• The group: Formed in 2015 at Station Bazaar, Baripada. After training from the District Industries Centre in 2025, the women secured a bank loan and installed an oil extraction machine.
• Production: Oil is extracted from mustard, groundnut, coconut, sesame and sunflower seeds. Each batch uses 20–25 kg of raw material and yields 5–6 litres of oil in about an hour.
• Distinctive feature: Customers can bring their own oilseeds and have oil extracted in their presence, which builds trust in its purity.

Impact:

• Chemical-free oil production and a steady income for members.
• A reliable market for local farmers.
• Additional income from selling oilseed cake, a by-product.

• Demand for support: Members seek government procurement for Aahaar centres, hospitals and other government-run kitchens. ORMAS CEO Bhagyalaxmi Rout said assistance would be given as required, along with efforts to expand market access.

• Aahaar: An Odisha government scheme providing subsidised meals (at ₹5) in urban areas through centres, started in 2015.
• District Industries Centre (DIC): Set up at the district level under the Industries Department to promote small and micro industries.
• ORMAS: Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society, under the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, supports marketing of rural products.
• SHGs: Mission Shakti organises women’s SHGs in Odisha, and the national counterpart is DAY-NRLM.
• Edible oils: The National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) aims to boost domestic oilseed production and reduce import dependence.

Women’s self-help groups, Mission Shakti and DAY-NRLM, ORMAS and rural marketing, the Aahaar scheme and the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds are recurring themes for OPSC Prelims (Odisha Economy, Schemes, Current Events) and OPSC Mains GS Paper III (Economy, Agriculture) and GS Paper II (Welfare Schemes).

For structured notes on Odisha-specific current affairs, aspirants preparing in Bhubaneswar can join the OPSC Foundation Batch at Strive Edge IAS — recognized as one of the best OPSC OAS coaching institutes in Bhubaneswar.