Maharashtra woman opens eatery with help from Mudra Yojana, becomes example of self-reliance
Mumbai, Aug 12
Eleven years since its launch in April 2015, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has been attaining new milestones in cumulative disbursals, women-centric loans in particular.
The story of Kavita Herekar, a resident of Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra, exemplifies this transformation.
Her journey from an ordinary homemaker to an entrepreneur, with assistance from the Mudra Yojana, has shown how women are financially self-reliant and taking the lead in their entrepreneurial journey. She has shown that with financial support and by leveraging their skills, women can successfully establish their own businesses.
Kavita Herekar harboured a desire to start her own enterprise. She aspired to utilise her skills to achieve financial independence and contribute to the strengthening of her family's economic standing.
With a passion for cooking and practical experience in the culinary arts, she decided to build her business around this skill and ventured into the food business.
However, securing financial support posed the biggest challenge to starting the business. With limited resources, arranging the initial capital was a major hurdle. It was during this time that she learned about the Mudra Yojana through the State Bank of India branch in Kankavli.
Kavita gathered information about the scheme from the bank and applied for a loan to launch her business. She received a loan of Rs 3.60 lakh under the Mudra Yojana and went to establish a small eatery startup opposite the railway station.
Today, her eatery has found good traction among the passengers, and she has been able to generate handsome income.
Kavita's start-up is not just a commercial venture but also a significant step towards achieving self-reliance.
The most remarkable aspect of Kavita's story is how she transformed her domestic skills into employment and business opportunities, with financial aid under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.
Kavita believes that if a woman aspires to do something, receiving support at the right time is crucial. In her case, the Mudra Yojana helped power her dreams.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Mudra Yojana really changed the game for small businesses. 3.6 lakh rupees seems small but for someone starting from zero, it's everything. However, I wish the banks would simplify the paperwork and actual ground-level processing. Many people still don't know how to apply without agents.
This is exactly why the government's initiatives work — the right support at the right time. Kavita ma'am seems like a brave lady. It takes courage to start small when you have limited means. Her eatery near the railway station will definitely do good business in Sindhudurg, that area gets a lot of tourists too.
I appreciate the effort but let's not make every small loan a national celebration. The real test is sustainability — we have lakhs of such stories, but how many become scalable businesses? That said, every step counts and I genuinely admire her for taking that first step. Badhai ho Kavita ji! 🎉
So happy to see women from smaller towns taking charge. My mother also got a small loan under Mudra and started a tailoring business in our village. It doesn't just help financially, it gives such confidence. Countries grow when women grow. 🇮🇳
God bless her! But my concern — these stories always highlight women in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Punjab. What about the northeastern states or Bihar? The scheme is there but awareness and banking infrastructure in those regions is still lagging. I hope the next 11 years see equal outreach everywhere.
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