Sharma Nagar, North Chennai — In a spirited tribute to the nation’s 80th Independence Day, the organisation We The Leaders hosted a special commemorative event in Sharma Nagar, North Chennai, bringing together community members for an occasion marked by patriotism, unity and social responsibility.

The highlight of the celebration was the ceremonial hoisting of the National Flag, carried out with the honour and reverence befitting the milestone occasion. The event was organised by Saravanan and his team from Perambur, whose planning and coordination ensured a smooth and dignified celebration.

The gathering saw active participation from Barath, Shrish, Arumugam, Pandian and his team, alongside members of We The Leaders, all of whom came together to make the day a memorable one for the local community.

Adding a festive touch to the occasion, sweets were distributed among all attendees, fostering a spirit of togetherness and joy. In a meaningful gesture that extended the celebration’s significance beyond tradition, the organisation also distributed more than 200 tree saplings to those present. The initiative aimed to promote environmental awareness and encourage citizens to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future — linking the spirit of independence with a commitment to nation-building through ecological responsibility.

Speaking about the event’s success, organisers noted that the collective enthusiasm and dedication of every participant played a key role in making the celebration both meaningful and memorable.

The event concluded with the group’s rallying message, reflecting their commitment to community-driven progress:

“Let us change. Let us bring change.”

With initiatives like this, We The Leaders continues to demonstrate how national celebrations can be paired with grassroots action — blending patriotism with a tangible commitment to social and environmental good.

Bengaluru, August 15, 2026: Seven executive members of a Farmer Producer Company (FPC), all women from the Bonda tribe, one of India’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), have travelled from the remote Bonda Hills of Odisha’s Malkangiri district to Bengaluru for a training programme on food drying and processing techniques at Jain University.

The training is part of a livelihood initiative implemented by Rise Against Hunger India to help increase household incomes through the processing and value addition of locally available forest produce, including bamboo shoots, jackfruit, mangoes and edible forest leaves.

The visit marks a significant milestone for the women, who are now directors and office bearers of their Farmer Producer Company (FPC). Three years ago, when Rise Against Hunger India began working with the community, many of them were hesitant to speak even in group settings. Today, they actively participate in discussions, ask questions and make decisions for their enterprise.

Their journey from shy participants to leaders of a collective enterprise reflects a deeper transformation rooted in confidence, agency and a growing belief in their own potential.

For many of the women, this is their first journey outside their region and their first experience of life in a major city. Beyond technical skills, the programme is providing exposure to new environments, people and opportunities while building on the community’s traditional knowledge of forest resources.

“The transformation we have witnessed among these women over the past three years is deeply encouraging. The fact that they are now travelling far from their villages, participating actively in a technical training programme and representing their producer company reflects how significantly their confidence and leadership have grown. Our aim is not to move communities away from their identity, but to help them build on their strengths and connect their traditional knowledge with opportunities that promote dignity and sustainable livelihoods,” said Dola Mohapatra, Chief Executive Officer, Rise Against Hunger India.

For the participants, the visit represents far more than a training opportunity.

“This is the first time I have travelled so far from my village. We used to see big buildings and cities only in movies. Travelling to Bengaluru, seeing tall buildings, riding the Metro, trying new food and meeting new people has been a completely new experience for me,” said Adibari Sisa, Executive Member, Amakund Farmer Producer Company.

“Being part of the producer company has given me confidence. Earlier, I only had dreams that I could do something meaningful. Now, I can see those dreams becoming a reality. This experience has shown me that women can be leaders and create positive change in their communities,” said Laxmi Badanayak, President of the Farmer Producer Company.

The NTFP training programme is part of Rise Against Hunger India’s broader efforts to strengthen community-led livelihoods and resilient local enterprises. By combining technical skill development, exposure and collective decision-making, the organization is supporting communities to create sustainable economic opportunities on their own terms.

About Rise Against Hunger India

Rise Against Hunger India is committed to ending hunger and improving lives through programmes focused on food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, women’s empowerment and livelihood development. The organisation works with vulnerable communities across India to build resilience, improve well-being and create pathways to sustainable development.

Over the past decade, Rise Against Hunger India has served more than 46 million meals and reached over 4 million people through its food security, nutrition and livelihood programmes, working alongside grassroots organizations, rural communities and humanitarian partners across India.

BHUBANESWAR — Dakloni Masala markets its Chicken Masala as an “aromatic blend of 13 spices for authentic chicken curry,” a specific-sounding claim that appears on the product’s packaging and marketing creatives. Its Meat Masala carries similar language. The Odisha-based brand, operated by Green Chocy Private Limited, has not published the actual list of the 13 spices or their proportions in the blend.

Naming a precise spice count is a common device in India’s packaged-masala category, used by both large national brands and smaller regional entrants to signal complexity and craftsmanship without necessarily disclosing a full recipe — proprietary blend ratios are typically treated as trade secrets industry-wide, so Dakloni’s non-disclosure is not unusual in itself.

Why the Number Matters to Shoppers

Spice-blend formulation affects flavour, heat level and how a masala performs across different regional cooking styles, and shoppers comparing packaged masalas often use ingredient lists, when available, to judge freshness or filler content — for instance, whether a blend leans on cheaper starch or salt fillers rather than whole spices. Dakloni’s packaging states “No Additives” and “No Added Flavours,” which speaks to what is excluded, but does not itself confirm the composition or ratio of the 13 named spices.

Standard packaging for pre-packaged food in India requires an ingredient list in descending order by weight; whether Dakloni’s boxes carry this listing on panels not captured in the marketing creatives reviewed for this report could not be confirmed.

A Category Where Comparison Is Difficult

Because blend ratios are rarely public across the category, comparing Dakloni’s Chicken Masala or Meat Masala against competitors on formulation grounds is difficult for an outside observer; most comparisons by consumers end up resting on taste testing and repeat-purchase behaviour rather than published specification. Food-industry analysts note this is one reason smaller masala brands lean heavily on origin and purity storytelling — it is easier to communicate and verify at a glance than a 13-ingredient ratio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dakloni Masala publish its Chicken Masala’s exact spice list?

The company states its Chicken Masala is a blend of 13 spices but has not published the specific ingredients or their proportions in materials reviewed for this report.

Is a 13-spice claim common in Indian masala brands?

Naming a specific spice count is a common marketing device across the category, used by both large and small brands, and does not by itself indicate anything unusual about Dakloni’s formulation.

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