Team News Riveting
Raipur, January 23
A post-graduate in arts, Pushplata Parkar from a sleepy village in Durg district of Chhattisgarh has never envisaged operating a machine. But her determination has made her a small entrepreneur and inspiration for women.
Hailing from Pathariya Doma village, 32-year-old Pushplata attended a training session with 15 members of women self-help group (SHG) to manufacture washing powder. The programme was organized by the Panchayat Department of Chhattisgarh government under the skill development programme for women.
Of the members who took training, seven decided to go ahead with washing powder manufacturing.
Before the project could take off, six members abandoned citing least profit in the business. But Pushplata was resolute and decided to proceed with the project all alone.
Under a state government scheme, she secured a loan of Rs 1 lakh from a bank for the equipment. The panchayat department provided its building to her in the village and she ventured into the manufacturing sector. Her husband stood firmly behind her to provide all assistance at his end.
“During the training session, we were informed that good products on reasonable price sell the best,” Pusphlata told News Riveting. So, she focussed on maintaining the quality of the product. When she approached the nearby villages with the product, she could find hardly any buyers as people preferred the branded washing powder.
She did not give up and decided to face the competition with the existing national brands. Pushplata started the marketing campaign for her product that she packed in normal polythene bag without any brand name. With mouth publicity, she started giving samples to women, who saw conviction in her presentation. Soon the demand took off.
“Now, I am producing 20 quintals of detergent every week and supplying to 15 nearby villages,” she said. The supply that started in motorcycle has now been converted into a three-wheeler as she purchased an eco-friendly e-rickshaw to deliver the goods. Pushplata said soon a four-wheeler would be there for the logistics as they plan major expansion.
During Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s visit in the district recently, she came all the away from the village to meet him. Pushplata briefed Baghel about her success story and the project.
In curiosity, Baghel asked how could she manage to compete with the brands in the villages, Pushplata responded with a big smile and said “Ek baar aap istemal kar dekhiye, aap ko bharosa ho jayega (once you will use it, you will have confidence)”—on the line of the tagline of a popular detergent brand.
She told the Chief Minister that she had earned Rs 1.50 lakh this year by selling washing powder.
A state government spokesperson said C-Mart, a store set up across the state by the government to promote local products, had provided space to display and sell her brand.
