Gwalior’s Sarafa Bazaar is home to an innovative enterprise where MBA graduate Meenakshi Nagar is rewriting the narrative of women’s empowerment through the PMEGP. By availing a Rs 7 lakh loan and Rs 1.75 lakh subsidy, she’s built a thriving unit that converts cow dung into high-demand herbal ritual items, generating employment and exports.
Rooted in family values of revering cows, Meenakshi learned from her father-in-law about the goldmine in gobar—incense, fertilizers, idols. Rejecting corporate paths, she focused on natural alternatives to synthetic market goods. Her agarbatti and dhupbatti, free of chemicals, promote health and eco-friendliness.
With turnover surpassing Rs 20 lakhs annually, her operation sustains 20 jobs, prioritizing women, and supplies major retailers. Demand spans domestically and internationally, including Nigeria and Canada. Seasonal herbal gulal adds to the buzz ahead of Holi.
As business booms, space becomes the next hurdle; expansion loans are on the horizon. Meenakshi’s tale highlights PMEGP’s role in nurturing rural innovation, self-sufficiency, and green entrepreneurship, inspiring a new generation.