Thalir
A Women-Led Community Enterprise in Wayanad
Thalir is a grassroots enterprise established by women from the Kurichi community in Poolakkal village, near Mananthavady in Wayanad, Kerala. Initiated in the aftermath of the devastating 2018 floods, the project focuses on producing value-added products from locally sourced grains, spices, and tubers. Thalir is a testament to the resilience, adaptability, and entrepreneurial spirit of a group of women who, despite significant socio-economic challenges, have created a sustainable livelihood model rooted in local knowledge and natural resources.
Origins and Early Development
The Wayanad floods of 2018 severely impacted local communities, prompting Keystone Foundation to undertake relief efforts, including the establishment of a native species nursery for Kurichi men. However, it was the women of the village who assumed the responsibility of maintaining the nursery. Recognizing the potential for collective action, fifteen women formed a self-help group (SHG) and pursued funding to support income-generating activities.
With support from Keystone, the women established a small-scale processing unit for spices and grains. Though their official launch in 2019 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community recognized the unit as an essential service. Even under lockdown restrictions, families brought their harvests to Thalir for roasting, grinding, and packaging. The unit has remained operational since.
Operational Structure and Current Management
Thalir is currently managed by five women: Pushpa, Sarojini, Leela, Suma, and Vinitha. In its initial years, the enterprise struggled to break even, leading many original members to seek more immediate income from daily wage labor. Those who remained adopted a rotational work model—two women operate the unit at a time while others manage their own farmlands or work on public works projects. Presently, Thalir provides a daily wage of ₹250 to its workers.
The unit sources agricultural produce such as banana, coffee, tapioca, and spices from nearby subsistence farms. Given the distance to the next available mill, Thalir has become an essential service for local households. Community members regularly use the facility to process spices and flours for personal use, and the surplus is sold to Thalir, which processes and wholesales the products to retailers in the region.
Challenges: Market Position and Marketing Limitations
Despite Thalir’s locally rooted production model and commitment to natural, additive-free products, the enterprise has faced persistent challenges in establishing a strong market presence. In its early years, Thalir struggled to differentiate itself in a competitive market where cheaper, mass-produced alternatives were more readily available. The pricing of Thalir’s products—though reflective of higher quality—often placed them at a disadvantage in local markets dominated by low-cost options that relied heavily on preservatives and synthetic enhancers.
Further compounding these challenges was a lack of marketing infrastructure and technical know-how. Until November 2024, Thalir operated with limited access to branding tools, promotional strategies, or packaging design expertise. Sales were primarily restricted to word-of-mouth within the community, with very little penetration into broader retail channels. Although the women had successfully developed distinctive spice blends and maintained rigorous quality standards, they lacked the platforms and resources needed to reach consumers beyond their immediate network. Additionally, logistical constraints such as limited machinery, small batch sizes, and irregular supply chains from surrounding farms affected production consistency. These operational limitations, combined with the absence of dedicated sales staff or external market linkages, hampered Thalir’s ability to scale its operations or secure long-term purchasing relationships with retailers.
Progress and Strategic Growth: Branding, Outreach, and Capacity Building
Thalir is currently managed by five women: Pushpa, Sarojini, Leela, Suma, and Vinitha. In its initial years, the enterprise struggled to break even, leading many original members to seek more immediate income from daily wage labor. Those who remained adopted a rotational work model—two women operate the unit at a time while others manage their own farmlands or work on public works projects. Presently, Thalir provides a daily wage of ₹250 to its workers.
The unit sources agricultural produce such as banana, coffee, tapioca, and spices from nearby subsistence farms. Given the distance to the next available mill, Thalir has become an essential service for local households. Community members regularly use the facility to process spices and flours for personal use, and the surplus is sold to Thalir, which processes and wholesales the products to retailers in the region.
