Recently, the highest honor given by the Indian Government was given to some of the most deserving candidates. This recognition is given for their hard work and paramount achievements in the field of social work.

For 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the conferment of 119 Padma Awards, including 1 duo case in which case the award is counted as one.

There have been various names from different fields who did exceptionally well. However, we are here to tell you about that one person who is worth all the appreciation.

Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat was felicitated by the President for her distinguished work in the Trade and Industry category. The 90-year-old Popat is the co-founder of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, a women’s cooperative involved in the manufacturing of various fast-moving consumer goods.

The picture of the President handing over the prestigious award was shared through the official handle of the President himself.

President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Smt. Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat for Trade and Industry. She is one of the founders of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, a women’s worker cooperative involved in the manufacturing of various fast-moving consumer goods. pic.twitter.com/tfdK7Et0ax

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 9, 2021

The Begining of Lijjat Pappad

Jaswantiben started the small enterprise in 1959, along with six of her friends. They met on a terrace in Girgaum, Maharashtra, and started making papads, after borrowing a sum of ₹80 from a social worker, Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh.

The women had no knowledge of how to run a business. However, they had what was needed the most, the talent and dedication to start a business altogether.

Growth & Development

The brand has grown to be one of the most popular pappad brands in India, Lijjat Papad. Not just in India, the brand has become a popular name in the international market as well and has today grown to be a ₹1,600 crore business with 81 branches and employs over 45,000 women across the country.

To ensure the job security of all the people that work in the company, it has not adopted any machinery to replace the staff. The pappads are still rolled out by hand just like old days.

Over the years, the company has forayed amongst many different sectors like masalas, atta, and even detergent.

To put an extra feather on the company’s cap of achievements, Every woman that joins Lijjat is called a Lijjat Ben (Sister) and is given an equal share in the profits.