Ankita Kumawat, Co-founder of Matratva, holds an MBA from IIM-Calcutta. Departing from the corporate world, Ankita established Matratva in 2014, located in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. She creates a unified platform for implementing leadership-oriented innovative programs, fostering collaboration among farm families, dairy businesses, and associated organizations. This collective effort aims to pave the way for a prosperous and health-focused future. Matratva revitalizes traditional food and recipes, advocating for organic farming and indigenous cattle breeds. Additionally, it aims to create a self-sustainable ecosystem that addresses the needs of animals, society, and the economy.
Ankita, at the forefront of Matratva, steers organic and dairy products accessible nationwide. In an exclusive interaction with The Interview World, she emphasizes how Matratva integrates marginalized farmers into a value-based agricultural ecosystem to enhance their earnings.
Q: What prompted you to shift from a cushy corporate job to launch Matratva?
A: During visits home, I actively supported my father, who used to manage a dairy farm for over two decades. My interest in dairy farming blossomed during this time, leading to the establishment of Matratva in 2014. Subsequently, we initiated organic farming in collaboration with local farmers and expanded into food processing of organic products.
Q: What products does Matratva produce?
A: Our company produce ghee, butter, sweets, buttermilk, and more, under the brand A2, using milk from indigenous cow breeds. Matratva employs traditional methods in crafting these products, focusing on promoting indigenous cow breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Tharaparkar, and Rathi. We also manufacture honey and namkeen, sourcing raw materials from organic farms. We have partnered with 48 marginal farmers and trained them in organic cereal cultivation.
Q: Where do you sell your products?
A: We distribute our products both locally and on a pan-India scale through an extensive market network. One can find A2 products in retail outlets across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. We have also embraced e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart to widen the reach of our products.
Q: How is your expansion plan?
A: Our expansion plans involve not only geographical growth within India but also obtaining export licenses for our products. Additionally, we aim to ascend the value chain in organic food processing by expanding our sourcing network and providing support to marginalized farmers, enabling them to associate with our brand and improve their earnings.
