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Volume 4(7)

Livelihood Dynamics and Market Realities of Women-Led Seafood Micro-Enterprises in Coastal Kerala

Ameena A

Research Scholar 

Centre for Budget Studies, CUSAT

I happened to explore the coastal areas of Kochi, Alappuzha, and Kollam in Kerala to interact with women-led micro seafood enterprises. The aim was to understand their products, marketing practices, business ideas and how these products are sold to the market.

The conversations with these women were unique, meaningful, and inspiring. Each interaction revealed a different perspective on their life, work, and entrepreneurship. I realized that most of the women thought very differently from what I had initially expected. Rather than dreaming of building large businesses or expanding into competitive markets, they had been seeking simple ways to earn a modest income to meet their daily household needs. Through these conversations, I understood that long-term business ambitions had not driven their entrepreneurial journey. Instead, their immediate concern had been generating enough income to support their families. Even a small amount of additional earnings had made a significant difference in managing household expenses, children's education, healthcare, and other essential needs.

As I spent more time with them, I observed that many women had started their enterprises alongside their husbands or other family members. Their businesses had largely focused on earning daily wages rather than building sustainable enterprises with long-term growth plans. Another important observation was that many women-led group enterprises had struggled to survive for extended periods. Several of these ventures had closed within a short time after they were established. During informal discussions, many participants shared that differences in opinion, ego-related conflicts, communication gaps, and difficulties in adjusting to one another had become major reasons for the failure of these group enterprises. Although the idea of collective entrepreneurship had appeared promising, maintaining unity and cooperation had proved to be one of the greatest challenges.

Throughout the field visit it is noticed that the strong presence and active involvement of Self-Help Groups, particularly Kudumbashree, in supporting women entrepreneurs. However, many women had not fully utilized the opportunities available to them. It is observed that Kudumbashree had played a vital role in strengthening grassroots entrepreneurship by facilitating access to bank credit, connecting women with marketing opportunities, organizing entrepreneurship development and skill-training programs, and raising awareness of modern machinery and value-addition techniques. These organizations are also taking the initiative to organize food festivals, exhibitions, fairs, and local markets where women could display and sell their products directly to consumers. These interventions have significantly reduced many of the barriers that women entrepreneurs typically faced when entering the market.

One of the most memorable parts of the visit was hearing the personal stories behind each enterprise. Every product was more than a business activity; it reflected determination, resilience, and a desire to improve family well-being. Many women described how they balanced household responsibilities, childcare, and entrepreneurial work each day. Despite limited financial resources and restricted market access, they continued their businesses with remarkable dedication. Their willingness to learn new skills and adapt to changing circumstances demonstrated a strong entrepreneurial spirit, even though many lacked confidence in expanding beyond their local markets.

Another important realization for me was that the greatest challenge was not product quality but limited exposure to broader markets. Many women had produced high-quality, value-added products using traditional knowledge and locally available resources. However, inadequate branding, simple packaging, a lack of digital marketing skills, and dependence on local customers had restricted their business growth. I felt that with proper mentoring in branding, online marketing, product presentation, and customer engagement, these enterprises could significantly improve their competitiveness.

Overall, this field experience transformed my understanding of women's entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Before the visit, I had viewed entrepreneurship primarily from a business perspective, focusing on growth, profitability, and market expansion. However, interacting with these women helped me understand that entrepreneurship often began as a survival strategy rather than a commercial ambition. Their enterprises represented hope, independence, and financial security for their families. I left the field with a deeper appreciation for the role of organizations such as Kudumbashree and other Self-Help Groups in economically empowering women. I strongly believed that if these women were provided with continuous mentoring, better market linkages, digital marketing support, branding assistance, and access to larger domestic and international markets, their enterprises could achieve sustainable growth, and their products could successfully reach customers across India and even in global markets.