PUNE: Nilofar Amjad Mujawar, a member of a self-help group in Perne village in Pune district, has been operating a sweet corn business for five years. Her unit procures nearly 7,000kg of the cereal grain and at least three to four tonnes of processed corn is supplied to food companies every day by the 45 women employed there. The enterprise gives them a sustainable income and has earned Nilofar the title of Lakhpati Didi.From working in a factory for Rs 300 per day to a business owner with over Rs 1 lakh income per month, Nilofar and her team ensure that every order is delivered, boosting confidence among raw material providers and companies that process the corn. Her decision to pay farmers cash on the spot for their produce has made her a popular procurement agent. Nilofar, now 35, studied till Std XII in her village school in Daund before marrying an autorickshaw driver. Before moving to Perne village, she worked in a corn company that paid Rs 300-350 for a day’s work. “In Perne, I decided to go into the corn business myself and the 10 women in my SHG concurred,” she said.Nilofar knew husking, cutting corn and stripping the kernels but there was no network to get raw material and supply the finished products. So, she approached the company she worked for and promised to deliver a finished product every day if they gave her one tonne of corn. “They gave it to us on a trial and we delivered. For a year, we did that. The company paid the women and I got Rs 2 per kg by selling the waste from the cobs to dairy farmers,” Nilofar, who used the basement of a building to start her business, said.Nilofar said she realised that if she managed the entire business, it would mean more profit and better work for the women. “Our work was systematic. We didn’t care what time the truck arrived with raw material, we would unload the cobs, and maintained efficieny when loading the products. In one year, we had made contacts in the industry. But we were hesitant to speak to the farmers and the food processing company owners. My husband stood by me. I met everyone and spoke to them about our work and commitment. They agreed on a trial basis, and our business started,” she added.Soon, Nilofar bought the variety of sweet corn seeds the companies wanted and supplied it to the farmers who gave her the harvest. “We are thorough with our finances, our payments and our work. We don’t waste our time during work hours. Farmers like people who pay upfront. Companies want people who give them products on time. We checked all the boxes. Now we get 8,000kg raw material every day. We are starting a tamarind cleaning and packaging business and have ordered machines. We don’t believe in taking huge loans yo get more profits. We do not have vehicles either because we want to reinvest the profits to grow the business,” she said.Shalini Kadu, project director of District Rural Development Agency, said that the zilla parishad helped them form an SHG and to get loans for their business. The agency helps them prepare documents for the bank and counsels them about govt schemes. In the buyer-seller meets organised by the zilla parishad, these groups expand their market. “Women like Nilofar not only become successful but also help other women become financially independent. The women know they don’t leave their village, can manage the job when their children are in school, and work in shade instead of a farm. They get paid as per work done. Many are inspired by Nilofar, the entrepreneur,” Kadu added.
