Andaman woman turns 5 birds into poultry unit earning Rs 1.91 lakh monthly

In 2023, Rajeshwari, a 38-year-old woman from Wandoor village in South Andaman, had just five indigenous birds in her backyard. She had no experience in scientific poultry management and kept the birds mainly for household consumption. Today, she runs an organised poultry enterprise that produces around 2,000 chicks every month and generates an estimated monthly net profit of ₹1.91 lakh. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Rajeshwari's growth from a small backyard poultry keeper to a rural entrepreneur followed training, technical guidance and the adoption of scientific poultry farming practices. Her enterprise now supplies poultry meat, chicks and table eggs, creating a regular source of income.From five backyard birds to a poultry enterpriseRajeshwari holds an M.Sc. degree in Botany. In 2023, looking for a sustainable source of self-employment, she approached the ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI) in Sri Vijaya Puram for guidance on poultry farming.