This rural-urban gap is not unique to India, but with such an immense population, it is more pronounced than in other areas of the world. With the cities supporting only 30 percent of the total population, an astounding 360 million people live in the rural areas of India that offer few options for generating income besides simple agriculture, even for citizens who have an education. That is to say, there are nearly 50 million more people living close to poverty in rural India than the number of people that populate the entire United States.
It was this phenomenon combined with an ambition to start her own company that convinced Saloni Malhotra to take a risk with what was considered at the time to be a difficult business model. With the help of her mentor, Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala
from in Madras Malhotra proposed a for-profit venture that would address current social issues. Rather than viewing the people living in rural villages as ignorant farmers, she believed that they are an untapped resource looking a for any opportunity to live up to