Processing Centres
"Built by Many, Owned by All"
The four production units—Bangalapadigai, Pillur, Pudukad, and Banagudi—stand as the foundational pillars of Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Ltd. Incubated by Keystone Foundation and formally registered in 2013, Aadhimalai is entirely owned by tribal shareholders, combining sustainable harvesting, traditional ecological knowledge, and fair trade practices into a model that is both community-driven and environmentally conscious.
Each unit is more than just a production centre—it is a community hub. These spaces foster economic resilience while also supporting education, healthcare, legal awareness, and environmental stewardship in some of the most remote forest villages of the Nilgiris.
Over 3,500 tribal families across 100+ villages have benefited from this model, receiving 20–30% higher returns compared to conventional markets, and gaining access to reliable and dignified income through value-added forest and farm produce.
Importantly, every woman employed in these production units is also a shareholder in Aadhimalai, giving them a direct stake and voice in the enterprise they help build. These opportunities have inspired many tribal women to grow beyond the production floor—as seen in the journey of Mallika, who started as a unit employee and rose to become both a panchayat leader and a member of Aadhimalai’s Board of Directors. Her story is a living example of how dignified employment can nurture leadership and unlock the vast potential within tribal communities.
Through these interwoven threads of livelihood, empowerment, and ecological justice, Aadhimalai continues to grow—not just as a company, but as a movement of people reclaiming agency over their forests, their economy, and their future.
Bangalapadigai
Where a Bungalow Became a Beginning
Back in 2003, Keystone Foundation began exploring what could naturally flourish around Bangalapadigai, a tribal hamlet roughly 34 km east of Kotagiri, perched at around 1,000 m MSL. Locals—members of the Irula tribe—relied on forest grafts like shikakai, amla, soap berries, honey, and traditional millet. With Keystone’s support, the village head and community self-help group Bangalapadi Nila Vala Membaattu Kulu took the leap from cautious interest to production.
The name “Bangalapadigai” comes from the grand bungalow of that time—the village’s largest house—which became the first makeshift processing hub before they moved into the community hall. Then, in 2006, they built a dedicated centre where they still operate.
Early products included amla honey, silk, coffee, and pepper. Today, they also gin silk cotton, process honey, pack millets, and more. In 2024, a solar panel installation marked their commitment to reducing carbon footprint in alignment withthe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Now, a team of five women, led by eldest in-charge Mrs Chithra—a shareholder and landholder—runs the unit, combining traditional tribal farming knowledge with modern ecological practices.
Pillur
Crafting Value in the Shadow of the Forest
In 2003, eight women began pickle-making inside a millet farmer’s home in Keezh Pillur. After a year, as transport obstacles became clear, their SHG—Pillur Nadu Magalir Kulu—shifted operations to an “EB quarters” space. By 2007, they’d established a proper production centre in the ecologically sensitive Pillur valley.
This area, rich in NTFP and shadowed by a hydel dam, still relies on rainfed agriculture, and elephants often venture into this rain-shadow zone. Traditional farmers grew millets, pulses, and grains—and have recently introduced banana plantations. The team has begun experimenting with banana-fiber baskets and mats, leveraging local growth and traditional craft.
Today, it’s operated by four tribal women, led by Kaaliammal, who is also a shareholder. The team procures grains for nearby Mettupalayam market, bringing structure where none existed.
Pudukad
A Kurumba-Led Honey & Honeycare Hub
Around 2005–06, Kurumba tribal woman Susheela took initiative on the Coonoor slopes to establish a centre that would focus on honey varieties, balms, soaps, and pickles. They began in a rented tribal house, slowly evolving into a full-fledged production centre as local women embraced value addition.
Despite many challenges, the group persevered—and was soon recognized by the local government as a successful tribal women’s enterprise in Nilgiris district. Today, five women, under the leadership of Mrs Sumithra, continue to produce rich, non-timber forest produce–based goods in this hub.
Banagudi
The COVID-Inspired Beeswax & Millet Studio
The youngest of the four, Banagudi, was set up in 2020 amid the COVID crisis. To create new livelihood channels, the team started by making millets, beeswax soaps, and beeswax food wraps in a local marriage hall—though the space was far from ideal.
Later, operations moved to the village head’s house. One early employee, Saraswati, mobilized twelve village women to sustain income during lean times, later persuading the village to offer the community hall as workspace. After six months, the demand and need justified construction of a new unit. By 2023, a proper building stood—complete with space for soap-making, kitchen wraps, infused honey, reusable sanitary pads, cloth bags, and more.
