It was a time so exciting for four young people that it felt as if it had come straight out of a Bollywood movie. Right at the start of their business venture, they received a large order—something they had not imagined would be possible so early. “If this is the beginning,” they told each other, “just think of what the future could bring.”
Excitement, however, was not entirely new to these young entrepreneurs, who had already taken significant risks, including giving up secure jobs at an early age. Three members of the group—Satyam, Rohit and Mohit—all hailed from Uttarakhand. Instead of settling into comfortable and routine employment after completing their college education, they were keen to do something different. Their experiences had motivated them to work towards improving rural livelihoods along with related social objectives. After trying for some time to pursue this vision in Uttarakhand, a combination of circumstances brought them to Rajasthan.
They were joined there by an enterprising young woman, Rita Parna Konar from West Bengal, who shared similar aspirations.
Together, the group began exploring opportunities for a social enterprise in a part of Karauli district in Rajasthan, close to the Chambal valley. They were told that in earlier days dacoits from the Chambal region frequently crossed over to this side of the state border. Undeterred by such stories, as well as by unfamiliar terrain and harsh weather conditions, they met farmers from remote villages. The voluntary organization SRIJAN proved very helpful in some of their efforts to set up a small agro-processing venture with broader social objectives.
Eventually, they became convinced that their enterprise should begin with processing mustard procured from farmers in ways that were fair and protective of farmers’ interests. Just as a few initial steps towards establishing a processing unit had been taken, they received a major order.
The immediate challenge was to fulfill this order on time. In their excitement to succeed, Satyam recalls, they became workers themselves, taking on tasks such as filling bottles and operating machines. Their hard work enabled them to complete the order within the stipulated time. Since this customer had the potential to place even larger orders in the future, Satyam decided to personally visit them to collect the payment.
The entire team was devastated when they discovered that the customer had misused their trust, obtained the supply entirely on credit, and was unwilling to make the full payment. Despite sustained efforts, they managed to recover only about one-third of the amount due.
This setback had a deeply disruptive impact on the newly launched social enterprise, which the entrepreneurs had named Heart in Hills (HIH). After being denied this crucial payment, they began refusing other credit-based orders. In the process, some genuine customers may also have been lost.
To cope with the losses, the entrepreneurs took personal loans from friends, but this alone was insufficient to end the crisis. Eventually, the bank balance of the young enterprise fell dangerously low in relation to the expenses ahead. “Is this the end of our enterprise, which began with such good intentions and great hopes?” they asked each other repeatedly, as gloom and uncertainty mounted.
Determined not to give up, they finally decided to make a decisive turnaround. They introduced several changes, including making a conscious effort to meet people in person rather than relying heavily on messages and remote communication. Face-to-face interactions helped them explore new options and opportunities. Gradually, sales began to rise.
Since then, despite inevitable ups and downs, the overall trajectory has been increasingly positive. Today, Heart in Hills is in a position to envision expansion and capacity enhancement, while firmly retaining its core values—commitment to farmer welfare and the provision of healthy food.
An important lesson emerging from the experience of HIH is the critical need for support and mentoring for young entrepreneurs during their formative years. In the case of HIH, and for Satyam Bhandari in particular, support in various forms from the Budha Institute and its fellowship programme proved invaluable. Such assistance, combined with the entrepreneurs’ own hard work, enabled them to carry forward meaningful initiatives under difficult conditions and to recover from major setbacks. Similar sincere support and hand-holding during challenging early phases should be made available more widely to young entrepreneurs pursuing socially relevant and much-needed objectives.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, and A Day in 2071
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