In the small village of Muhallan in Punjab’s Bathinda district, people once looked at the family of Makhan Singh Sandhu with sympathy.

“They have no son,” villagers would whisper. “Who will support Makhan Singh in farming and bee-keeping when they have only daughters?”

For years, such remarks were common in a society where sons are often seen as the natural heirs to family occupations. Makhan (58) and his wife Jaswant Kaur had three daughters. Like many traditional rural families, they too sometimes worried about who would support them.

Today, however, one of Makhan Singh’s daughters has not only silenced those doubts but transformed a modest bee-keeping venture into a thriving enterprise whose honey reaches customers across India and several countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Dubai.

👁 Manjot Kaur Sandhu

Manjot Kaur Sandhu, in her mid-twenties, has emerged as the driving force behind Sandhu Farm Muhallan Bee Honey, a family business that now produces around 35 tonnes of honey annually and generates revenues worth lakhs of rupees.

“I want to prove that daughters are as strong as sons and can achieve great heights with innovation and modern marketing,” says Manjot.

The family’s journey, and that of Sandhu Farm Muhallan Bee Honey, began in 1998 when Makhan Singh and his wife Jaswant Kaur started bee-keeping with just five honeybee boxes alongside their 7-8 acres of wheat and paddy cultivation. What began as a supplementary source of income gradually expanded into a large-scale operation with nearly 1,000 bee boxes.

After completing her Class 12 education in 2018, Manjot initially pursued fashion designing and even ran a boutique for some time. Her elder sister later moved abroad for higher studies, while the youngest is currently studying business. Yet Manjot felt drawn back to the family enterprise.

“There were times when my parents felt sad that they did not have a son,” she recalls. “Then I decided that I would never let them feel they needed one.”

Determined to strengthen the business, she underwent formal training in bee-keeping through agricultural programmes and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra before joining the venture professionally about five years ago.

Today, each bee box yields an average of 35 to 40 kilograms of honey annually. Depending on the flowering season, the bees produce different varieties. Nectar collected from tahli and safeda trees between February and April results in one type of honey, while the mustard flowering season produces creamy crystallised honey that is highly sought after in international markets. Kikkar honey is harvested during October.

Retail honey prices range between Rs 400 and Rs 450 per kilogram, while wholesale rates vary from Rs 150 to Rs 180 depending on the variety. The family estimates annual wholesale production value at around Rs 65-70 lakh, with profit margins of 50-60 per cent after expenses.

Beyond honey, the family also sells bee pollen, beeswax and honeybee colonies to aspiring bee farmers. Around 200 bee boxes with bees are sold every seven to eight months.

Manjot’s biggest contribution has been bringing the traditional business into the digital age. She created social media pages, launched a YouTube channel and began using courier and postal networks to deliver honey across India and overseas.

“Customers trust us because we sell raw and natural honey,” she says. “We do not overheat or overprocess it because that destroys its natural properties.”

To reinforce that trust, she has publicly challenged anyone to prove her honey is adulterated, even printing the offer on her visiting cards.

The family also migrates its bee colonies seasonally to regions including Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana and different parts of Punjab, following flowering crops and favourable climatic conditions.

While fluctuations in honey prices remain a challenge, Manjot believes diversification, branding and marketing are essential for farmers’ survival.

“Farmers should not depend only on wheat and paddy. There is huge potential in allied occupations like bee-keeping if people are willing to work hard and think innovatively,” she says.

Their success has inspired several neighbouring farmers and relatives to enter bee-keeping. The enterprise now employs four permanent workers and involves support from Manjot’s father and uncles.

For Makhan Singh, his daughter’s achievements have become a source of immense pride.

“At a time when many families still believe sons are necessary to carry forward agricultural legacies, my daughter has shown that daughters can not only continue a family business but take it to global heights,” he says.

With her two sisters also trained in bee-keeping and expected to join the venture after completing their studies, Manjot believes the future of the family business is secure.

And fittingly, she says, her father now wants the family honey brand to carry a symbol representing the strength and identity of all three sisters together.