According to a NITI Aayog report, women-led micro-enterprises account for only 20 per cent of all MSMEs in India. This isn’t due to a lack of ambition, but rather the absence of accessible credit, supportive policies, and key business services such as financial advice, technology, and marketing. In Jharkhand's Fadilmarcha village (Ranchi district), Pinki Kumari has written a triumphant story of resilience despite the above-mentioned odds.
A graduate living with her husband and in-laws, for years Pinki watched helplessly as her family struggled with financial hardship while surviving on a meagre annual income of just Rs 2.45 lakhs. With limited access to technology, information and government support, their farming practices were stuck in a cycle of loss and uncertainty.
Things started to change when Pinki was identified as an aspirational farmer under Transform Rural India’s (TRI) Millionaire Farmers Development Programme (MFDP). Through training, exposure visits, and hands-on learning, she adopted practices like drip irrigation, grafting, mulching, and protected cultivation.
Today, she cultivates over 2.5 acres of land and has increased her income to Rs 13.24 lakhs a year, growing tomatoes, strawberries, cauliflower, and watermelon. She also contributed to the creation of a Farmer Field School in her village, and now guides others to transcend their challenges like she did.
Pinki Kumari's aspirational journey can bring hope to countless young women in rural India who also want to build their own ventures and achieve economic independence. Like her, they too can benefit from structured training under programmes like the MFDP which has set up Village Development Committees (VDCs) to identify local talent. The programme offers technical training, exposure to tested models, and guidance on modern farming methods.
Pinki’s success came from training that matched her local conditions. Along with updated agricultural techniques, she received support to cultivate grafted vegetables and practice intercropping, such as cauliflower with ginger. “These techniques helped me grow more, reduce losses, and make better use of my land. I also began cultivating high-value crops like strawberries and capsicum using protected methods, something new in my village,” says Pinki. These changes improved her own yields and turned her farm into a demonstration site for others.
The MFDP has also transformed the lens through which rural youth view farming. Once considered an unpredictable and poorly paid last option, it is now seen by many as an empowering pursuit. Catalysts like Pinki are changing perspectives as well. “Known locally as ‘Pinki Didi,’ she is now respected by young people as a trailblazer. Her success has shown that farming can be profitable with modern methods, diverse cropping, and a smart use of technology,” says Bapi Gorai, Senior practitioner, TRI
Pinki’s success also points to the importance of addressing gender barriers in youth-focused programmes. In a setting where women were usually kept out of leadership roles, she leased land independently, managed multiple crops, and trained both men and women. Her transition from a farmer’s wife to a local trainer shows that women can become key drivers of change when their innate skills are respected and nurtured.
