Imphal East, June 3 -- In a quiet corner of Brahmapur Nahabam Bamon Leikai in Imphal East, 40-year-old Hanjabam Ongbi Ranita Devi is leading a grassroots revolution through her food processing unit, SMILE BOA.

With a mission to empower local women and transform seasonal fruits into market-ready products, Ranita is redefining entrepreneurship in Manipur.

Her venture began with humble beginnings and no prior experience in food processing. It was after attending a month-long training organised by the District Industries Centre, Imphal East, that Ranita discovered her passion.

Motivated by the training, she launched her first product, dehydrated Chinese chives, which became a local favourite.

Today, SMILE produces over 80 varieties of deh...