At a time when most people would have given up, 38-year-old Anu Joon chose to fight. The Haryana-based entrepreneur had never imagined that one day she would become the sole breadwinner of her family. But when a tragic accident left her husband severely injured and the family drowning in debt, Anu turned to something simple yet powerful: homemade laddus. Today, her brand, “MJ Shudh Rasoi,” ships laddus across India and to countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. What began with a single Facebook post has now grown into a thriving business earning ₹2-3 lakh per month.
A simple life before everything changed
6 May 2026 | 16:56
What are the three things that make you instantly happy?
Anu Joon, a resident of Karnal, Haryana, comes from a modest family. She completed her MA in Hindi and even enrolled in LLB but had to leave her studies midway due to family responsibilities. She got married in 2006 and welcomed her son in 2007. Her husband was engaged in farming, while Anu managed a small clothing shop. Life was stable, and through years of hard work, the family was able to build their own house in Karnal in 2021. Coming from a family where her father and brother worked in government jobs, Anu had learned the value of discipline and perseverance. She adjusted well to life in her in-laws’ home and focused on her family.
The accident that turned their lives upside down
Everything changed on April 2, 2022. Anu’s husband met with a severe accident that left his right ankle, knee, and hand badly damaged. Over the next few months, he underwent 12 surgeries. The family’s medical expenses crossed ₹40 lakh. The financial burden was crushing. The family exhausted their savings, mortgaged gold, took bank loans, and borrowed wherever possible. Doctors informed them that additional surgeries would be needed, costing another ₹3-4 lakh. At one point, their financial situation had completely collapsed. With her husband bedridden and unable to work, all responsibilities fell on Anu’s shoulders.
A facebook post and a 3-kilo order changed everything
By then, Anu’s clothing shop had also shut down. While caring for her husband and managing the household, she started looking for ways to earn from home. On October 25, 2024, she decided to try making laddus using traditional family recipes. Without any business plan or marketing strategy, she simply posted a photo of laddus on Facebook. The image wasn’t even her own; it was a random Google image. Then something unexpected happened. A customer placed an order for 3 kilograms of laddus worth ₹1,000.Using that money, Anu purchased the ingredients and fulfilled the order. Some days she received no orders at all. Many people questioned her decision and told her that selling laddus would never support a family. But she kept going.
Building MJ Shudh Rasoi from home
Working entirely from her home kitchen, Anu slowly built trust through quality and consistency. Today, her brand “MJ Shudh Rasoi” (MJ stands for Mayank Joon—her son) is trademarked and offers more than 30 varieties of laddus, including traditional desi ghee laddus and customised sugar-free options.More than 1,000 women trust her products, and demand is especially high during the winter season. Despite the growth, Anu still manages almost everything herself, from preparation and packaging to customer communication and order management. Her laddus now reach customers in multiple countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia.
Breaking barriers and looking ahead
Anu’s journey was not just a financial struggle; it was also a social one. Growing up in a village environment where women were often expected to stay indoors, maintain a veil, and limit their ambitions, stepping out and building a business was far from easy. “There is still a lot of small-minded thinking in villages. Women are expected to stay inside the house. Building something of my own was challenging, but I never stopped,” she says.Anu credits much of her strength to her son, who stood by her throughout the difficult years. She is equally grateful to her mother and mother-in-law for their unwavering support. Today, she dreams of opening a physical store for MJ Shudh Rasoi and taking her business to even greater heights. Her story is proof that courage doesn’t always arrive with a grand plan. Sometimes it begins with a Facebook post, a small order, and a woman determined not to let life’s toughest challenges define her future.
