Looking ahead, the Sangha is also preparing to export Kalaburagi rottis to markets in the US, the UK, and West Asia
| Photo Credit:
SRIRAM MA
Bengaluru What started as a grassroots push to take Kalaburagi’s iconic Jolada rotti beyond district borders has now become a symbol of how tradition, women’s entrepreneurship and smart branding can reshape a dish.
For Sharanamma, a 39-year-old homemaker, the initiative has become a major source of livelihood. “At a meeting, we were told we could get a subsidy or loan for the rotti-making machine. That’s how a community was formed,” she said.
Sharanamma is among the thousands of women now working with the cooperative, earning a daily income of around ₹200. “Many villages around Bankuli and Kalaburagi are participating in this. We make the rottis at home. We get the maize from outside and prepare them ourselves,” she explained.
The Kalaburagi Rotti Utpadakara Sangha began in 2024 with just 100 women. Today, the union has grown to nearly 1,000 members, has recorded ₹50 lakh in revenue over the past 15 months, and has launched franchise outlets in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, with plans to expand to Hyderabad and Pune.
The turning point
According to Sharanbasappa R Patil, President of Kalaburagi Rotti Utpadakara Sangha, the real turning point came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it in his Mann Ki Baat broadcast. Online orders have poured in from Delhi, Haryana, Hyderabad, Pune, Kerala, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, he told businessline.
Looking ahead, the Sangha is also preparing to export Kalaburagi rottis to markets in the US, the UK, and West Asia, with licensing procedures currently underway.
The demand surge has also been driven by digital platforms. “We receive around 3,000 orders daily through online platforms like Swiggy and Zomato,” said Fouzia Tarannum, Deputy Commissioner of Kalaburagi. “We also see a spike in bulk orders during wedding seasons and temple festivals.”
Other dishes
In addition to Jolada rottis, the Sangha has also started producing sunflower seed chutney and groundnut chutney powder, aiming to diversify its offerings and build a complete regional foods portfolio.
While the enterprise has grown rapidly, taking the next leap will require targeted support. “The cooperative is seeking seed money or a grant to help promote ‘Kalaburagi Rotti’ as a formal brand,” Tarannum noted. She added that the region must also invest in strengthening secondary agriculture, particularly in processing infrastructure, to meet demand while maintaining the quality at scale.
Even with challenges ahead, the women remain optimistic. As Sharanamma says, “Sometimes there’s profit, sometimes not, but they still take our rottis and sell them. That gives us hope.”
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Published on July 1, 2025
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