In the challenging monsoon season, Charles, a 47-year-old ironing vendor in Halasuru, Bengaluru, found his business struggling. “Rainwater douses the coal, and even with tarpaulins, we cannot operate for hours. We used to incur heavy losses as soon as it started raining. In Bangalore, it rains so much. With LPG, it’s just a flick of a button,” he explains. For over three decades, Charles had relied on coal for his ironing business, but with the support of Udhyam Vyapaar, he made the switch to LPG, significantly improving his daily income from ₹2,000–3,000 to ₹4,000–5,000.
Udhyam Vyapaar, an initiative by Udhyam Learning Foundation, focuses on empowering nano-entrepreneurs like Charles—those in trades often overlooked by larger support programs. The initiative targets small business owners such as street ironing vendors, food sellers, and female entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance their livelihoods.
Krishnan Ranganathan, co-founder and director of Udhyam Vyapaar, explains, “We specifically chose to support istri vyapaaris and food vendors because they often earn lower incomes, usually less than ₹30,000 per month. For example, istri vyapaaris typically earn between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 per month after expenses. They come from less privileged backgrounds, and we saw an opportunity to help them by introducing the LPG iron box. This solution had been available for 10 years but wasn’t widely used because people didn’t know about it or were hesitant to try it.”
In the past four years, Udhyam Vyapaar has supported 3,342 street ironing vendors in Bengaluru, driving an annual income rise of ₹160.42 million among these entrepreneurs, leading to an overall 27% income increase.
The program’s impact extends beyond ironing vendors. Rame Gowda, a former transport business owner, and his wife turned to the restaurant business after incurring heavy losses during the Covid lockdown. With Udhyam’s help, they listed their restaurant, Gowdru Naati Style, on Swiggy and Zomato, increasing their daily income from ₹8,000 to ₹12,000.
Udhyam Vyapaar also provides crucial support to women entrepreneurs, helping them overcome challenges such as limited access to capital and fewer role models in business. By offering mentorship, improving access to finance, and fostering a supportive community, Udhyam is enabling these women to succeed in their ventures.
“Ultimately, our mission is to drive economic inclusion by enabling these small businesses to thrive, thereby not only contributing to broader economic development but also making entrepreneurship aspirational for future generations,” says Ranganathan.
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