Shiv Sharma was living a comfortable life that many of his neighbours would have been envious of. He had a job in a manufacturing unit, had a steady income for years and his children were doing well in studies. Little did he know that his life was going to turn upside down.

The Challenges

It was on a weekend that his boss broke the news to him. The company had decided to lay off many employees as the company was losing many clients and new business was almost impossible to procure. After many years in a stable job, suddenly Shiv was searching for new jobs. Months passed and no one was willing to hire him and the situation looked bleak.

The Transformation

It was during this difficult period that his friend, Jamal, spoke to him about the possibilities of zinc plating. He offered to teach Mahesh the A to Z of the business. He was willing to connect Shiv with some potential clients as well. Initially, the idea of venturing into business was daunting for someone who had been an employee all his life. But he had no other option and this business looked attractive. Shiv and family discussed this at length and decided to put all their savings into setting up a small manufacturing unit. With loans from friends and family, he set up a small zinc plating unit.

After many months, it was apparent that good clients would come only if he had a minimum scale of business. For someone with no credit history, it was not easy getting his first loan. "I was approaching many companies and Aye was one of them. An acquaintance had got a loan from Aye and he was satisfied with his experience. Aye offered me a loan quickly and I was happy that someone was willing to back me." At this stage, his son Mukul expressed his interest in joining in. Shiv was not sure if he should let Mukul get involved in running the business. "I would have liked him to study well and secure a job instead of dabbling in any business. But somehow with additional capital, I felt that we would be able to lay the foundation for a quality business that will definitely benefit from the country's growth". Mukul and Shiv invested the entire loan into modernising the business, buying more machines and hiring a few people.

The Impact

The business gained traction, and very soon they started supplying parts used by companies like Toyota, Honda, Maruti, and Escorts. As orders increased, so did the workforce, creating a ripple effect in the local economy. Mukul says "I am grateful that not only could I build a stable business with support from my father, but also provide steady jobs to 12 others."

The journey from being an employee to entrepreneur still looks like a dream to Shiv. Mukul believes that although the support of family and friends, along with hard work, are essential, it is the timely financial assistance that has truly enabled the business to reach new heights. He is now looking forward to finding innovative ways to expand and improve their business.

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