Young entrepreneur and advocate Apoorva Tripathi has been conferred the SHRD – Smt. Saroj Singh Memorial National Entrepreneurship Award 2025 for her groundbreaking work in horticulture science, organic entrepreneurship, and tribal women empowerment. The award, presented by the Society for Horticulture Research and Development (SHRD), Uttar Pradesh, was given during the 4th Indian Horticulture Summit cum International Conference 2026 recently at Rani Lakshmibai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi. Tripathi was recognised for creating an innovative, ethical, and scalable organic agriculture model in Bastar, focusing on empowering tribal women through market access, processing skills, and fair pricing.

 

Under the “MD Botanicals” brand, Bastar’s tribal women’s herbal products, spices, and millets now reach national and international markets. Through the Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group, she organised organic produce from tribal women, offered free training in processing and quality enhancement, and built a farm-to-market ecosystem meeting global standards while honouring traditional knowledge. A trained lawyer Tripathi channeled her expertise into tribal livelihoods and women-led enterprises. Accepting the award, Tripathi said: “This honour belongs to the tribal women of Bastar, whose hard work, dignity, and blessings made this journey possible. True entrepreneurship reaches the last person with respect, opportunity, and self-reliance.”