In a remarkable tale of resilience and opportunity, a discarded piece of paper in a Janpad Panchayat office in Chhattisgarh's Koriya district has become the foundation for a tribal woman's entrepreneurial journey. Anjana Oraon, a resident of Telga village in Baikunthpur, discovered a torn document in the office garbage that would ultimately change her life's trajectory.
From Data Entry to Entrepreneurship
Despite holding a postgraduate degree, Anjana Oraon was working as a part-time data entry operator earning just Rs 4,000 per month at the Janpad Panchayat in Khadgawan. The meager income proved insufficient to support her family adequately. Her fortunes turned in 2017 when she noticed a crumpled, torn sheet of paper discarded in the office bin during routine cleaning.
"I picked up a torn paper that said, 'Take a loan under Pradhan Mantri Srijan Swarozgar Yojana and start your own enterprise,'" Oraon recalled. "I decided immediately that I would apply for this loan."
Overcoming Initial Resistance
The path forward was far from smooth. Oraon faced skepticism from multiple quarters, with some advising her to approach the district industries centre while others warned about potential traps in banking procedures and paperwork. For a woman with no capital, no business background, and no safety net, ambition itself seemed like a liability.
"The message was clear even from the bank officials—stick to a 'safe' job, however meagre," she revealed. Despite this discouragement, her husband Anil Kumar, though lacking industrial experience, supported her vision.
Identifying a Viable Business Opportunity
After visiting the district industries centre and touring a fly-ash brick unit in the Podi-Bachra area, Oraon identified a business that aligned with regional resources and demand. Fly-ash bricks, connected to the area's thermal power plants and consistent construction needs, offered scalability without excessive hype.
What followed was the familiar entrepreneurial grind:
- Extensive documentation preparation
- Repeated bank visits and follow-ups
- Loan processing delays
- Social pressure from both natal and marital families to abandon the venture
The Breakthrough and Implementation
After persistent efforts, a private bank in Baikunthpur eventually sanctioned a Rs 30 lakh loan. The implementation phase involved:
- Sourcing machinery from neighboring Katghora
- Constructing a production shed
- Procuring fly-ash from Korba
- Arranging sand and cement locally
Anjana Enterprises Takes Flight
Anjana Enterprises was officially inaugurated in August 2025, with production commencing two months later. Since its launch, the unit has produced approximately 80,000 fly-ash bricks. The business maintains regular monthly loan instalment payments of about Rs 60,000.
Remarkably, the family continues to balance multiple responsibilities alongside the brick unit:
- Farming paddy and wheat on four acres of land
- Managing household responsibilities
- Caring for children and elders
- Maintaining the brick production unit
Growth Aspirations and Recognition
With demand steadily increasing, Oraon plans to expand production capacity, aiming for 15,000 bricks daily and a monthly turnover of Rs 6-7 lakh. These ambitious targets will be tested by market cycles and cash flow management.
Koriya collector Chandan Tripathi praised Oraon's achievement, stating: "Anjana is an example for women who hold themselves back citing a lack of means and resources. By making proper use of government schemes, Anjana is steadily moving forward on the path of becoming a successful entrepreneur."
The collector added that her story represents more than individual success—it embodies grassroots women's empowerment in rural India and demonstrates a mindset capable of spotting opportunity where others see only waste.
This inspiring narrative highlights how government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Srijan Swarozgar Yojana, when combined with determination and proper implementation, can transform lives in India's tribal and rural communities.
