Meera Mehta, a Zoroastrian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Tomato Jos in Nigeria, has been selected for Bloomberg’s Catalysts 2025 — a prestigious list celebrating global entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators who are shaping a more resilient and inclusive future.
Her recognition stems from her transformative work in rebuilding the tomato supply chain in West Africa through Tomato Jos. Mehta has designed a sustainable farming model that partners with smallholder farmers to enhance tomato cultivation, processing, and distribution. Her company tackles persistent challenges in tropical agriculture, such as product spoilage, inefficiency, and the marginalization of small producers.
Viewing agriculture as a space for innovation, Mehta’s vision empowers those at the foundation of the food system, opening pathways for growth and opportunity.
Bloomberg’s acknowledgment places her among an international network of forward-thinking leaders who are reimagining the way economies operate and value their participants.
For Parsikhabar readers, Mehta’s journey is a source of inspiration. She demonstrates how an entrepreneur of Indian descent, driven by purpose and perseverance, can bridge continents and industries — transforming social impact into a sustainable, scalable enterprise. Her story reminds us that innovation guided by empathy not only strengthens markets but also nurtures communities and builds a stronger future.
About Meera Mehta
Meera Mehta is the founder and CEO of Tomato Jos, an integrated agribusiness in northern Nigeria that produces tomato paste and other agricultural goods for the local market.
Before launching Tomato Jos, Mehta built her career in the financial services and healthcare sectors in New York and Nigeria. During this time, she gained essential technical skills, developed a deeply empathetic worldview, and established a strong professional network that later empowered her to build a business at the grassroots level of the economy.
A graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School, Mehta has been based in Nigeria since 2008. In 2020, she was honored with the Young Zoroastrian Award by the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce (WZCC).
About Tomato Jos
Established in 2014, Tomato Jos was founded to tackle long-standing inefficiencies in Nigeria’s tomato industry — from farm productivity and post-harvest losses to processing capacity and market access.
The company partners with hundreds of smallholder farmers, offering agricultural inputs, training, and guaranteed markets for their produce. It then processes the tomatoes locally into value-added products, reducing the nation’s reliance on imported goods.
In 2020, after securing significant investment, Tomato Jos expanded its processing plant in Kaduna State, further strengthening its integrated “farm-to-factory” model.
Further achievements followed: Tomato Jos won the SAVE FOOD 2024 competition for its practical innovations in reducing post-harvest waste and took part in development programs designed to enhance farmers’ resilience and boost their incomes across northern Nigeria.
These efforts present a blueprint for the future of agriculture in emerging markets — one that harmonizes interests along the value chain, professionalizes farming, promotes local processing, and delivers sustainable and affordable products to consumers.
As the company expands, its commitment to social impact remains steadfast: improving farmers’ livelihoods, generating local jobs, and providing Nigerian households with a more reliable and sustainable food supply.
For those who follow diaspora-led innovation, Tomato Jos exemplifies how operational excellence paired with community-driven collaboration can create lasting economic and social value.
