“I come from a community of palm climbers, where the Palm tree was more than a livelihood – it was a symbol of tradition. But over the years, people stopped valuing palm jaggery and palm trees were being cut down as wild boars had started damaging crops and farmers saw the trees as liabilities.

I was working in a stable IT job in Chennai – comfortable salary, structured life, but every trip back to my village reminded me of what we were losing. The Palm trees, once central to our lives, were being cut down. The younger generation had moved away and palm products like karupatti were slowly disappearing. It hurts to see a legacy vanish silently. That’s when I had my first wake-up call, it started with saving a few palm trees in my village. I convinced landowners to let us tap them instead of cutting them down. That first harvest changed everything. I saw the potential – not just for a business, but for impact.

I started Palm Era in 2021 while still working at an IT firm. I started researching, not just to understand the potential of palm jaggery, but to learn how I could revive its value in today’s world. To ensure that our products met the highest standards, we pursued certifications like AGMARK, FSSAI, and Pesticide Residue Free certifications.

Finally, earlier this year, I had quit my highly paying IT job to focus completely on the Palm Era. It was a big decision, but seeing the potential to help my community and make a real impact made me take the step. For me, the Palm Era became more than just a business – it became a mission to reintroduce a forgotten superfood, empower our community and offer healthier alternatives to the world.”