

During her training, Pallavi discovered the benefits of moringa as a nutritional supplement for cows. After integrating it into their diet, she observed a significant increase in milk production and overall health. This discovery led her to cultivate moringa on her own farm.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019, Pallavi saw an opportunity to help humans too. She experimented with moringa powder for human consumption, especially as an immunity booster during the pandemic. Shanta Farms began distributing moringa-based supplements to cancer patients and individuals with chronic health issues, gaining significant attention.

One of her notable achievements is ‘Morvita’, a moringa-based health drink approved by the State Food Department. Distributed through Anganwadi centres, Morvita helped tackle malnutrition among children and anemia in women, nourishing over 60,000 children and aiding 10,000 women in becoming anemia-free.

Today, Shanta Farms has expanded its product line to include animal feed supplements, health beverages, and dairy products like ghee. With a turnover of Rs 7 crore in the last fiscal year, the enterprise stands as a self-sustained, socially impactful, and profitable venture. In 2021, the farm was relocated closer to Indore to improve management and expand operations.

Under Pallavi’s leadership, Shanta Farms has evolved into a nutrition and wellness brand while remaining true to its organic roots. She has become an inspiration for integrating dairy farming into India’s MSME sector, breaking stereotypes in a field historically dominated by men.

Pallavi Vyas’s pioneering efforts have earned her national and international recognition. She is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program and has represented India at several prestigious global forums. Pallavi is not just an entrepreneur; she symbolizes rural transformation, scientific innovation, and women’s empowerment in Indian agriculture. Through Shanta Farms, she has merged traditional dairy practices with cutting-edge nutritional science, positively impacting tens of thousands of lives.

Her inclusion in the Global Farmer Business Network underscores her significance in shaping ethical farming and rural entrepreneurship in India. Pallavi continues to inspire a new generation of farmers and agripreneurs to build businesses that are profitable, sustainable, and people-first.