Rural women entrepreneurs shaping lives in challenging

Central Chronicle News
Seepat, Sep 14:  Microfinance plays an important role in uplifting the lives of aspiring women entrepreneurs in rural India. The entrepreneurial journey of Taran Bai Kumar, residing at Seepat village of Bilaspur, a small town in Chhattisgarh, is an inspiring story highlighting the importance of family support in challenging times.
Due to lack of education and labour work opportunities, Taran Bai Kumarand her husband were unemployed. In order to survive, Taran Bai and her husband were making mud pots and selling in the local village market. However, the income earned was insufficient to support a family of six. Like every parent, they too wanted to provide quality education to their children and see them well-settled in life. This is when Taran Bai decided to convert her artistry skill into a business opportunity and wanted to expand. Her husband supported her idea of restarting their ancestral family business. However, lack of capital was a hindrance for the couple. While the couple were looking for avenues for a sustainable income,  she came across a loan officer from Centrum Microcredit – a NBFC-MFI who offered collateral free loans. The officer explained the couple about the Joint Liability Group Loan and its offerings. She immediately became a member and took her first loan of Rs. 15,000 to purchase pottery tools. With the support of Centrum Microcredit and her hardwork and sleepless nights, the pottery business flourished to a great extent.
The beautifully handmade painted mud pots & matkas were not only loved by villagers, but by handicraft enthusiasts within the vicinity of the village.Further, with the increasing demand of the pots, they were able to purchase additional inventory and accept bulk orders. The monthly income of the family improved drastically. Three years have passed, and with every round of additional finance, she has managed to purchase more supplies to expand her product range.