With Help from Trust, Pranaya Patil Survived Broken Marriage to Build Own Business

For a village-bred women, a journey from a broken marriage to entrepreneurship may not sound like a cakewalk. But 31-year-old Pranaya Patil from Saswad has done just that, and today she is a source of inspiration for many who are looking to follow her foot-steps.

Pranaya Patil was felicitated for her achievement by director, Thermax, Anu Aga on 20th August, 2007 on the occasion of the announcement of six mentor chapters in Pune by Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST).

Patil's story is not only a story of grit and guts, It also tells how a little help can go a long in Changing lives. In 1997, Pranaya was helped by BYST start a soft luggage manufacturing unit in Saswad. Started at a meager Rs.50,000, today her unit generates an annual turnover of Rs.14 lakhs. It employs 11 full-time workers and 40 part-time workers. She is drawing an annual profit of Rs.1.5 lakhs.

However, starting the unit was not an easy task. Married in 1995, her life came to standstill when her husband filled for a divorce hust one year later. She had to face the stigma attached to a divorced woman in society. Even her parental family refused to take her back to their fold. Already traumatized by the refusal of her family, she was down on the streets and was forced to shuttle between Saswad and Pune doing odd jobs.

"My intuition, however, told me that there was something better lying ahead for me," she said. Besides working as a receptionist in a saree shop and a cashier in a shoe shop, she decided to enroll herself in a vocational training institute.

There she began to acquire the skills of making soft luggage. After completing the couse, she was almost forced to abandon the idea to open her own unit due to the lack of capital. After facing refusal from several banks, she decided to make one last attempt and attended a seminar organized by BYST in Saswad.

The seminar proved to be the turning point of her life. Not only her appeal for a loan came to fruition, BYST also offered her access to a mentor, who guided her in the initial years.

"A person may very well have skills and finance, but if she receives the guidance of a father figure, she is saved from a lot of trouble," says Pranaya.

Today, Pranaya supplies 10,000 school bags in 125 schools in and around Purandar taluka. Besides schoolbags, she also manufactures travel bags and rexin purses targeted to rural markets.

Now, she is working towards empowering women in her village where she runs a three storeyed vocational training institute. Besides training, she has also establishing a network of 150 self-help groups in Purander taluka.

Pranaya was the recipient of "Best Women Entrepreneur 2006" award conferred by Pravin Maselewale, she is also been felicitated by Citi Group for running a socially responsible business.

Now, sky is the limit, feels Pranaya, Without confining herself to just one unit, she now hopes to start a workshop exclusively for women in need. She says she will need an additional capital of Rs 7 lakhs for her project and is hopeful about raising the amount. "BYST helped me when I had nothing. Now when I have proved myself, I am positive. I will be able to raise the capital," she says confidently.

Source : The Times of India dated 20th August, 2007.

Top