TiE-Backed FarmDidi secures ₹7 crore seed funding to expand rural women-led pickle business

FarmDidi, one of India’s fastest-growing homemade pickle brands, has secured over $800,000 (₹7 crore) in a seed funding round led by Samved Ventures, with participation from LetsVenture, Indigram Labs, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, and angel investors from leading institutes, including IIM Calcutta and Symbiosis.

The startup, co-founded by Manjari Sharma—a winner of the TiE Women Mumbai Chapter 2023 and a top-six finalist at the Global Competition at TGS Singapore 2023—plans to use the capital to scale operations, strengthen technology-driven quality control, and expand its network of rural women entrepreneurs, or “Didis,” from 2,000 to over 5,000.

Since its launch in 2022, FarmDidi has grown rapidly, generating an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of ₹18 crore and fulfilling over 30,000 monthly orders via its website and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Blinkit, Zepto, BigBasket, and Swiggy Instamart.

Manjari Sharma highlighted the role of TiE in the company’s growth, noting that the network connected FarmDidi with investors and mentors who have guided the brand through its early expansion. “Our mission goes beyond making authentic, homemade pickles. It’s about empowering rural women, preserving traditional recipes, and building trust with consumers nationwide,” she said.

Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, serial entrepreneur and president of TiE Mumbai, emphasised the importance of supporting startups like FarmDidi. “Brands like FarmDidi exemplify entrepreneurship that drives growth while creating meaningful community impact. TiE Mumbai continues to foster such innovation through mentoring, funding, and strategic support,” he said.

Amit Srivastava, partner at Samved Ventures, described FarmDidi’s tech-enabled model as a solution to longstanding gaps in distribution, quality, and branding for rural women-led small businesses. “The brand is not just building a strong food business—it’s creating micro-production jobs that expand employment and social impact,” he added.

Shanti Mohan, founder of LetsVenture, highlighted the brand’s balance of purpose and performance, suggesting FarmDidi has the potential to become a household name across India.

Founded by Sharma, Anukrit Johari, and Asmita Ghodeshwar, FarmDidi aims to empower at least 1 million rural women while offering clean-label, traceable, traditional food products. Often described as a “Tech-led Lijjat Papad,” the company draws inspiration from the women-led cooperative that transformed 45,000 lives and built a ₹1,600 crore ($200 million) empire.