The story of Ravi Bharti from Jorkat village in the Sadar block of Palamu district shows how the biggest success can sometimes begin with the smallest and most personal of needs. After earning an engineering degree and setting out to find a job, this young man made a start that even he had not imagined. Today he is recognised as a successful entrepreneur in the dairy sector, and the curious part is that the very first brick of this entire business was laid by the stubborn habit of his pet dog.
A Return Home Instead of a Job
Ravi Bharti told TrendKia that in 2020 he completed his Electronics and Communication Engineering degree from RGPV University, Bhopal. He was then looking for work, but family circumstances pulled him back to his village. Once home, he began teaching at a school. Around the same time, his household had a pet dog named 'Sam' who refused to drink milk bought from the market. To meet that need, Ravi bought a cow for Rs 18,000.
As it turned out, the cow began giving 17 to 18 litres of milk a day, far more than what the household and the dog needed. Ravi started selling the surplus milk, and it soon brought in a healthy income. That was the moment he began to see real possibility in this work.
From One Cow to 'Shri Arpan'
As demand for the milk grew, Ravi gradually added four more cows and expanded the operation. It was during this period that a bigger idea struck him, why not collect milk from the surrounding rural areas, preserve it using scientific methods, and deliver it to the market. Acting on that thought, he set up his own dairy venture under the name 'Shri Arpan'. At present he collects milk from Leslieganj, Redma, Medininagar and nearby villages, and delivers it to customers through his chilling and packaging unit.
A Tight Grip on Quality
Every batch of milk that reaches Ravi's centre is first put through sampling. After that, its quality is checked using chemical testing and a milk analyser. The testing also looks for adulterants such as starch, detergent, urea, formalin and soda. Only once the milk clears every standard is it stored in a bulk milk cooler and taken through the chilling process, and only then is the fresh milk sent out to the market.
700 Litres a Day and Jobs for 20 People
Today Ravi Bharti handles a business of more than 700 litres of milk per day. He has a state-of-the-art bulk milk cooler with a capacity of 2,500 litres. His monthly business has already reached Rs 7 to 8 lakh, while his annual turnover stands between Rs 80 and 90 lakh. The venture has also provided direct employment to around 20 people.
Pasteurised Milk Is the Next Step
Ravi's next goal is to set up his own milk processing plant so that he can introduce pasteurised milk to the market in the future. He says customers will always receive fresh milk. The morning's milk is delivered to the market by that same evening, and he has no plans to sell milk that has been stored for several days. At present he sells milk at Rs 60 per litre, pure desi ghee at Rs 1,450 per kilo, and paneer at Rs 450 per kilo.
