From Stove to Startup: The Making of a Community-Driven Social Enterprise

Abstract

This case follows Tanya and Ankit, two fellows in a social enterprise program, as they attempt to co-create a livelihood venture with self-help group (SHG) women in Kotma, a rural subdivision in Madhya Pradesh, India. After months of fieldwork and immersion, they mobilize a team of fifteen women, Annapurna, who express interest in launching a catering business. An immediate opportunity arises when the NGO partner invites bids to provide food services for a year-long training program. While the contract offers short-term revenue and builds confidence, it also poses risks related to financing, operational readiness, and sustainability. At the same time, some women and the fellows envision a more ambitious alternative: developing a small-scale food enterprise producing packaged local delicacies for broader markets. With the bidding deadline approaching, the fellows face a pivotal dilemma: should they pursue the catering contract with immediate but uncertain returns, or invest in building a scalable venture with higher risks and longer horizons? The case highlights challenges of entrepreneurship in resource-constrained settings, gendered dynamics of SHGs, and the tension between short-term viability and long-term sustainability in social enterprise building. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2026.