Post by Sagar Bhamre

She is described as the original “Slumdog Millionaire” of India. Born to a Dalit family, she was subjected to all kinds of injustice and being a girl only added to her miseries. She was married away at the age of 12, faced mental and physical abuse at the hands of her in laws. She attempted suicide after being ostracized by the villagers. At the age of 16, she moved back to Mumbai to live with her uncle. She started working in a garment factory to support her family. Using government loans for scheduled caste people, she successfully started a tailoring business and then a furniture store. She went on to build a successful real estate business, and came to be known for her contacts and entrepreneurial skills. She was on the board of Kamani Tubes when it went into liquidation in 2001, and after taking over the company, restructured it and brought it back to profit. Kalpana Saroj was awarded the Padma Shri for Trade and Industry in 2013. She was appointed to the board of directors of Bhartiya Mahila Bank, a bank primarily for women, by the Government of India. #womenempowerment #womeninenergy