MYSURU: Varsha, a woman agro-based entrepreneur, is over the moon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded her for making byproducts using plantain waste at her unit at Umathur village in Chamarajanagar district.
Modi, in his 107th Mann Ki Baat radio programme, mentioned that Varsha has been making ropes, purses, bangles and other consumer products, which are biodegradable, using plantain waste. Varsha employs five women and two men. Varsha told TNIE that she got the idea from a Modi’s programme available on YouTube, which was released during the Covid second wave.
An MTech graduate, Varsha, who is married to Srikanataswamy in Umathur, bought three acres of land and wanted to start an entrepreneurial project. When she was browsing YouTube for ideas, she came across Modi’s video, where he mentions about an entrepreneur in Tamil Nadu making articles made out of plantain waste. Varsha and Srikantaswamy visited that plant and purchased machines worth Rs 3 lakh.
That was how her Akruthi Eco-Friendly Enterprises was born. Since Chamarajanagar district is known for banana cultivation, she started using the waste to make cups, mats and purses that are sold in Tamil Nadu. She has now expanded the market to Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, and displays her products at different exhibitions. She is also helping farmers by turning banana waste into manure. “I am happy that Modi has referred to my efforts in generating employment and creating eco-friendly products,” she added.