Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up Season 2 finale; 10 homemakers get seed capital of INR 10 Lakhs each to start their entrepreneurial journey
Britannia Marie Gold, a 60+ year old favourite brand of homemakers and the
3rd largest biscuit brand in India, today at an all-virtual finale
event announced the ten winners of its annual women entrepreneurship initiative,
Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up campaign. Under the aegis of this
initiative, the 10 winners were felicitated and awarded INR 10 Lakhs each to
kick-start their business ventures. Britannia Marie Gold My Startup is a
platform for
aspiring homemakers to fuel their entrepreneurial dreams, become financially
independent and transform themselves into job creators.
In addition to financial assistance, the current
edition of the Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up initiative provides 10,000 homemakers
access to India’s first-ever customized online skill development program, in
partnership with National
Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The online course imparts these
homemakers with the necessary entrepreneurial skills, boosting their confidence
as they take their first step towards a self-reliant future. Britannia is
confident that many of the homemakers who undergo the skill development
training will move on to become entrepreneurs.
Launched in February 2020, the 2nd
edition witnessed, within a span of 3 months over 1.5 million applications from
across the country and an overwhelming participation form 32 states and Union Territories.
The means of entries was opened to include telephone call, web and WhatsApp. Over
25% of the entries came in via WhatsApp. Following weeks of deliberation by an external
jury who mulled over lakhs of applications, the Britannia Marie Gold team
shortlisted 50 finalists.
With the strict social distancing protocols being
observed in the country, the company decided on a digital finale where all the
finalists from across the country, presented from the comfort of their homes to
an eminent jury comprising of entrepreneurs, media persons and a select
leadership team from Britannia. The all-digital felicitation ceremony was also a
powerful example of the company, brands and consumers effortlessly adapting to
the new normal.
Mr. Gunjan Shah,
Chief Commercial Officer, Britannia Industries Ltd. said, “This is a very important initiative for
Britannia driven by one of our flagship brands, Britannia Marie Gold. In its current
edition, the initiative is touching the lives of over 10, 000 women and their
families and we are privileged to be able to do so. Britannia is committed to
provide a platform for aspiring women entrepreneurs to present their business
ideas and stand a chance to gain financial help and skill development to set
off on their entrepreneurial journey.”
Mr. Vinay Subramanyam, Head of Marketing,
Britannia Industries Ltd. said, “Becoming entrepreneurs enables our award
winning homemakers to also become job creators who can transform many lives
around them. One successful woman entrepreneur opens a wide window of
opportunities for many, as was proven by our last year’s winners. We are
delighted that through this initiative, we are introducing to the
entrepreneurial world 10 more homepreneurs and skilling 10,000 homemakers to power
their entrepreneurial journey. We strongly believe that when women become
self-reliant and financially independent, entire families and societies and
eventually, the country progresses.”
Britannia
Marie Gold My Start Up Initiative 2.0 Entrepreneurial Women from Across the
Country:
Zarina MV, from
Hyderabad in Telangana plans to use the winning amount to start her very own line of Linen Baby Clothing. Zarina understood
that although the market is flooded with options for baby clothes, there are no
clothing lines that offer pure linen and designer options. Her business would
focus on producing an exclusive line of clothing for babies and toddlers (up to
the age of 3) made out of linen and pure cotton, making them a desirable option
for mothers looking for comfort with style for their children. Zarina would be
providing jobs to several women from economically backward communities in the
manufacturing of these products, in turn offering them with a steady
livelihood.
Shahnaz Tabussum from Patna
in Bihar is
planning to start a Reflexology Self
Treatment and Training Centre. The thought behind her idea lies in creating
a large, positive impact on society and the core idea for the business is “Prevention is better than cure”. The
centre would focus on traditional holistic treatment and would also provide
training to women, enabling them to realise their own dreams and create their
own identity. In the course of setting this centre up she plans on providing a
stable income to hundreds who she employs and trains.
Narmatha Vasanthan
from Thankavur in Tamil Nadu plans to start a Computer
Training Centre. A Civil Engineer herself, Narmatha is adept in Estimation,
Auto CAD and MS Office and comes with work experience, but had to quit her job
post pregnancy. With her baby now 8 months old, Narmatha wants to start her own
computer training centre where she can share her knowledge with students in a
simplified manner. This business would also become a source of additional
income for her family and enable her to support her husband – a driver – who is
currently the sole wage earner and manages all the loans and expenses of the
household.
Ragini Kumari from
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
plans to start a Flower Plantation
along with the production of other eco-friendly products. Currently seedlings
are prepared in plastic cups/pots that are later disposed off and can create
great harm to the environment. Ragini’s business idea makes use of pots made
out of cow dung that are eco-friendly and turn into natural manure, in turn
helping the plants to grow. Besides pots, cow dung can also be utilized for
preparing fire wood thereby reducing deforestation and are available at much
lower costs, opening up a huge market opportunity.
Shikha Dey of
Durgapur, West Bengal
will be utilising the seed capital to start a Bioflock Fish Farm. Bioflock Fish farming is a growing industry in
India where fish is cultivated indoors rather than traditional pond methods,
using advanced equipment. Shikha’s business would involve raising the fish from
when they are fishlings and then selling them to local markets as well as to
other states in India.
Archana P from
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu plans to open a Science Museum
for Kids in Coimbatore. Her business idea aims to create a lively
educational environment for children filled with experimental and real-time learning
and performances that inculcates a feeling of innovation in them. The winning
amount would provide Archana with the support required in procuring necessary
equipment, as well as in the maintenance of the museum infrastructure.
Elakshi Phukan of
Jorhat, Assam will
use the winning amount to setup her own Homemade
Cakes and Assamese Sweets Catering Service. With a passion for baking,
Elakshi has always enjoying baking and preparing traditional Assamese sweets
that are sugar-free. She realised that there aren’t many bakers or catering
services that offer recipes that are sugar-free, giving her the edge to make
this idea a success.
Deepali Bansal from
Ambala, Haryana
plans to produce a Vegetable and Fruit
Sanitizer that removes all traces of dust/pesticides/bacteria/virus from
fruits and vegetables. With the current scenario around the globe, hygiene has
become a priority for everyone and while many claim organic products to be
safer, not everyone can afford them and there is no guarantee of how safe they
are. Deepali came up with a product made out of natural resources that washes
off the germs and ensures everyone can eat healthy.
Sareena C of
Kozhikode, Kerala
plans to start her own Cage Fish Farm.
With the high demand for fish within the country and outside, as well as the
various schemes implemented by the Kerala government to support Cage Fish
Farming in the area, there lies a huge opportunity for Sareena. Being close to
a coastal area, she plans to motivate other women in her neighbourhood to work
together and generate an additional income of their own.
Sumathi R of
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu had a dream to open a professional Eye
Care Clinic in her village of Orikkai in Kanchipuram. As a prospective
scholar in the discipline of B.S.(Opt), BITS University and MBA (Hospital management),
Anna University, Sumathi has 9 years of experience as a consultant optometrist.
She left her job sometime back to take care of her two daughters and was now
looking for an opportunity to fulfil her dream to continue to service people.
Being a developing area, Orikkai currently does not have an optical shop,
giving Sumathi an opportunity to start something new and provide the people of
her small village with better vision.
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