Bihar’s ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ (DKR), a successful model of entrepreneurship in providing quality meals to patients at hospitals, officials at banks and school students figured in the February issue of the World Bank India. The journal lauded the efforts of the DKR for the service of mankind.

Inspired by Kerala’s pink cafés Kudumbashree model, DKR was first started in 2018 as part of the WB supported Bihar Transformative Development Project (BTDP). The initiative is being implemented by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (also known as JEEviKA) to establish and operate food service counters in all districts and block headquarters in the state.

The first enterprises were established in the Vaishali district of the state following which this was scaled up across all 38 districts of Bihar, said WB report. Currently, more than 83 such enterprises are operational in government hospitals, medical colleges, schools, banks and other institutions across the state.

More than 1.200 women entrepreneurs and 150 full-time employees are involved in the service, They are supported by 20 consultants who are experienced in hotel management and catering, the report said.

According to official sources, all the government institutions like hospitals and banks get home-cooked meals that are affordable, nutritious and wholesome.

Quoting civil surgeon of Buxar district hospital De Jitendra Nath, the WB report said the DKR in his hospital, is proud of this achievement. “We have ensured timely construction of the DKR and we are happy with the feedback that we receive from the patients and customers,” he said.

The DKR in district hospitals where footfalls are around 350 per day, usually earn average monthly revenue of Rs 2.5 lakh with a net profit margin of about 15 per cent.

The report cited a case study of one, Leela Devi from Baghmanjhua villages in the Bhojpur district. She wakes up at around 4 am. As the sun rises, she busies herself making breakfast and lunch for her family and readying her children for school. The mother of three has a busy day ahead. She leaves for the Keolwar Mental Asylum hospital seven km away from her home. She works in the kitchen of the DKR.

State Finance Minister Bijay Kumar Chaudhary, while presenting the annual budget in the state assembly on February 28, had also lauded the contribution of the DKR to the service for mankind.

The DKR is one of the many initiatives undertaken by JEEViKA under the $290 million BTDP. The project is supporting women-owned enterprises across other growth sectors like ‘Grameen Bazar’ in the retail sector, ‘ Shilpagram’ in arts and crafts sector ‘Madhugram’ in the beekeeping sector.

JEEviKA has also set up high-end food enterprises in the Patna main branch of SBI and Reserve Bank of India and now is piloting other marketing models such as kiosks at high footfall areas.