Business EconomyPosted at: Mar 8 2026 5:11PM


UNI SPECIAL: F&B sector emerging as major entrepreneurial space for women in India

By P Krishna Kumar
New Delhi, March 8 (UNI) The food and beverage (F&B) sector is increasingly emerging as a preferred entrepreneurial space for women in India, with many professionals leaving corporate careers to start their own food ventures, particularly in the post-pandemic period.
Industry data suggests that the trend is gaining momentum. Food delivery platform Swiggy currently has over 70,000 women-led food units registered on its platform. This number is expected to cross one lakh in the next few years, reflecting the growing participation of women entrepreneurs in the sector.
Entrepreneurs and industry observers say the shift is driven by a combination of passion for food, a desire for flexible careers, and the expansion of digital delivery ecosystems that enable small ventures to scale gradually.
Many women professionals from technology, consulting and other corporate sectors have moved into the food business to pursue long-cherished entrepreneurial ambitions.
" When I started my career 20 years ago, there was a whole lot of resistance. It was unique and challenging for a woman to step into the world of wines and spirits. Things have changed over the years. Women are taking up careers not just as sommeliers, but as educators, content creators, wine makers and even retail specialists now," said Sonal Holland, India's first and only Master of Wines, who runs Sonal Holland Wine & Spirit Academy.
Several women entrepreneurs who started with small formats such as home kitchens and cloud kitchens have successfully expanded into multiple outlets in key metro cities and also in the country's Tier II and III towns.
Moushumi Sircar, founder of Bonne Femme, a global cuisine restaurant on busy Ballygunge in Kolkata, is representative of women who left promising corporate profiles to chart a new journey in the food business.
An electronics engineer who worked in a senior role in TCS for ten years took a plunge a couple of years ago into the food business, following her passion.
Same is the case with Bistriti Poddar from Mumbai, who was a corporate CXO and TEDX Speaker, who, exploiting her mother-in-law's expertise in Pathare-Prabhu cuisine, decided to set up a home pop-up Gossip & Garnish a year ago.
For Lipsa Satapathy from Bhubaneswar, who held a senior position in an international consultancy firm, entrepreneurship was a long-cherished dream which came true through Vdumpling Dynasty which she founded jointly with her sister, Tamasa Misra. Started as a cloud kitchen from her own home, today the brand has 4 QSR outlets – 2 each in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
"There will be a lot of people around you to discourage and scare you. You have to have passion and resilience," said Satapathy. Having tasted success in the last one year through activations on delivery platforms like Swiggy, she is now ready for the expansion of the brand through "FI-CO" model.
The online delivery platforms have really helped people start something small and then scale it into scalable formats slowly and steadily in the F&B retail space. "It is not easy for us to manage the delivery logistics ourselves. Delivery platforms have set up a streamlined delivery system of their own, which ensures food is delivered safely to your patron's doorstep. All our outlets are dine-in places. It's very difficult for us to organise delivery ourselves," said Hanisha Singh, an accomplished chef from Oberoi School turned entrepreneur, who runs multiple branded restaurants. in the national capital.
Sara Nair, who runs a successful cloud kitchen brand specialised in traditional Kerala cuisine in Mumbai called NairOnFire, also switched over from a corporate career to pursue her passion for food five years ago, with her partners.
The brand has a central kitchen and four branches in the city and a preferred address for premium event organisers, private dinners, etc. "Premium hotels in the city engage us for traditional Kerala Sadya," said Nair. She also stressed the fact that online delivery platforms have made brand discovery easy for all types of customers.
Highlighting how technology has made life easy for women entrepreneurs, Shippy Sharma, founder of Earthling Consumer Products, an integrated food distribution exports company, said, "Technology has fundamentally changed the landscape for women entrepreneurs. It has provided an answer to the most challenging aspect for women – physical travel to meet potential customers."
Women undeniably carry household responsibilities, which turn out to be limiting factor when it comes to travel and time available. But the advances in technology have ensured enhanced reach, meaningful digital exchange and all-time connectivity, which has helped women increase their business bandwidth while they take on multiple roles."
Industry experts note that online delivery platforms have played a crucial role in enabling entrepreneurs to start small ventures and expand them gradually without having to invest heavily in logistics and distribution networks.
With India's food service market estimated to grow from about USD 78 billion at present to around USD 125 billion by 2030, the sector is expected to generate significant opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs, including a growing number of women looking to transform their passion for food into sustainable businesses. UNI KK SSP
Please log in to get detailed story.
Tags: #UNI SPECIAL: F&B sector emerging as major entrepreneurial space for women in India
More News

Nadir Godrej resigns as MD & Chairman of Godrej Industries

13 Apr 2026 | 8:42 PM

Mumbai, Apr 13 (UNI) Godrej Industries Limited informed the stock exchange on Monday that Nadir Godrej, Chairperson of the Godrej Industries Group, has resigned as Managing Director & Chairperson of Godrej Industries, adding that he will retire upon turning 75 in August 2026 and assume the role of Chairman Emeritus. .

see more..
TVH elevates India as global hub to shield supply chains from geopolitical turbulence

TVH elevates India as global hub to shield supply chains from geopolitical turbulence

13 Apr 2026 | 7:32 PM

Arti Bali
New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) TVH, a leading global supplier of spare parts for industrial and material handling equipment, has officially named its India operations as its third global hub, joining its headquarters in Belgium and its North American base in the US. The move positions the company to maintain uninterrupted service to customers in 170 countries, bridging critical supply gaps even as the West Asia crisis disrupts key shipping routes.

see more..

13 Apr 2026 | 7:24 PM

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) The retail inflation for the month of March has been recorded at 3.40% on a year-on-year (yoy) basis. Corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban are 3.63% and 3.11%, respectively, data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said.
Food inflation for March is 3.87% (Provisional) with the corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban are 3.96% and 3.71%, respectively. The MoSPI data said the onion prices fell by over 27 per cent, while potatoes saw a decline of nearly 19 per cent.

see more..

13 Apr 2026 | 7:10 PM

Washington, Apr 13 (UNI) Facing a strong jolt post the failed US-Iran talks, oil prices that rose by 7 per cent past the USD 100 per barrel yesterday, continued to remain high today, undoing the relief brought on about the ceasefire agreement.

see more..

Estilocus targets pan-India menswear presence amid 83 percent growth

13 Apr 2026 | 5:36 PM

Bengaluru, Apr 13 (UNI) Bengaluru-based menswear brand Estilocus is fast transitioning from a Kerala-focused niche label into a pan-India fashion disruptor, as it accelerates expansion plans backed by strong business momentum and 83% year-on-year revenue growth.

see more..