Industrialist's Imprint

Two decades back nobody knew that what was once a huge agricultural land near Dadri, where one would fear to go even at daytime, would become the bustling township that it is today.
And who would know it better than Vimla Batham, the first woman who dared to set up an industrial unit in Noida in 1977 when the government decide to develop this region as the industrial suburbs of the national capital.
Vimla Batham, who originally hails from UP, came to Delhi after she got married to Roop Narayan Batham, then working with the National Gallery of Modern Art. After the birth of a son and a daughter Vimla decided to do something of her own to gain economic independence. Vimla applied for a 250 sq. yard industrial plot in Sector 6. She was alloted the same for Rs.40 per sq. yard in 1977. With a small capital, she set up a printing press and started printing an art magazine called Kalamitra. In 1990 she started a packaging unit in a 1000 sq. yard land in Sector 58. Two more factories are in the pipeline.
Says she: “At that time there was absolutely no one living in the industrial area of Noida and the means of communication were inadequate. There was no bus to Noida from Delhi and even private vehicles could not reach the factory site. I had to walk down for long distances. My husband could not spare time from his job. So I had to manage everything on my own. Today when I look back, I fail to believe that I could do all this.�
Then why did she choose Noida to start her business? There were four motivating factors: nearness to Delhi, cheap land, subsidy of 15 per cent and the sales tax exemption for five years.
Reminiscences Vimla, “When I started my business, the Noida Authority office was housed in a tent and UPFC operated from Connaught Place. Sector 18 did not exit and the residential plots in Sector-15A were being offered for Rs.175 per square metre. Noida Phase III came up in 1990 and Phase II in 1995. Atta had no market, just few vendors selling vegetable or grocery items. We used to go there only for sales-tax purposes or deposit our electricity bills. When a Bata outlet opened in 1983, this being the first branded outlet in Noida, we were so happy. And now you can see all brands in Sector 18 alone.�
Vimla Batham’s entrepreneurship is not just limited to her factory. She is the president of the Noida Mahila Udyami Sansathan which encourages women to open their own businesses. She says: “If we want to empower women we must make them economically independent. A working woman’s voice holds good in the family. However, it does not mean that she should neglect the family.�
From last year she has also started counselling on marital disputes. Her office is attached to Women’s Cell of the Noida Police.
Vimla attributes her success to strong support from her husband, son and daughter.