Hindustan Zinc turns rural production into consumer brand play with DAICHI

Hindustan Zinc Ltd is accelerating its rural enterprise play by taking its microenterprise brand DAICHI into mainstream retail and quick commerce, marking a strategic pivot toward scale, visibility, and consumer integration.

DAICHI products are now available at Modern Bazaar stores across Delhi NCR and on Blinkit in Delhi, signaling the brand’s transition from grassroots production to organized retail distribution.

Positioned as “The Best from Rural India,” DAICHI offers a diversified FMCG portfolio spanning pickles, honey, spices, pulses, namkeen, edible oils, and ghee—products that are handcrafted and managed by rural women entrepreneurs. The move aligns with a broader push to integrate decentralized production networks into high-frequency consumption channels.

At the core of this expansion is the company’s Sakhi initiative, part of its rural livelihoods programme, which has scaled to empower over 26,800 women through self-help groups, village organizations, federations, and MSMEs. More than 300 Sakhi-led committees and federation managers are currently driving grassroots governance, livelihood expansion, and community engagement.

The microenterprise programme has demonstrated steady scale-up over the past few years—growing from five stitching units with 81 women and 86 products in FY19 to 14 production units with over 400 women and a portfolio exceeding 300 products across food and textiles. The initiative has generated revenues of Rs 2.60 crore in FY26, underscoring early commercial traction.

Beyond offline retail and quick commerce, DAICHI is expanding its digital footprint through its dedicated e-commerce platform, Heartswithfingers, alongside established marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Open Network for Digital Commerce.

The entry into organized retail and quick commerce reflects a broader strategic shift: moving rural, women-led microenterprises from localized production clusters into scalable consumer brands with national reach.