Couple started packaging business with Sh250,000 in Kenya - here’s how it reached Sh300 million in revenue and listed on NSE

A couple in Kenya started a packaging business with Sh250,000 in 2013 after drawing on their previous work and business experience. A decade later, their company had reached Sh300 million in annual revenue.

Nirmal Chaudhary and her husband, Sonvir Singh, co-founded Shri Krishana Overseas in 2013, as per the Business Daily report. The company became a packaging solutions provider and, in 2025 the company was listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

How the Kenyan couple started the business

The couple's journey into business came after a difficult period in their lives.


In early 2008, Singh lost his job at a Nairobi-based packaging solutions company. He had moved from India to Nairobi in 2006 after being recruited because of his engineering experience in packaging and printing.

Singh said he was among the early pioneers of using UV printing in Kenya. However, a change in ownership at the company left him without a job.

At the time, the couple had recently married and their first daughter was only three months old and they struggled to afford basic expenses, with Singh recalling that there were times when he did not even have bus fare.

The couple responded by taking a two-pronged approach. Nirmal started a business while Singh looked for full-time employment.

Nirmal and Singh had several businesses before packaging

In 2010, Nirmal started an import business, bringing rice, spices and groceries from India to Kenya for the Indian community in the country.

The couple also opened a restaurant and supermarket.

Meanwhile, Singh worked at Elgon Kenya in the packaging and printing sector and continued helping with the family's businesses after his regular working hours.

Nirmal had an MSc in computer science, while Singh had technical and operational experience in packaging.

Shri Krishana Overseas started with Sh250,000

The couple decided to enter the packaging industry and established Shri Krishana Overseas in 2013.

Singh said the decision was a natural progression because he had technical and operational expertise, while Nirmal had a background in finance and accounting.

The couple also saw opportunities in packaging because of sustained demand from flower and fruit exporters that needed packaging solutions for their produce.

They rented a go-down in Nairobi's Industrial Area and began looking for affordable printing machinery.

The couple had managed to acquire machinery at bargain prices, including packaging manufacturing equipment from a Mombasa-based manufacturer that had closed its business.

They started Shri Krishana Overseas with Sh250,000, by using savings from their salaries and other business ventures.

Packaging business revenue reached Sh300 million

The company grew through a combination of introducing innovative products and increasing business from existing customers and referrals.

According to Business Daily, Shri Krishana Overseas recorded revenue of Sh84 million by the end of 2014.

The firm's revenue had reached Sh300 million. And it had more than 100 employees by 2023.

The figures show the scale the business had reached from its Sh250,000 starting capital, although the Business Daily report specifically refers to the later figure as company revenue rather than the value of the original investment.

The couple sacrificed holidays to grow the company

Building the business required significant personal sacrifices from the couple.

For five consecutive years, they gave up holidays and other wants as they focused on growing the company. They also worked during part of the Diwali holiday.

The couple said they had concerns about whether the business would eventually pick up, but continued working through the uncertainty.

Their experiences also influenced their commitment to giving back, particularly because they had experienced financial difficulties themselves.

What the founders learned from building the business

Singh highlighted commitment, discipline, time management, honesty and charity as important principles. He said people should give more than they receive.

The couple also stressed the importance of experience when entering a new business.

Their advice was to venture into a business line where a person has already gained some experience.

Shri Krishana Overseas' NSE listing

The growth of Shri Krishana Overseas came as the company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange in 2025.