“When I stood in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, I was nervous. Coming from a small town and speaking to the PM felt unreal. The officials asked me to speak in Hindi, but I said, “Sir, I don’t know Hindi well… can I speak in Telugu?” He smiled and said, “Yes, definitely! Speak in your language.” That one gesture gave me so much courage.
I’m Lakshmi Bhavani from Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Today, I run a small jute and cloth bag unit with 15 women working with me. But for 11 years after marriage, I didn’t work outside the home. I was a homemaker, quietly putting aside my dreams.
I come from a middle-class family in Gudivada. I did my BA, worked in private jobs, and after marriage, moved to Kadapa. Life became about my daughters and the home. I once thought about trying for a government job, but that plan slowly faded.
Still, the thought of doing something on my own stayed with me.
In 2019, I started stitching with four other women. We wanted to build something meaningful together. I came across the idea of making jute bags and ordered raw material from Hyderabad. But we didn’t know how to run a business.
That’s when someone told us about CB RSETI (Canara Bank Rural Self Employment Training Institute), a free training centre that helps people learn skills and start businesses. I contacted Praveen sir, the local faculty there. He said training needed 30 participants, but we were just 5.
Luckily, I was part of MEPMA (Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas), a government programme that helps women in urban areas become financially independent. With their support, we gathered 21 more women and enrolled for training.
In October 2019, we completed the training in jute bag making. After that, I applied for the Pradhan Mantri Mudra loan of ₹2 lakh from Canara Bank.
That’s how Lakshmi Bhavani Jute Bags & Ladies Tailors began. Our first order came from my elder daughter’s school. Slowly, word spread. We repaid the loan on time in two years, got another ₹9.5 lakh loan, bought additional machines, and gave work to more women. Orders now come from Vijayawada, Anantapur, Hyderabad, and even small ones from the US.
When I met Modi ji, I said in Telugu, “Sir, I thought it was too late to start something. But with Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and CB RSETI, I could begin. Now I support other women too.”
That meeting gave me belief. And honestly, the biggest reward is seeing women around me gain confidence. Now, they come every day, work together, earn—and go home feeling proud.
What I really want to say is—it’s never too late. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start. Even if it’s small. Even if you’re scared. And especially if you’ve been told it’s not possible after marriage or motherhood.
Because it is. I’ve lived it.”
- Lakshmi Bhavani, Entrepreneur