In 2018, Singampalli Parwathi borrowed Rs 20,000 to begin buying and selling raw cashew nuts in Natavaram village in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district. Eight years later, her business has grown into a cashew-processing enterprise with an annual turnover of around Rs 50 lakh, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB).Parwathi’s journey began when she was looking for a way to improve her family’s financial situation. According to a PIB report, her household depended on a small farm, two dairy buffaloes and her husband’s daily-wage earnings. The income was often insufficient to meet household expenses and unexpected costs, forcing the family to borrow money at high interest rates.She wanted to start a business of her own, but a lack of capital stood in her way. Joining the Sri Durga Bhavani Farmer Producer Group in 2018 gave her access to a small loan and a starting point for her enterprise.
From trading raw cashews to processing kernels
The initial Rs 20,000 loan allowed Parwathi to buy and sell raw cashew nuts. The business helped her understand the market and identify an opportunity to earn more by processing the nuts herself. In 2019, she obtained another loan of Rs 50,000. According to the PIB report, she used the money to purchase two cutting machines and began extracting cashew kernels, which she sold to traders in Tuni. Moving into processing meant she was no longer limited to trading raw cashews. It also gave her an opportunity to add value to the produce before selling it.As the business expanded, Parwathi needed more equipment and working capital. The farmer producer group continued to support her, providing a loan of Rs 2 lakh. She also secured Rs 3 lakh in bank financing under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). Together, the funds helped her establish a larger cashew-processing unit, according to the PIB account.
Her business now processes 11 grades of cashew
Parwathi now processes cashews into 11 different grades to meet varying customer requirements. She supplies her products to customers across India and participates in exhibitions to display and sell her products, according to the PIB report. Her enterprise has reached an annual turnover of approximately Rs 50 lakh. This is the reported turnover of the business, not its profit; the report does not specify how much she earns after operating expenses.The growth from a Rs 20,000 initial loan to a business with this level of turnover illustrates how access to credit helped her move from buying and selling raw produce to running a processing unit.
How a farmer producer group helped her expand
The Sri Durga Bhavani Farmer Producer Group played a central role in Parwathi’s business journey by connecting her to credit at different stages. The first loan helped her enter the trade, the second enabled her to buy machinery, and further group and bank financing supported the expansion of her processing operations.Her story is included in a PIB feature on women entrepreneurs whose businesses are being showcased at the National SARAS Mela 2026 in Vijayawada. The event brings together rural enterprises and self-help group-linked businesses, giving participants a platform to display and sell their products.Parwathi’s business has grown through successive investments rather than a single large loan. She began with raw cashew trading, added machinery the following year and later secured funds to expand processing. Today, she supplies graded kernels to customers across the country.
