Renuwara’s family income was solely dependent on her husband – a kindergarten teacher whose income was not sufficient for their family of four. She strongly wanted to contribute to the family income and thought of starting something of her own. Her old sewing machine provided her with that first opportunity. But she wanted to do more.  

That’s when Renuwara heard about Bandhan Bank’s loans. She got her first loan of Rs.7,000 in 2008 and started her own grocery store and with subsequent loan cycles, she was able to make reasonable profit. The entrepreneur in her wanted to venture into manufacturing. With further financial support from Bandhan, she began manufacturing disposable paper utensils. Her dedication paid off and her products became popular. She purchased a big machine to produce these items in the required larger quantities. The latest loan she availed was of Rs.1,55,000 in the year 2019.  

Her business has flourished and she now provides employment to several people. She has also been able to set up another grocery store for one of her sons. Her other son helps out in the paper utensil business. Renuwara is a successful entrepreneur now.  

Alpana was always determined to be self-sufficient and earn for her family. She was aware of the importance of standing on her own feet and supplementing her husband’s income as a schoolteacher. Given her household commitments, she wanted to start small with a part-time venture. She started sourcing sarees from a known supplier and selling them in her neighbourhood. As she progressed in her business, she was quick to realise that a steady flow of capital and variety in stock were essential in her line of business.  

At this point in time, Alpana heard about Bandhan Bank and availed her first loan of Rs.5,000 in 2006 that she utilised for expanding her stock. Over the next few years, Alpana took more loans from Bandhan to grow her business. Currently, she has a loan of Rs.1,50,000. She has also reached out to manufacturers in Phuliya, a district in West Bengal, and Kolkata and started doing business with them directly. With Bandhan’s support, Alpana was able to set up a profitable saree shop.  

Just when things started looking up for her, she lost her husband to kidney failure. Her unwavering spirit and her by-now steady business helped her to keep going. Her son now works at a private company and her daughter is a medical student in Burdwan district of West Bengal. The way Alpana has singlehandedly taken care of her family and business is praiseworthy, her community members feel proud of her.  

Shardaben Bhavsar, a resident of Ahmedabad, led a modest and laborious life before taking the reins of destiny into her own hands – with a little help from Bandhan Bank. Her husband’s cloth printing machine was their only source of income. The dwindling demand reduced the profits steadily. The business had to be reinvented to change that. With a zeal to secure the future of her business, Shardaben reached out to Bandhan Bank for a loan to start their own manufacturing unit.  

In 2012, she borrowed Rs.15,000 to buy a sewing machine for her son who worked as a tailor. In two years, she was able to kick-start the manufacturing business with women’s leggings as their first product. Slowly and steadily, with the help of another loan of Rs.40,000, she purchased three more machines. With the tailoring business gaining significant momentum, the cloth printing business took a back seat and so did its losses. They evolved their products as per industry and market needs. Today, they own 14 tailoring machines and have been able to offer employment to 15 people.  

The Bhavsars are currently in their seventh loan cycle of Rs.1,50,000 and are looking to expand to other verticals as well. They are acquiring a larger space to accommodate 25 machines and subsequently increase their production capacities. Shardaben believes that her relationship with Bandhan Bank has been life changing for her business and her family.  

Nilam’s journey is a story of relentless perseverance. She has been a harbinger of change for her family and the women in her community. Nilam’s husband, a farmer, was the sole earning member of the family. He could barely make two ends meet. In spite of her inherent societal inadequacies, she was determined to increase the financial income of the family. However, she was unable to obtain a loan from mainstream financial bodies owing to the long list of complex documents required. Nilam saw the light at the end of the tunnel when she heard about Bandhan Bank.  

With a simplified application process, she was able to avail her first loan of Rs.10,000 from the Bank. She utilised the funds to start her own costume jewellery shop. She gave a new lease of life to her family with her innovative venture. Expressing her gratitude, she says, “Bandhan Bank has helped me step into the entrepreneurial world and transform myself from job seeker to job giver.” She believes that her financial independence has also helped her champion the cause of her children’s education. Her son is now a student of engineering and her daughter studies in Grade 12.

