Agra woman turns entrepreneur, builds Rs 25L beekeeping venture

Agra: A Class 10th pass woman from a village in Agra is now an entrepreneur, overcoming financial hardship to build a successful beekeeping venture.Rajendri Singh, 38, a resident of Tasaud village in Pinahat block, started the business in 2020. It now has an annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh. She got married at 23 to a farmer, the sole breadwinner for their family of four, with farming as the only source of income.Her journey began when she joined the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) as a banking correspondent (BC) Sakhi and formed the ‘Shri Banke Bihari Self-Help Group' with 12 women.Rajendri told TOI, "During Covid-19, financial constraints increased. The loans my husband had taken became a challenge, so I decided to start this business with my family's support."She began with financial assistance of Rs 30,000 from the Community Investment Fund, a Rs 50,000 bank credit limit, and Rs 85,000 under the Mudra loan scheme. She is also a beneficiary of the Lakhpati Didi scheme.Within a year, her annual income rose to around Rs 6 lakh. Encouraged by the growth, she registered ‘GS Madhumakhi Palan Company' in 2025 and secured a Rs 25 lakh loan to expand operations. Today, with over 400 bee boxes, her brand ‘Kaushik Honey' is supplied across Agra, Mathura, Delhi and parts of Rajasthan, including Alwar and Bikaner, through both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) models.The group now handles processing, packaging and branding, helping increase profits. "Joining the self-help group changed my life. With govt support and hard work, I am now financially stable. Five people work with me. My husband supported me throughout this journey and now looks after accounts and marketing," she said.Officials said more than 36,000 women in Agra have attained the status of ‘Lakhpati Didi', highlighting the impact of such schemes in strengthening rural economies and promoting women-led enterprises.