Kalpana Saroj Success Story: Someone has rightly said that if there is life in courage then even difficult situations cannot become a hindrance in the way of achieving the goal. Many times such situations arise in the life of many people when it seems that everything is over now, but at that time, those who move forward without losing patience and trust themselves, then no one can stop them from reaching heights. Today we will tell you the success story of one such woman who has built an empire of 2000 crores today by fighting all the difficulties.
This story is of none other than Kalpana Saroj. Kalpana Saroj is today an Indian entrepreneur and chairperson of Kamani Tubes. But to reach this point, she faced many difficult situations and today she has become an inspiration for many people. She is often referred to as the first “slumdog millionaire”. Her path to success was not easy but she showed the world that if you have faith in yourself, then everything is possible.
Discrimination faced since childhood
Kalpana Saroj was born in a poor family in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. The family had to struggle a lot to get two meals a day. Kalpana Saroj belonged to a Dalit family, so she had to face a lot of discrimination since childhood. She had three sisters and two brothers. Because she was a Dalit, the parents of other children in school did not even allow their children to talk to her. Kalpana loved going to school and was a brilliant student. But since she was a Dalit, her teacher often made her sit separately from other students.
In-laws were worse than hell
When she was just 12 years old, her parents got her married to a man 10 years older than her. She went to live in Mumbai with her husband. But her life in her in-laws’ house became like hell. Here she had to do all the work of cooking, cleaning and washing clothes in a house of ten people. Kalpana was even beaten up every day in her in-laws’ house. Her in-laws beat her up and made her body lifeless. After six months of marriage, her father was shaken to see her condition. After this Kalpana decided to return home with her father. On returning home, her villagers made fun of her. Her family members were taunted a lot. In fact, living with parents after marriage was seen as a sin by the Dalit community.
attempted suicide
Kalpana was broken by the mistreatment of people around her. She started considering her life a burden. Then she tried to commit suicide. Kalpana drank three bottles of rat poison. Thankfully, Kalpana’s aunt noticed her immediately and she was taken to the hospital and she survived. Kalpana’s life changed after this incident. She was given another chance of life by God, and she did not want to waste it in self-hatred.
At the age of 16, Kalpana decided to return to Mumbai and live with her uncle. She started working in a garment factory in Mumbai where she was paid Rs 2 a day. She became an expert seamstress in a few months and got promoted, earning Rs 10 from Rs 2. She then started living with her family in a one-room flat which she had rented. Kalpana’s life was just getting better and suddenly, everything changed. Her younger sister passed away because she could not raise enough money for her treatment.
After the death of his sister, he became adamant to be successful
After her sister’s death, Kalpana decided not to take up a normal job and became an entrepreneur. She took advantage of several government schemes and applied for loans. She then started a small furniture business and sold cheaper versions of high-end furniture. Along with her furniture business, she continued her tailoring work. Kalpana worked for about sixteen hours every day. She was determined to succeed no matter what situation she had to face.
Steps towards success
Before owning Kamani Tubes, Kalpana was caught up in a real estate battle. For two years, she fought legal battles and resolved a land dispute. One day, workers of Kamani Tubes, a heavily indebted metal engineering company, approached her to take over and repay the debt. As her first order of business, she formed a core team of ten members. Slowly, her hard work paid off and Kamani Tubes became profitable again.
From living in a slum to building a 2000 crore empire, Kalpana’s story is truly inspiring “Ivy League degrees and fancy MBAs do not make one an entrepreneur. Patience, perseverance and the ability to believe in yourself are the keys to success.