Project Sukanya -story of a Kolkata-based enterprising woman

 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Ms.Aparna Banerjee. An alumnus of the prestigious Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) in Jamshedpur, Bihar, Banerjee, retails her goods under the name of Project Sukanya.She is giving big retail chains a huge competition.The Project Sukanya retail chain is also patented.


The goods are not sold from huge showrooms, but from 54 roadside mobile kiosks, manned by 141 women who work in shifts. Another 3,500 women directly benefit from this project by making products such as handicraft items, edibles like 'papad' (wafer thin potato/rice paste snacks), pickles and jams.
Packaged spices and ready-to-eat lunches are also sold. And in the coming six months another 500 'bou carts' (women carts) would be deployed across 18 districts, again manned by women.


It was the realization that women need financial independence to get freedom from restrictions, abuse and social taboos,that spurred on this lady to come up with this project.

"I found that retail was the only option. But setting up huge retail space was beyond my capabilities. I hit upon the mobile kiosk idea and worked on it for two years, getting all required permissions and licenses to place them on the roads. No loophole was left open. The carts are manufactured at our own unit," said Banerjee in an interview.


The attractively designed sleek kiosks, which are placed at most major crossings in the city, easily catch the eye. The apron-clad women manning them are polite and knowledgeable about the products.

The turnover for the Project, which started rolling in early 2007, had already reached Rs 10.5 million by mid-2008."The organised sector never bothered to tap the potential of the cottage industry, but we are giving a brand identity to these products," says Sudakshina Sen, 43, Chief Coordinator, Project Sukanya.

Project Sukanya has a 20,000 sq. ft. common facility centre at Topsia. The rural, women who supply the products, come here with their samples. The products are graded into three categories. Under A category, the product is immediately bought with a 10 per cent advance. For the B category products, Sukanya gives support for better packaging and then it is bought. Falling under the C category are products that have market saturation.

The success of the venture is obvious from the fact that several big retail chains made offers to buy out Project Sukanya as well as the patent for the mobile kiosks.

All women associated with the project are happy. Jayanti Chatterjee, 49, who is in charge of the Sukanya Tollygunge kiosk, earns about Rs 3,000 a month.Swapna Dutta, 50, an urban poor, was dumped by her husband during the initial years of their marriage. The Sukanya project came to her rescue and she now earns Rs 2,800 a month.

source:WFS,2008