My name is Mousumi Das. I had first taken a loan of Rs 20,000 from VFS. Now after three years, the loan amount is Rs 50,000. Initially I had a workforce of around 20 people which has now grown to 244. This includes around 25 fitting-men … I am really satisfied after taking the loan from VFS. With the help and support of everyone, I want to grow my business.
Kajal Bej, a resident of Belgachia village in West Bengal’s Howrah district, lives with her husband and two children. A few years ago, she decided to support her family financially. The first loan that she took from VFS was of Rs 3,000, in 2015. With this, she started her saree business. She buys sarees from a wholesaler and then sells them, keeping a profit margin. Her average monthly turnover is Rs 90,000 to Rs 1,00,000, and she is left with an average monthly profit of Rs 10,000-15,000 after deducting the cost of buying sarees in bulk (which she does periodically) and other expenses, which add up to Rs 70,000-Rs 80,000. Currently, she is in her fourth loan cycle, having borrowed Rs 50,000 in July 2019.
I am Manju Kanrar. I had initially taken a loan of Rs 10,000 from VFS. Now I am in the 4th year and the loan is Rs 40,000. My business has flourished and has helped me to build a house and contribute towards the education of my children.
I get orders and then purchase the raw materials from the market. I have 50 women who work under me. We get the work done and then supply the finished products to the market. I want to take further loans and make my business even bigger.
My name is Sandhya Bose. I have been taking loans from VFS for the past 12 years. With the help of these loans I have established my business and have also constructed my house. I now have 15 employees. With the help of these loans my business has expanded and I want it to grow further.
Swapna has been living in Pashchim Daspara village in West Bengal’s Howrah district all her life. She has been married to Somnath Naskar for the past 15 years. After the birth of their son in 2006, they realized that their income had to grow. They discussed several ideas and decided to make umbrellas for rural buyers. While Somnath bought the raw materials and managed the heavy machinery, Swapna made the dye for colouring and managed quality. This business brought Swapna in contact with VFS in 2013. Since then, the couple has been happy borrowers of the company, having taken a Rs 40,000 loan in May 2019, from the Bargachia branch. From an initial loan of Rs 5,000 to Rs 40,000 today, Swapna’s journey has been one of hard work and grit, but today she is proud of herself and her husband. Together, they earn an average of Rs 15,000 month, which secures the future of their family, giving them the confidence and security to chase their dreams.
Nayan Singh Nayak, a middle-aged homemaker from Jagatbalavpur block, in Howrah district of West Bengal, lives with her husband and one minor child. The couple was eking out a living as casual labour for idol-makers. They saw that these small idols of clay, which people keep in their homes, sold well round the year. They decided to have their workshop, but they did not have the capital. After failing to raise any capital from the usual sources such as banks, they visited the local VFS branch.
“In fact, VFS was a boon in disguise,” says Nayan today. With an initial capital of Rs 25,000 from VFS, she could finally start her own business. “I am so happy that VFS saw the spark in my eyes and helped me realize my dream which no others including the banks tried to understand,” says Nayana with tears in her eyes.
The business was a success, and currently Nayan is in her fourth loan cycle with the latest one of Rs 50,000. “I must thank VFS for its timely support, without which our life would have still been in the grip of poverty,” Nayan says. Business is flourishing.
Namaskar. My name is Faarjana Khatun. I have taken loan from VFS and my business is doing well. We manufacture ladies bags. I have employed 10 workers. I am really happy with the way my business has grown and I want to expand it.
My name is Sumitra Yadav. I have taken a loan from VFS to run my dairy business. I have 25 buffaloes and cows and have a workforce of five. I want to expand my business further.
Sahanara Sardar, wife of Rafik Sardar and a mother of two, lives in Bankra Telipara village in Howrah district of West Bengal. She is one of those enterprising borrowers of VFS who have been able to scale up their business many times. She makes garments. VFS recognized her entrepreneurial capabilities and decided to check her eligibility for Sambriddhi, its loan for small and medium enterprises. At present, she is in her fourth loan cycle, having just borrowed Rs 2,00,000. After paying for raw materials (Rs 90,000) and labour Rs 56,000) she manages to have an average monthly profit of about Rs 50,000.
My name is Moumita Naskar Kundu. I am a resident of Notunpara. I have a business of aluminium bangles for which I have taken loans from VFS for the past two years. The loans have really helped me to expand my business and I have been able to employ two new workers. We make various kinds of bangles and I have added newer varieties now. I want to take loans again and to increase my business.
A resident of Bankra in West Bengal’s Howrah district, Sabera Begum lives with her husband Akhtar Sardar and two children. Her husband owns a grocery shop, but they were making do with great difficulty and Sabera wanted to start a business. She chose readymade garments and approached VFS with a loan. Sabera started off in 2014 with a loan of Rs 20,000. With her zeal and hard work, she expanded her business manifold. VFS, acknowledging her hard work, upgraded her to a Sambriddhi customer. In August 2019, she got a loan of Rs 1,50,000 from VFS. Sabera now has around 30 people working for her business. She has an average monthly profit of around Rs 40,000 after paying for cloth and other raw materials (Rs 3,00,000) and labour (Rs 1,00,000).
