In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, two sisters, 88-year-old Suman and 78-year-old Kusum, have turned a lifelong kitchen hobby into a business that is now drawing attention across social media. The sisters run a pickle brand called Suku Secret, a name built from their own names, standing for Suman and Kusum's secret pickle. Lakhs of people follow the duo on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, praising the pickles the two elderly sisters make entirely by hand.
A childhood hobby that grew into a business idea
Suman and Kusum say they have loved making pickles since they were children. Together, they used to prepare many different varieties, but for years it stayed strictly a family affair. Relatives would regularly ask the sisters to make pickles and send them over, and it was this constant demand that planted the idea of turning their hobby into a proper business. The sisters felt that if their pickles could win over their own family so completely, there was no reason the rest of the world shouldn't get a taste of it too. They had fed their family long enough, they decided, and it was time to feed the world.
Leaving a job and a husband's business behind for a fresh start
Around the same time, Suman, who had been working in the education department in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, retired from her job. Kusum, meanwhile, had been looking after her husband's business. Inspired by her elder sister's idea, Kusum stepped away from that business to join Suman, and together the two sisters launched their pickle venture, turning decades of home cooking experience into a shared enterprise.
Daughter Vaishali's marketing push brought in lakhs of followers
The sisters did not build this business alone, their daughter Vaishali took charge of marketing the brand. That effort paid off: Suku Secret now has lakhs of followers across Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Viewers do not just pick up pickle-making tips from the sisters' pages, many say they are also drawing business inspiration from watching two elderly women build a brand from scratch.
Entirely organic, entirely handmade, with no chemicals added
Suman and Kusum explain that every jar of their pickle is completely organic and made by hand. The ingredients are first washed thoroughly, then dried and cleaned. Spices are roasted before being added, followed by oil, and the pickle is then left out in the sun until it is fully ready. Even the packaging is done at home, which is why the sisters describe every jar as truly handmade. They are firm on one point: no chemicals or preservatives of any kind go into their pickles.
Loved by all ages, and priced for everyone
That chemical-free, handmade approach is exactly why the pickles have found fans across generations, children, young adults and the elderly are all eating them. The Suku Secret range includes lemon chutney, mango pickle, green chilli pickle and garlic pickle. Prices range from Rs 200 to Rs 600.
Next up, making their own raw oil at home
The sisters revealed they are now learning to make their own raw, unrefined oil at home. Once they master that process, they plan to stop using any outside-bought oil in their pickles altogether, keeping the entire product, from ingredient to bottle, made within their own hands.
