A class seven dropout, son of mill workers, now employs over 6,000 people
Circumstances forced Rajesh Dongre to drop out of school after class seven. Today, the 48-year-old is the proud owner of a small business that employs 6,000 women in Solapur, Maharashtra.
Rajesh, alias Raju, owns Mahalakshmi Griha Udyog in Solapur, nearly 400 kilometres from Mumbai, India's financial capital. The factory produces pappadums (papad in Hindi).
He had to drop out of school and start bringing money home. Meanwhile, his mother started making papad before he began the Mahalakshmi Papad business with four women workers in Solapur in 2013.
Today, there are 11 manufacturing units in Solapur city with the same name, where women are trained to make papad, which is sold to a reputed hotel in Mumbai and other states.
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