Urmi was founded in 1953 at Atul (Valsad, Gujarat) to empower women from rural areas by creating employment opportunities for them. Production of sun dried and iron pounded spices was introduced in the early 1960s and is an intrinsic part of our story today - our process focuses on bringing into being age-old traditional techniques of spice making. In addition to spices prepared by us, we also source other products made using indigenous methods and sustainable practices.
the journey
Balwantrai Mazumdar, one of the founding fathers of Atul, set up Urmi to empower women
in the early years, activities such as knitting, music competitions and flood relief were conducted
the constitution of Urmi was adopted
hand-pounded spices were introduced to generate livelihood opportunities for women from villages around Atul
pounding machines were procured to meet the growing demand for traditionally prepared spices
spice blends prepared with 100% homemade recipes were introduced
urmi dukān, the first retail store of Urmi, was set up
At Urmi, we iron pound spices. Contrary to the ordinary pulverising method where spices are subject to immense heat, the pounding process is undertaken in smaller batches and with much lower heat release, enabling spices to retain their essential oils and giving them a distinct texture, flavour and aroma. Quality matters. Our team of women is well trained in each step of the production process.