Sumathi’s husband was a small-time cloth manufacturer. He produced and supplied plain white cloth to traders. His earnings could hardly sustain their family of five. To make matters worse, his machine broke down. The improper functioning of the machine caused serious setbacks to his business.  

 At this juncture, Sumathi availed a loan of Rs.35,000 from Bandhan Bank to purchase a new machine. This support from the Bank was a blessing that helped revive their business. Since then there has been no looking back! Their sales witnessed an all-time high; demands increased such that they employed three workers who work on two machines.  
Their association with Bandhan Bank continues to thrive. Sumathi is currently in her fifth loan cycle of Rs. 1,30,000. She has reinvested the money in the expansion of the business. She is happy that her two sons have been able to pursue higher studies, all thanks to the financial support she received from Bandhan Bank.  

Ruma started out as domestic help for households. With the hope for improving the living standards of her family and fulfilling her own aspirations of starting her own business, she reached out to Bandhan. She joined one of the groups and took a loan of ₹10,000. And thus began her entrepreneurial journey. She started with a small shoe stall at Gariahat (popular shopping area in South Kolkata). With passing time, through her grit and hardwork, she now has two established stores in the main market in Gariahat. She set up her first shop in 2011; followed by a second store in 2019. Her daily earnings are between ₹6,000 to ₹7,000. With the success of her business, she was able to send her daughter to a reputed school, who now studies in a leading college in Kolkata. Ruma hopes to get her daughter married, once she completes her studies. Her husband who was a driver now helps Ruma in the business. With regard to her business, she would like to expand her footwear business further by procuring footwear from suppliers in Mumbai and Delhi. Ruma has a current ongoing loan amount of ₹2,50,000.

Ramita and her husband ran a small garment's shop. However, due to lack of funds, they were barely able to make the business grow; so much so, Ruma and her husband were unable to make two ends meet. Thus, when Ramita heard of Bandhan, she realised she has the scope of turning her fate around. She took her first loan of ₹12,000 and invested the amount in the existing business. She increased the variety of garments available at her store. As time passed, the business expanded and started generating profits. Ramita has a current ongoing loan amount of ₹1,50,000. With the prosperity of the business, she has been able to secure good education for her sons. Currently, elder son is preparing for medical entrance exam, studying in Kota. Younger son is preparing for CA exam in Kolkata and daughter is in 11th standard. She hopes to expand her business further. She is also looking forward to seeing her children settled with decent jobs.

Meet Bhuban Badyakar, the Internet sensation whose Kacha Badam song has set social media on fire. From street kids to celebrities, everyone is dancing to his tune! While millions of his fans appreciate his talent and thank him for spreading joy, Bhuban humbly expresses his gratitude to Bandhan Bank for enabling him to further his business and increase the household income. 

Not many of Bhuban’s fans are aware that the lyrics of his viral song are inspired by his real life. Bhubhan’s life is not easy – like so many living in rural India. Cycling door to door across West Bengal’s Birbhum district through the year in heat, cold and rain, he would sell peanuts and almonds in exchange for whatever items he could get like bangles, used mobiles, etc.  

Five years ago, he and his wife decided to approach Bandhan Bank for the first time. With the first small loan that Aduri Baidyakar, Bhuban’s wife, took, the couple started a vegetable vending business. They also used the money to buy a motorcycle so Bhuban could travel to farther places to expand his business of selling peanuts. From there, there has been no looking back.

Like the over one crore Indians who have benefitted from Bandhan Bank’s micro-credit, Bhuban too has been able to live a life of dignity and economic independence. With the confidence that the bank will always support him, he is steadily progressing in his life. Happily he states, “Bandhan Bank gave me the financial freedom when I needed it the most. I always had Bandhan Bank by my side whenever I needed loans. I have maintained good repayment rate and every time I applied for bigger loans, the Bank would give me. Today I have a new house under construction and my family gets good food. I feel blessed that Bandhan is a part of my life.”

Bandhan Bank wishes Bhuban Badyakar more success and good times in his life…