Shambhuraje
Zero-waste, steam-processed Kolhapur cashews and traditional gravy bits (kani)
We never thought we would start a cashew processing unit. But we felt we should provide employment to the village people.
The short version
In his words
I used to work as a District Resource Person for the Agriculture Department in Kolhapur under the PMFME scheme. Visiting processing units across our region, I noticed a worrying trend: while new cashew plants were opening, many were quietly shutting down. When I studied why they failed, I saw that many were built just to chase government subsidies or ran out of capital to buy raw nuts.
I wanted to build something permanent that would create real employment in our village. When traditional banks turned us down because we didn’t have a prior business history, we didn’t give up. We gathered 750 local farmers into a producer group, raised ₹15 Lakhs in equity, and established a direct supply chain that guarantees fair prices for our growers.
My family hesitated at first, but gave their blessing when they saw my commitment to running a proper, high-quality operation. Today, we employ nine women from our village who used to do backbreaking farm labor under the hot sun. Now they work comfortably indoors, earn double their previous wages, and receive free monthly medical checkups. We don’t rely on subsidies; our focus is strictly on quality—steam-boiling, resting, and drying our cashews so they stay crisp and fresh for up to eight months. It brings me deep pride to see our village women thriving and our customers receiving the finest quality cashews directly from our local farmers.
Visited and filmed, August 2026
The workshop, the work and the paperwork were recorded on camera that day. This is a record of one visit, not a promise about every day since.
Where the materials come from
Direct farmer sourcing. Raw cashews are purchased directly from a group of 750 local farmers, ensuring raw material security and fair market rates for agricultural families.
Craft and moisture control. Raw nuts are washed in water elevators to remove debris, steam-boiled in specialized cookers, and rested for 8 hours before cutting. After mechanical cutting, the kernels are hand-sorted and subjected to a two-stage thermal drying process that draws out excess natural oil.
Natural 8-month shelf life. The double-stage drying and precise moisture cabinet treatment keep the cashews sweet, crisp, and naturally fresh for 7 to 8 months without chemical preservatives.
Zero-waste guarantee. Absolutely nothing is wasted in this facility. Whole kernels are sorted for retail, broken pieces (kani) are collected for regional hotel gravies, and discarded outer shells (talper) are supplied to industrial manufacturers for paint production and boat hull waterproofing.
Worker health protection. Every woman employed at the factory receives a free, comprehensive medical checkup every month.
Hygienic processing. Processed using food-grade Kurat and Delta equipment, including automated washers, steam cookers, and sealed drying chambers.
At work
He supervises the women grading cashews by size while steam rises off the processing cooker.
The daily rhythm. Every morning at 7:00 AM, machine cutting begins with two operators. At 10:30 AM, nine women from the village arrive at the facility. Moving away from grueling agricultural labor, they sit comfortably indoors, utilizing their sharp visual attention to grade and categorize whole kernels, halves, and splits. The day ends with automated color-sorting and vacuum-sealing.
Products and specialties
Grade 1 Whole Cashews (100g, 150g, 250g)
Premium, large whole kernels carefully hand-selected and color-sorted for direct snacking.
Grade 2 and 3 Split Cashews
High-quality halved and split cashew kernels, perfect for home cooking, baking, and traditional Maharashtrian sweets.
Cashew Kani (Kolhapuri Gravy Bits)
Coarsely ground broken cashew fragments extracted during hand-grading. This is the authentic secret ingredient used by regional chefs to thicken iconic Kolhapuri dishes like Pandhra Rassa, Tambra Rassa, and rich paneer gravies.
Cashew Shell Feedstock (Industrial Byproduct)
Discarded cashew shells (talper) collected for industrial oil extraction used in boat maintenance and paint manufacturing.
Grade 1 Cashews – Assorted (100g, 150g and 250g)
Grade 1 Cashews – 150g
Grade 1 Cashews – 250g
Grade 1 Cashews – 100g