Cookies to mustard oil: Made-in-Tihar products go online; plans afoot to approach Flipkart and Amazon

Mystore is an ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)–connected marketplace built for Indian sellers by the Government of India.

According to an official, products such as ‘Tihar Se’ mustard oil and cookies of various types — coconut, atta, jeera, milk cream, sweet jalebi, oats, and nankhatai — as well as handcrafted teakwood Ganesh showpieces are being sold on the app.

“Currently, we are selling 13 products, including cookies, mustard oil, and showpiece items made by our inmates at the Tihar Jail factory on the Mystore app. If everything goes well, these products will soon be available on Flipkart and Amazon,” the official said.

When contacted, Tihar Director General, S B K Singh, confirmed the development.

Tihar is Asia’s largest prison, housing around 20,000 inmates.

Inside the factory

Around 500 convicts work daily between 8 am and 4 pm at the Tihar Jail factory to manufacture these products.

Besides bakery items, officials said the convicts are also employed in the production of jute bags, school furniture, handmade sarees, cardboard, and files and papers used by the Supreme Court. The inmates also create paintings, which are sold at good prices outside Tihar Jail, they said.

An official said the bakery unit is the largest among all the sections, as it manufactures around 70 different products and generates significant revenue. In 2024, the turnover from bakery products was around Rs 8 crore, while the turnover from the other units was approximately Rs 11 crore.

At present, the products are sold through stores located in all six district courts in Delhi, the Delhi High Court, and jail canteens, and are also consumed by inmates within the jail. The jail also has two outlets outside its premises — Tihar Haat and Tihar Emporia — where these products are sold to the public.

“In the past few months, we have seen an increase in demand for the products, especially bakery items. Of course, if online sales increase, it will definitely benefit the convicts employed in the jail factory in helping their family members who are dependent on them,” the official said, adding that it is also a part of their reformation in prison.

Officials said convicts employed at the factory earn around Rs 412 a day; the amount is deposited into their bank accounts, which are managed by the Tihar Jail administration. Every month, the convicts send money to their families — a process facilitated by jail officials.

Selection for work at the jail factory is based on the convicts’ behaviour inside Tihar Jail as well as their skills.

Similar product manufacturing units also operate in jails in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.