“Sringeri Stores (Ganesh Condiments) was started after my father passed away in 1998. Our family was into the areca nut (Adike) business in Sringeri and for almost 70 years we have had done that. We started this in 2000 and amma had this strong determination to start something of our own and she had the experience of making homemade products from her family side. My mother’s sisters decided that they will make one item each and send it and that’s how this came into existence.”

“I did, I mean I still do. Even today if I had the chance, I would take up agriculture but I know it is not easy and something that won’t happen. People like me are stuck in the trap of this city culture and life. The idea was to live amidst nature and work on it but I can’t even call this an unfortunate thing because it’s just the circumstances.”

“When we dream at a very young age, we wouldn’t know whether we can achieve it or not. It’s just a dream, right? We can dream anything we want to but the reality hits later as and when we grow up. So, when we realize that, we know the stark difference between dream and reality. More than my dream, I had to understand what was right for me and make a decision based on that.”

“Our customers are from different parts of the world, from a very important IT company employee to a retired 70-year-old who buys sambar pudi and puliogre pudi from us. Often, I talk to the elderly and they come here to buy all these home-made products just to send it to their children and grandchildren. We keep listening to their stories and they tell us one thing, that, we are shopkeepers for them, we are their friends because they would rarely talk to anyone.”