Sunita and her husband are an inseparable team, managing their Kirana store together. While her husband works diligently behind the scenes, Sunita stands as the welcoming face of their establishment. With a warm smile, she engages customers, inquires about their well-being, and creates an inviting ambiance at the store.

Originally from Belgaum, Sunita moved to Bangalore after getting married. Their journey began with a curveball. Sunita’s husband lost his managerial job due to Covid. In the face of adversity, Sunita, a former housewife, began churning innovative ideas with her business-oriented mind.

They tried running a beauty store, but it didn’t work out. Adaptable and unafraid to take risks, Sunita swiftly redirected her focus towards a Kirana store—a decision that became their success story.

The two gracefully balanced their business needs while nurturing their two children. People noticed Sunita’s business smarts and often asked her for advice about starting their own stores. 

Sunita’s journey shows profound wisdom living in these quiet corner stores. It is a reservoir of smart minds and unwavering spirits.

Santosh, a former pharmaceutical employee at Ranbaxy, was at a crossroad after 8 years of service. An unexpected spinal injury was the turning point in his career. It thwarted his ability to travel the roads all day, and yet, in that challenge there was an unforeseen opportunity. With a passion for sales deeply ingrained within him, Santosh pivoted to a more local and fulfilling role, becoming a Kirana store owner.

However, this transition wasn’t a smooth sail. As Covid struck the world, Santosh felt that the governmental policies had failed to protect grocery owners.

Veena runs a Kirana store in Bangalore. When you ask her why, she will shrug her shoulders nonchalantly but in an endearing way and say, because I know the business. Her coyness is charming and we egg her on to tell us more about the history of her skills. She simply smiles like the answer is so obvious, “My family did the same thing.” Running a Kirana business was a hereditary trait for her. She has been running Darshan stores for the last four years and came upon it by chance. The building owner had an empty spot and asked her to do what felt most natural to her.