At an age when most people prefer to slow down and rarely think about starting something new, two sisters chose to turn a lifelong hobby into a thriving business. Suman, 88, and her younger sister Kusum, 78, are not just making pickles today, they are also proving to millions of people that dreams have no expiry date. Their story of hard work and grit is spreading fast on social media, and admirers across Instagram and YouTube cannot stop praising the duo.
The two sisters named their pickle brand Suku Secret. The name itself carries a charming meaning, Suku stands for Suman and Kusum, while Secret refers to their special pickle whose flavour has won over countless taste buds. Millions of people now follow them on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, picking up both pickle-making tips and business ideas along the way.
A Business Idea Born From Family Demands
Suman and Kusum have loved making pickles since childhood. The two would prepare all kinds of pickles together, but only for their own household. Family members would often ask them to make extra and send it over. That is exactly where the idea took root one day, if their own relatives loved it so much, why not turn it into a proper business? They felt that after years of feeding the family, the time had finally come to share the taste of their hands with the wider world.
Around the same time, Suman, who worked in the Education Department in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, retired from service. Kusum, meanwhile, was running her husband's business. When her elder sister set out on this new path, Kusum stepped away from her husband's business to fully support her, and together the two built their pickle brand from the ground up. Their daughter Vaishali played a key role in this journey by handling the marketing. The result is there for everyone to see, their brand now has millions of followers on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
Fully Organic and Made Entirely by Hand
Both sisters say all their pickles are completely organic and handmade. The method they follow is deeply traditional. Every batch of pickle is first washed, then dried and thoroughly cleaned. After that, the spices are roasted and mixed in, oil is added, and finally the mixture is left out in the sun to be fully cured. Even the packaging is done at home, which is why this pickle is genuinely handcrafted. No chemicals or preservatives of any kind go into it.
That is perhaps why the pickle is being loved by everyone, from children to the elderly. Their range includes lemon chutney and mango pickle, along with green chilli pickle and garlic pickle. As for the price, it ranges from 200 rupees to 600 rupees. The sisters are now learning to make raw oil at home. Once they master that skill, they plan to stop using any outside oil in their pickles altogether.
