Desert enterprise turns camel milk and local produce into new livelihood model in Rajasthan

“If there were a sustainable source of livelihood, communities would gain the voice to reach the right channels to advocate for themselves.”

In Rajasthan’s Thar desert, an enterprise built around camel milk, traditional livestock practices and locally grown produce is attempting to create a new economic model for pastoralist communities by linking producers directly with premium markets.

Bahula Naturals, founded by Aakriti Srivastava, works with more than 4,000 households across Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jaipur, developing food products while placing local communities, particularly women, at the centre of production and value creation.The idea for the venture began in 2017, when Srivastava travelled to Bajju, a village near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, while working on environmental documentaries and media projects.

She had been asked to cover the lives of 71 migrant families settled in the region.The journey from Bikaner into the desert exposed her to the challenges faced by communities living in a remote landscape, including limited access to resources, basic services and stable livelihoods.

The experience led her to examine how economic opportunities could be created in a region where traditional livelihoods remained vulnerable. Five years later, that effort developed into Bahula Naturals, described by the organisation as a community-owned and community-run enterprise.Srivastava, who grew up in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, pursued journalism before moving to Delhi.

Over several years, she documented the lives and challenges of desert communities through films, articles, research and policy work.Bajju, located in the Thar desert, has around 8,000 households that follow a dual housing system.

Families spend part of the year in the village and move for other periods with their livestock and households to settlements known as dhaanis, located near their agricultural land.This movement pattern has affected access to public services, education and government programmes, according to Srivastava’s observations from her work with communities.

She said the challenges included water availability, service delivery, education, women’s rights and access to information. Her research found that multiple institutions were working on these issues, including government agencies, academic organisations and philanthropic groups, but efforts often lacked long-term coordination.

The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for economic systems that could help communities sustain themselves, she said.Srivastava said pastoralist communities became the focus of her work because of the contrast between their cultural importance and economic position.

Camels, livestock and desert-based livelihoods are closely associated with Rajasthan’s identity, but many pastoralists have faced difficulties in gaining recognition and market access.The name Bahula comes from the Sanskrit word “Bahulata”, meaning plurality, according to the organisation.

The concept was based on bringing together communities, markets and institutions through a shared platform.Bahula Naturals operates through three broad stages. The first involves working with agro-pastoralist producers to support chemical-free farming and livestock practices. This includes access to seeds, animal feed and other inputs.

The enterprise has also introduced household biogas units, with the resulting slurry used as a natural fertiliser to reduce dependence on chemical alternatives.The second stage focuses on processing products across three categories: camel milk and related products, indigenous Rathi cow milk products, and agricultural produce.

The company produces camel milk products including artisanal cheese varieties and a freeze-dried camel milk nutraceutical supplement. It also sells products made from Rathi cow milk, including Bilona ghee and desi paneer prepared using traditional methods.Its agricultural product range includes black wheat flour, black wheat porridge, and cold-pressed mustard and groundnut oils.

Bahula’s largest business segment comes from premium business-to-business markets, where customers pay higher prices for products based on quality assurance, according to the organisation.The enterprise also supplies consumers directly through doorstep delivery in Bikaner and through online sales channels.

Its product range includes dairy items, oils and flour.The organisation operates from Bajju, with a separate office in Bikaner city handling warehousing and distribution. Around 95% of its team members are young people from villages connected to its operational network.Women’s participation is a central part of Bahula’s approach.

Srivastava said her decision to place women at the core of the value chain came from observing their role within rural households and production systems.Women are involved in different stages of the enterprise, from processing activities to community-level operations, creating opportunities for participation in income generation.

The model combines traditional desert livelihoods with market-oriented food production, aiming to improve the economic value of products originating from pastoralist communities.

Bahula Naturals continues to work with households across Rajasthan’s desert regions, focusing on building supply chains around locally available resources and connecting producers with consumers.