It is a story played across most of Kerala—complete your schooling, move out of the state to cities like Bengaluru or abroad for higher education, and build a career elsewhere.
Returning home to start a business is seldom part of the plan.
For Maria Kuriakose, life began on similar lines.
However, the journey away from Kerala eventually led her back home, with a business idea hidden in plain sight.
The founder of Thenga Coco, Kuriakose (31), has built a business that transforms coconut shells, which were once considered waste, into functional and decorative products.
