From Fragrance To Financial Freedom: How Kewda Enterprise Is Transforming Rural Lives In Odisha

Berhampur : In the coastal village of Kalipalli in Odisha's Ganjam district, the sweet fragrance of kewda flowers has long been a part of everyday life. For generations, local families harvested the flowers of the kewda plant (Pandanus fascicularis), but most remained trapped in low incomes as they sold the raw blossoms to middlemen. Today, that story is changing.

A community-owned kewda distillation plant, established with the support of Tata Steel Foundation (TSF), has transformed this traditional occupation into a sustainable rural enterprise, creating new opportunities for some of the district's most vulnerable families.

The initiative began with the formation of the Kalipalli Youth Kewda Society, bringing together 20 families comprising 115 members. Instead of merely harvesting flowers, the community now processes them into high-value kewda ruh (essential oil), a prized aromatic extract used in food flavouring, perfumes and tobacco products, with strong demand in international markets, particularly in West Asia.

To make the enterprise sustainable, the Society signed a 15-year lease for the land on which the distillation unit operates, ensuring genuine community ownership. While members invested in infrastructure, labour and operational expenses, Tata Steel Foundation provided one-time financial support of Rs 29.75 lakh in Financial Year 2023-24 for copper distillation equipment and essential machinery.

The impact has been remarkable. During the latest production cycle, the Society produced 22 kilograms of kewda ruh and earned a net profit of Rs 20.40 lakh—an income that would have been unimaginable when families sold only raw flowers.

"Earlier, we depended entirely on agents. Today, we process our own produce and earn much better returns," says Bangari Srinivas, President of the Society. Secretary B. Dharama Patro adds that the enterprise has brought both financial stability and renewed confidence about the future.

For Tata Steel Foundation, the project reflects a broader vision of rural development—one that builds on local resources while empowering communities to own and manage their enterprises. By moving villagers up the value chain, the initiative has shown how traditional knowledge, collective action and corporate social responsibility can together generate sustainable livelihoods.

“The Kalipalli model demonstrates that rural prosperity does not always require new resources. Sometimes, it simply requires giving communities the opportunity to realise the full value of what they have always possessed,” said Prakash Panigrahi, a local development activist.