Why Ragi isn’t an alcoholic drink and what electronics has to do with it
Why Ragi isn’t an alcoholic drink and what electronics has to do with it
4 am, Bengaluru airport. A warm and healthy welcome to our blog series and a social initiative that leads us to southwest India.
We are off to the countryside to visit 14 women who, with the support of Würth Elektronik India, have recently started producing their own products from the nutrient-rich and therefore precious millet called ragi. Namaste!
After an 8.5-hour flight, I have another 4.5 hours drive westward from Bengaluru. Bengaluru is the capital and most technologically advanced city of India.
It is monsoon season; the sky is cloudy, and the humidity is very high, but the temperature here is very pleasant compared to the heatwave that is sweeping across Europe.
We pass Mysore, a city that served as the capital of the state of Karnataka for many centuries; the imposing Maharaja's palace, Amba Vilas, bears witness to this era; its architecture and magnificent interiors are a magnet for tourists.
Würth Elektronik locations in India
The corporate offices of Würth Elektronik are located in Bengaluru and Mysore, amongst others. The brand-new office building in Mysore, as an example, is surrounded by a beautiful, multiple award-winning garden. Being situated on a high plateau, the city enjoys a pleasant climate ideal for people and the environment. No wonder therefore it is also known as "Garden City".
Meeting the Women
The offices and layout departments, however, are not our final destination this time. Instead, what draws us to this area takes place in a tiny village with a simple production unit with a somewhat ‘improvised’ appeal. Würth Elektronik has been actively involved in a social business project, even before the Corona pandemic started. Three years ago, training for 14 women began here, and with it the start of an adventure that would transform their lives and future.
Today we’ll be meeting them. Even though Karnataka-based Würth Elektronik employees have been there on many occasions, a visit from distant Germany is always something special. Dressed in vibrant Indian robes, the project members stand in front of us and initially greet us shyly. The atmosphere quickly turns friendly as we begin communicating through interpreters who translate into the prevailing local language, "Kannada-Indian". Jokes are shared, equipment is used, tea is served, and then a counter displaying homemade goods is opened.
While we have been following developments from Europe from the beginning, we are now hearing from the new women entrepreneurs and the NGO team that planned the project setup about how they personally experienced the story, from village profiling to the application process for candidates to the very first push of the production button. And now, they are actually holding packages of homemade food in their hands.
Please feel free to follow our blog series to find out about progress so far, and what exciting developments are yet to come, etc.
