In Lucknow, a home kitchen becomes a small seasonal soda business

Razia Abbas Rizvi, a resident of Lucknow district, spent most of her adult life managing her household, with little exposure to work outside the home. Over time, she began to feel the need to do something independent, something that would allow her to step beyond domestic routines and contribute financially. That impulse stayed with her for years before it found a practical outlet.

The opportunity emerged when she learned that she could access institutional support to start a small enterprise. After applying under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA) Yojana, she was able to set up a modest soda-making unit near her home. The business began on a small scale, but it gave shape to an idea she had been carrying for a long time.

Turning a long-held idea into work

Rizvi says the idea of running a soda shop was not sudden. Long before her marriage, she had decided that if she ever started a business, it would be in flavoured soft drinks. 

She enjoyed the product and was drawn to the variety it allowed. After getting married, financial constraints meant the plan remained on hold, even as the intention stayed alive.

Once support became available, she began the process of applying, visiting the District Industries Centre office in Kaiserbagh and following the steps explained to her there. 

The process took several months, but she eventually received the loan and began operations. Today, she manages the unit largely on her own.

How the business works

The business involves preparing flavoured soda drinks that are sold locally, largely to students. Raw flavour pouches are sourced from Banaras, while sugar and other basic inputs are purchased from the local market.

The mixing and preparation are done at home, where water, sugar and flavouring are combined and then transferred to cans fitted with a cooling system.

Carbon dioxide from a gas cylinder is used to carbonate the drink before it is served. The shop currently offers four flavours: orange, cola, masala soda and lemon. The unit operates seasonally, with demand rising sharply during warmer months.

Located near an educational campus, the shop sees a steady flow of school and college students during shift hours. Parents also visit occasionally, but children form the core customer base. Rizvi says summer is when the business performs best, while operations slow down during peak winter months.

Learning independence through daily work

Running the shop has altered her routine and outlook. Earlier, she notes, her world was largely confined to her home. Managing a small business has forced her to learn about purchasing, time management and customer interaction. “Earlier, I did not know how things worked outside the house;, now I understand how to manage work and think about growing it,” she said.

She plans to complete a training programme linked to the CM Yuva Yojana once she is able to step away from daily operations for a few days. For now, she continues to run the shop single-handedly.

The business is still young, but it has brought a measure of stability and confidence. What began as a decade-old idea has turned into steady daily work, offering Rizvi not rapid transformation, but a sense of control over her present and cautious optimism about what lies ahead.