Mumbai Modak Mahotsav 2026 will offer steamed and fried modaks made by women’s self-help groups during Ganeshotsav, after the groups received food-safety training from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to Loksatta – Mumbai.
The festival is being organised under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s planning department, with guidance from its Women and Child Welfare Department. The initiative aims to provide residents with modaks for Ganeshotsav while creating an income opportunity for women’s self-help groups.
The training was conducted jointly by the municipal corporation and the FDA. It covered hygiene during preparation, food safety, handling practices, the quality of raw materials and packaging. The participating groups have started producing modaks in accordance with the food-safety guidance provided during the workshop.
The programme includes both ukadiche modak, made from steamed rice-flour dough, and fried modaks. These products are intended for residents who may not be able to prepare the traditional offering at home because of work and other household responsibilities during the festival period.
The municipal initiative combines a seasonal consumer service with a livelihood programme. Women’s self-help groups prepare the products, while the civic administration provides the institutional framework for organising the festival and the FDA contributes technical guidance on food safety. The arrangement places hygiene and packaging alongside taste and traditional preparation as part of the public-facing programme.
Residents can register online for modaks through the website shgeshop.com. The programme is being implemented under the guidance of Meenal Turde, chairperson of the BMC’s Women and Child Welfare Committee, as per the report.
Food handling becomes particularly important during festival periods because demand for prepared food and traditional offerings rises over a short time. In this case, the training focused on the stages that affect consumer safety, from the selection of ingredients to preparation and packaging. The source report does not specify the number of participating self-help groups, the total production capacity, prices, delivery arrangements or the locations from which orders will be fulfilled.
The BMC has described the programme as serving two objectives: making quality modaks available to Mumbai residents and giving women’s self-help groups an opportunity for greater economic self-reliance. The FDA-backed workshop is the distinguishing feature of this year’s edition, with participating groups expected to follow the food-safety practices discussed during the training.
Online registration through shgeshop.com is the next operational step for residents seeking to place orders. The festival’s modak supply will be provided by the trained women’s self-help groups during this year’s Ganeshotsav.
