Mumbai’s traditional Koli fishing community is undergoing a quiet business transformation, as women fish vendors move from informal street-side selling to organised seafood entrepreneurship powered by branding, packaging and digital commerce.
At the centre of this shift is Daryavardi Producer Company Limited (DPCL), Mumbai’s first fish farmer producer organization led entirely by Koli women. Founded in April 2023, the community-owned company is attempting to formalize and scale a trade that has historically operated through fragmented local networks.
What once depended largely on door-to-door fish selling and neighbourhood relationships is now evolving into a structured seafood business with centralized procurement, ready-to-eat products, online ordering systems and retail branding.
DPCL currently has over 1,000 shareholders from Mumbai’s fishing villages and operates through multiple self-help groups involved in fish processing, spice blends, pickles, seafood snacks and other value-added products.
The company’s recent participation in a workshop at the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) highlighted how women are adapting to modern retail practices. Many participants attended formal packaging training for the first time, learning how leakproof and hygienic packaging can improve shelf life, consumer trust and product pricing.
“We didn’t realize packaging could affect shelf life because we always sold fish in polythene bags,” DPCL director Pratibha Patil from Juhu Koliwada said. She added that better packaging has helped improve hygiene standards and marketability.
Beyond packaging, the company has introduced digital ordering systems using WhatsApp and Google Forms, enabling deliveries across Mumbai and Pune. DPCL has also diversified its portfolio beyond fresh seafood into fish masalas, rotis, pickles and snacks such as fish chaklis.
Founder Ujjwala Patil said the company drew inspiration from the cooperative structure pioneered by Amul. “What Amul did for the White Revolution, DPCL will do for the Blue Economy,” she said.
The venture began with an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh contributed by ten women directors. Since then, it has expanded through shareholder participation from fish vendors and women entrepreneurs across the city.
According to the company, some members now work in production units on daily wages, while others continue independent fish vending but source products through DPCL’s wholesale network.
The company reported revenues of around Rs 20 lakh in the last quarter of 2026 and is now exploring cloud kitchens, seafood festivals and export opportunities as part of its next growth phase.
DPCL is also positioning itself as a cultural brand rooted in Mumbai’s Koli heritage. The organization has partnered with branding agency Seagull Advertising to develop a consumer-facing identity centred on traditional Koli cuisine and community storytelling.
The women-led initiative is increasingly being viewed not only as a business model but also as an effort to reclaim economic and social visibility for Mumbai’s original fishing communities amid rapid urbanisation.
“There was a time when Koli women held great sway in the city,” shareholder Archana Koli from Worli said. “Now, people will respect our name again.”