Three MBA friends build Rs 2.5 crore business from banana waste in Bihar
Taruwar Agro uses discarded banana stems to manufacture fibre products like yoga mats and baskets, according to India Today.
Three MBA friends from Bihar have built a business by converting discarded banana stems into natural fibre products, according to India Today. The founders of Taruwar Agro, Jagat Kalyan, Satyam Kumar and Nitish Kumar Verma, launched the venture in 2021 to utilise agricultural waste left after banana harvesting.
The company recorded approximately Rs 2.5 crore in revenue in FY26, growing from an initial investment of around Rs 20 lakh. The business uses specialised machinery to extract, clean and dry fibre from the stems to manufacture items such as yoga mats, baskets, prayer mats and file folders.
The founders met while pursuing their management education at Taxila Business School. Jagat Kalyan, the CEO, previously received job opportunities from IDFC First Bank and organisations in Tanzania and Dubai. Satyam Kumar worked with EcoHoy, while Nitish Kumar Verma worked with S&P and Infosys.
Kalyan said the trio chose entrepreneurship over lucrative corporate and overseas opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic to build something for their state. The company also uses leftover pulp to make vermicompost and plant nutrition liquid.
Taruwar Agro follows B2B and B2C models, selling products through marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho. The company has also diversified into makhana and is exploring banana flour, starch, vegan leather and international markets in France and the Philippines.