“I come from a small village in Tamilnadu. I moved here when I got married. I was 14 then and my husband was 20 and working in a packaging factory. At the time, I was working in a Crackers making factory in Sivakasi. You know how it is in small towns, your parents have their issues to deal with, and the primary focus is having their daughters married off. However, even at the time, I knew that that was the way things were done so I never resisted, despite wanting to pursue my Education. Independence was always something I chased after ever since I was a little girl so I started this papad and mixture business after I moved to Hyderabad.

I have four children, two daughters and two sons. My elder son is working as a Civil Engineer in Badrachalam while my younger son is managing our family business. I am glad that I could educate both my daughter’s and today they are very well settled with their families handling their businesses. Most importantly, I have a great supportive husband and I guess I’m fortunate that way, and it’s helped me guide them through their studies as well.

One thing that’s strange to me is that despite being equally skilled, families in the villages rarely expect the women of the family to work or start their own business after marriage. Profession and marriage are two separate aspects and it’s high time every family realise this and encourage their daughters to pursue their career goals.

Now that my kids have all grown up, I intend to start a small food court in a couple of years. It doesn’t seem like too late in my life or like I’ve missed any checkpoints, I believe we’re all here for a reason and at this point, my duty is to ensure that my children and grandchildren are guided on the right path, not just formally, but also in the ways of life- to be empathetic, respectful and grow up to be good people. At the end of the day, it’s kindness that prevails for a lifetime.”