Once while travelling on an early morning Indigo Flight I got the opportunity to try the Magic Upma*. Since it was breakfast time and Upma being a light and nourishing dish, I thought it best to have one. With hot water poured into the granular Upma mix I waited for a few minutes before I removed the lid and had my first spoonful. I have to admit, the preparation had left my taste buds mighty impressed.
During the course of my travels I realised that there were several passengers who were fond of the Magic Upma and other ready to eat dishes served on Indigo.Post some research I discovered that there was an amazing story behind the Magic Upma which really touched me and motivated me to write this post today.
It all started some 11 years ago when a 69 year old Radha Daga, who was running a small textile export unit in Chennai came across an Ad in a magazine for a ready to eat Pasta. It was her dream to work in the food industry and though she was satisfied with her textile unit, she still wanted to pursue her dream. Nearing 70 at that time was just not a concern for her. She had already decided to close down her existing unit and start her ready to eat business venture from scratch.
With just one employee ( a chef ) Radha Daga launched Triguni Eze Eats in 2011. Even though her first experiment with Idlis** failed, she was able to nail the Upma. She paid great attention to the quality of the product and ensured an attractive pricing for it. Through local distributors and even online, her products which included Upma, veg biryani, lemon rice etc began to be sold. The sales gradually picked up and gradually too she started employing staff. The venture had to succeed and Radha Daga had absolutely no doubts about it. She worked hard on increasing her product line and adding variety to her repertoire.
Triguni Eze Eats was established on a strong base of Radha Daga’s conviction, perseverance and patience. Her hadrwork was not going to go unnoticed and as luck would have it, the heavens smiled on her when by chance an Indigo Airlines executive tried one of her ready to eat products. He was so impressed that even before she could realise Radha Daga was working overtime to meet the growing demand for her preparation on Indigo Flights.
The Indigo business formed 85% of her total sales. With uncompromising attitude towards quality, Radha Daga ensured meeting the requisite standards of food items and eventually Air Asia too signed up with her for onboard ready to eat products.
Radha Daga had come a long way and despite of severe challenges during the pandemic which badly affected her sales with planes not flying, she kept patient, did not panic and absorbed the bad times. However with flights operating again her sales have been recording a sharp rise.
Radha Daga who is 80 years old now, continues to work with the same zeal and passion which could be seen in any young entrepreneur. She has a massive workforce and most of it comprises of underprivileged women. She has always endeavoured to work for the upliftment of women and wishes to have them contribute towards their family and live a much better life.
Radha Daga has not pursued balance sheets, sales and profits, but has pursued her dream with an unwavering focus and an unflinching positive attitude. She has defied age and triumphed giving strong credence to the fact that “ Age is just a number “.
Please remember Radha Daga when you take your next Indigo Flight.
* Upma is a flavoured South Indian Breakfast made from Rava or Cream of Wheat
** Idli is a savoury rice cake – a famous South Indian breakfast .
Very motivating. Will definitely try magic upma
Yes definitely, it’s worth a try. Thanks so much
Radha daga s story is an inspiration for all the aspiring entrepreneurs…even their unrealistic goals can be achieved with constant hardwork and zeal….also it should be noted how Radha has served the humanity by giving work to the underprivileged women in her venture.