Andhra woman entrepreneur interacts with PM Modi in Telugu

Lakshmi Bhavani had a handicap which made it almost impossible for her to have a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A beneficiary of Mudra Yojana, she was one of the two entrepreneurs selected from Andhra Pradesh to head to Delhi to relive their success stories. However, she was told by the organisers that she may not get a chance to give a presentation of her journey or have a chat with the PM since she could only speak Telugu and not Hindi.

However, in Delhi, contrary to her expectations, she not only spoke freely to the PM in her language but was also one of the first participants to share her thoughts. 

“Since I knew that the PM doesn’t understand Telugu and I can't speak in Hindi, I thought it's better to remain silent. I was worried that if I attempted to speak in Hindi I would look like a comedian,” said Lakshmi.

However, her enthusiasm and enterprising nature got the better of her.

“When PM Modi spontaneously asked if anyone wanted to say anything, I immediately raised my hand. I even confessed to him that I don’t know Hindi and can only speak Telugu. He did not have a problem and asked me to go ahead. I thought there would be an interpreter to help him understand. But without any help, he grasped what I was saying. I felt very happy.”

Lakshmi, who hails from Kadapa town of Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh, is a jute bag manufacturer. In 2019, after spending a decade as a housewife, Lakshmi underwent a 13-day training on how to make jute bags at a regional training centre in Kadapa.

In the same year, she received a loan of ₹2 lakh from Canara Bank under the Mudra Yojana scheme. She bought stitching machines and raw materials and turned entrepreneur.

Due to her loan repayment history and looking at her growth potential, the bank once again sanctioned a loan, this time the amount was ₹9.5 lakhs. Currently, she supplies jute bags to various institutions including banks and accepts bulk orders. With a headcount of around 15 people, including homemakers, Lakshmi’s rural startup boasts a monthly turnover of ₹2-2.5 lakhs. 

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