Devni Devi: Mocked for doing ‘Chhota Kaam,’ how this 65-Year-old woman from Patna built a ₹2.5 crore food empire in 5 years
At 59-60 years, she felt the need to do something to support her family and began cooking for students. But Devni Devi’s tiffin service which she started from her kitchen was not met with much respect or encouragement, either within her joint family or outside. “It was looked upon as chhota kaam,” she recalls. In the scorching summers of Patna, when temperatures touched nearly 50°C, she would toil in the kitchen preparing meals for students. “I felt these children were deprived of clean, nutritious home food, so I prepared the same food I cooked for my family.” Over time, Devni Devi realised that students loved her meals, and the popularity of her food began spreading through word of mouth.She was married at the age of 16 into a large joint family, and several decades of her life were spent slogging in the kitchen. It was thankless drudgery that Devni Devi, like thousands of women, had to endure in the garb of household duties. When the family moved to Patna for the education of the children, expenses began to rise, and she wanted to support her family. But being uneducated, there was very little she could do.
One day she noticed the tiffin box of a medical student and was shocked by the poor quality of food that children staying away from home had to eat. She decided to cook meals for students and initially priced them at just ₹20. However, this “small” job was not appreciated by relatives and even some family members. She was often questioned: “Does your husband not earn enough?” These comments hurt her husband so much that he stopped speaking to her for months.Gradually, her work began to pick up, and things started looking better. Then the pandemic struck. Students went back home, and there was very little work left. But those circumstances did not stop her. She began delivering food to individual homes. Her food was so good and genuine that demand slowly grew again. Eventually, one of her sons began uploading videos and photos of her work on social media. The content received a lot of appreciation and significantly increased her popularity.
Devni Devi now has an annual turnover of ₹2.5 crore and employs 15 people. What started as a small tiffin service has today evolved into a restaurant Amma’s Kitchen with a takeaway outlet. The most remarkable aspect of her business is the loyalty of her repeat customers. Devni Devi can only write her name; she does not use a smartphone or social media. She does not even have a social media team—occasionally, her family posts random photos and videos online, without any real marketing plan. Yet her clientele continues to grow day by day.Her son Durgesh, who works as a communications professional in Delhi, says the reason is simple: delicious food. “From my mother’s experience, we have learned one thing—there is no substitute for quality, consistency, and honest work. All my mother did was work hard and make good food. We never focused on publicity, but people kept coming to us. Now we have decoded the magic—it is simply good work.”
The 65-year-old Amma also encourages other women to start their own work. “Tum to padhe-likhe ho, tum kama kyun nahi lete apna?” she often tells them. She strongly believes that women should be financially independent so that they can support their families just as men do. “We are among the top five most ordered places in Patna. One thing I have realised is that good work always pays. My mother’s life has taught us this beautiful lesson,” says Durgesh with a lot of pride in his voice for a mother who became an example for thousands.
