When the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) first began a modest tiffin service for a few office-goers in Ahmedabad, no one could have guessed that those humble lunchboxes would one day spark a café movement. It was called Kamla Café—named in honour of the late Professor Kamla Chowdhry, one of SEWA’s strongest supporters—and it started not as a business, but as a food and nutrition training initiative back in 2018.
“We really took baby steps,” recalls Uma Swaminathan Iyer, the café’s managing director, with a laugh. “None of us had any experience in the food or hospitality industry. We just knew we wanted clean air, a green space, and food made with love—from locally grown vegetables, millets, and barley.”
At first, only a few curious locals dropped by. But then came the food vloggers—with their cameras and curiosity—and suddenly Kamla Café was the talk of the town. What started as a tiny kitchen with big dreams has, seven years later, grown into eight bustling cafés spread across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Anand.
Each day brings a new thali—colourful with sabzis, daal, kadhi, rice, soft rotis, buttermilk, and a little sweet at the end. There’s always something special on the menu: perhaps a millet pizza or makhana bhel, sitting comfortably beside Gujarati farsans and South Indian snacks.
According to Ankita Brahmbhatt, a hospitality professional with SEWA, the café’s charm lies in its authenticity. “People come not just for the food,” she says, “but for the experience—the open-air patios, the rural feel, and the knowledge that the vegetables on their plate came straight from the field that morning.”
Over time, Kamla Café has found homes in some surprising places—inside IIM Ahmedabad, the Gujarat High Court, and even government buildings. “From the farmers who grow the produce, to the women who grind masalas at home, to those who cook and serve—it takes at least five or six women to bring each meal to your plate,” explains Reema Nanavaty, SEWA’s director.
Today, Kamla Café isn’t just a place to eat—it’s a celebration of what happens when purpose meets perseverance. From a few tiffins to a thriving café chain, it stands as a living story of women’s empowerment, sustainability, and community—served fresh, every single day.
