The Uttarakhand Cooperative That Turned Wild Mountain Herbs Into a ₹400 Crore Wellness Brand

The Uttarakhand Cooperative That Turned Wild Mountain Herbs Into a ₹400 Crore Wellness Brand

In the winter of 2019, Kamla Devi of Joshimath block in Chamoli district earned ₹1,200 for an entire season’s collection of wild jatamansi roots — a Himalayan herb that high-end wellness brands in Mumbai were retailing for ₹3,500 per kilogram. By 2026, she earns closer to ₹48,000 a season. The difference? A cooperative that decided … Read more

The Uttarakhand Cooperative That Turned Mountain Herbs Into a Global Brand

The Uttarakhand Cooperative That Turned Mountain Herbs Into a Global Brand

The women of Chamoli district had been picking wild brahmi from the hillsides for generations, selling it to middlemen for ₹12 per kilogram. When those same leaves arrived in wellness stores across Berlin and Amsterdam, they were priced at €45 for a small glass jar. That gap — staggering, almost grotesque in its proportions — … Read more