Since late 2024, Thalir has made marked progress in addressing its earlier constraints, thanks in large part to targeted support from Keystone and Aadhimalai. With assistance in branding and marketing strategy, the enterprise has redefined its product presentation—introducing new packaging that clearly communicates its unique value proposition: handmade, naturally sourced, and free from additives. This shift has not only enhanced consumer trust but also improved shelf appeal in local retail outlets.
Thalir has adopted a more structured sales strategy, focusing on partnerships with local businesses such as bakeries, tea shops, and provision stores. By positioning its products within familiar and frequented venues, the enterprise has expanded its visibility while staying rooted in its community. Exhibitions—both independent and through Kudumbashree and government enterprise expos—have provided further opportunities to showcase their offerings to a broader audience.
Operational improvements have accompanied these marketing advances. The addition of new grinding and roasting machines has allowed for more efficient and consistent processing. These upgrades have supported higher output without compromising the integrity of the production process. With better equipment, Thalir has been able to meet larger retail orders and experiment with expanding their product range.
Moreover, the increased exposure has enabled the team to sell larger volumes—often between 15 and 20 kilograms per spice—to regular retail partners. Their homemade blends have gained a reputation for quality and authenticity, offering a trusted alternative to synthetic products in the local market. While still priced at a premium, Thalir’s spices are now recognized as a healthier and more sustainable option, and consumers are beginning to embrace this value.
These gains in marketing, production, and community engagement point to a sustainable trajectory for Thalir. With a foundation of quality, transparent sourcing, and women-led management, the enterprise is gradually solidifying its position in the area’s food processing landscape.
Community Integration and Future Vision
Thalir continues to deepen its integration with the local economy, supplying products to bakeries, tea shops, and retail outlets. Looking ahead, the women aim to scale their operations and increase employment opportunities within their community. They have identified partnerships with local enterprises like Bake n Take and Bee Corner as strategic for growth. These collaborations are already underway, with shared resources and complementary product offerings forming the basis of a more expansive market presence.
The team has also expressed interest in entering the high-yielding events and catering market, aligning their vision with the broader goals of their partners in Mananthavady. The women of Thalir are determined to position themselves as a central force in Wayanad’s community-based food economy.
From Enterprise Support to Sustainable Business
The Enterprise Hub was created to help community enterprises move beyond the initial challenges of starting a business. For Thalir, this has meant building skills, developing products, understanding markets, managing production and learning how to operate as a business.
Over time, the team has gained greater confidence in managing the enterprise and responding to market demand.The results are now becoming visible in the financial performance of the enterprise.
Thalir has been recording considerable profits month on month, providing the women with greater confidence in the future of their business. Consistent profitability is an important milestone for any small enterprise, particularly for a community-led business where the primary objective is not only commercial growth but also the creation of sustainable livelihoods.
Growth that reaches the women
One of the most meaningful outcomes of Thalir's growth is that the benefits are reaching the women who run the enterprise.
In the current financial year, the salaries of the women have been increased. This is a significant milestone because the growth of the enterprise is now translating into improved and more stable incomes for its members.
For the women, this means that the success of the business is not simply reflected in its accounts. It is reflected in their own earnings and in the greater economic security that those earnings can provide for their families.
The increase in salaries also represents an important shift in the way the enterprise creates value. As the business becomes stronger, a greater share of that value can flow back to the women who are responsible for running it.
Impact and Empowerment
A key milestone for Thalir has been the growth in financial literacy and decision-making capacity among its members. Ms. Pooja, a founding member and current secretary, described how the group has evolved from reliance on male family members and external advisors to confidently managing their finances and making independent business decisions. This transformation underscores the deeper impact of Thalir—not just as a livelihood initiative, but as a platform for women’s empowerment and collective agency.
Thalir represents a successful model of community-led enterprise, combining traditional knowledge, sustainable practices, and local solidarity. Despite economic and logistical constraints, the women behind Thalir have built a resilient business with strong community ties and a clear vision for growth. With continued support in scaling infrastructure and market integration, Thalir is well-positioned to become a flagship enterprise in Kerala’s rural
