Reviving Tribal Traditions: How Nayshreyash Umrao is Empowering India’s Indigenous Communities Through Ghivya

Born in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, and raised in Bhopal, Nayshreyash Umrao’s roots trace back to Udaipur, Rajasthan. From a young age, he showed a knack for exploration. While most kids flipped through comics, a complex book on Elon Musk caught his eye in Class 1 or 2—not for the text, but for the images. Rockets. Cars. Something sparked. When his father explained what an entrepreneur does, the idea lodged itself deep into his mind. That word stuck. By Class 4, he was selling plant-based mosquito repellents. By Class 6, he was crafting GPS-enabled backpacks that worked without the internet.

The journey to founding Ghivya started much later, but its essence was rooted in tradition and impact. In 2024, a visit to Udaipur opened his eyes to a pressing cultural crisis. Tribal communities were abandoning their ancestral practices, choosing labor work over heritage simply for the wages. That didn’t sit right with him. At just 17, he envisioned a model where these tribes could continue their sacred ghee-making methods while earning a dignified living. What began as an idea quickly shaped into action—and Ghivya was born.

The initial phase wasn’t smooth. Convincing the tribal families to trust the process was tough. Skepticism ran high. They doubted their ghee could find buyers. But once it did, something shifted. Slowly, 30 families came on board. Preserving tradition while maintaining hygiene standards required multiple trial-and-error cycles. But they got there. The model worked.

From local sales in Udaipur to now sourcing from across Rajasthan and Gujarat, Ghivya scaled organically. The team took tribal craftsmanship to a national audience, connecting consumers across India to products rooted in ancient culture. A new vertical was launched in Gujarat, giving rise to fresh collaborations with tribes and further growing the community.

The future looks ambitious but deeply grounded. Nayshreyash wants to extend the platform to more endangered tribes, showcasing their unique cuisines and way of life to both Indian and global audiences. Trust is at the heart of his approach. “Indian consumers lack one pivotal thing—and that is trust. We’re making that our superpower,” he says. Ghivya groups its customers into regional clusters, keeping them updated about the tribes they support, building a real connection beyond the product.

For him, it's the simplest things that change lives. “We ignore simple things thinking they’re pointless, but those are the ones that give us what we’ve always wanted.”