Make in India needs to be more entrepreneur-friendly: Rupa Rani

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: Make in India may be the buzzword of the Narendra Modi government and its policy makers, but this concept of promoting India-made products dates back to the freedom movement.

The Swadeshi movement, which was launched in 1905, was aimed to curb foreign goods by relying on domestic production. In its current avatar, Make in India is nearly eight years old and has gone through many twists and turns.

News Trail talks to food entrepreneur Rupa Rani, who is also a Director of FKCCI, to know about her entrepreneurial journey.

When did the idea of a start up in the food industry occur to you?

I was previously involved in the candle making business, but it was not working as multi-nationals were selling their products online at lower costs, which made them easily available to the end user. During Covid-19 pandemic, when supplying packaged food to people’s doorstep became the need of the hour, the idea occurred to start our very own idli/dosa and paratha factory.

After researching at CFTRI, Mysuru and undergoing training on the whole process, I decided to set up my small scale food processing industry in Peenya.

How many people are employed in your company and what is your turnover?

Initially I hired 16 people, but now I have 35, and only two of them are men. My turnover post-Covid is Rs 30 lakh per annum.

How did the Make in India campaign help you?

There is a pool of schemes for startups. Though they look good on paper, the ground reality is different. When I started, the raw materials were cheap, but now it has become very expensive and the schemes do not come in handy as they have very unrealistic procedures.

The multiple steps for getting sanctions are a major deterrence for any startup. Procuring licences, which is very important, is a living nightmare for me. The necessary paperwork, running to pillar to post for signatures and approvals had demotivated me. Finally, after putting in my own Rs 35 lakh I made my dream come true.

What is the future of your startup?

As there are a large number of Indian nationals living in the UK, US and Dubai, I am in consultation with a few companies in regard to exporting my products in these countries.

What are your suggestions to improve the Make in India scheme and make it more accessible to startups?

The process needs to be simplified and it should make sure that it is approachable and friendly. There could be one licence for one business and single window which will motivate more startups.