The journey of Rupali Mahajan to entrepreneurship is full of ups and downs. Belonging to a middle-class family, she had to leave all her dreams behind. The pandemic era in 2020 brought more challenges to Mahajan when her husband fell sick and there was no source of income. Following her passion for food-making, Rupali joined the Udyogni Entrepreneurship Development Programme organized by the GTT Foundation in 2021. As a consequence, she has become able to start food-making professionally. The businesswoman regularly accepts food orders for any purpose. 

As per Mahajan, “2020 was a dark year for my family. In a household of four people, my husband was the only earner. When he fell sick amidst the pandemic, I had to drive vans to earn a minimum wage. But it was not something I was passionate about. In the meantime, I came across the Udyogni Entrepreneurship Development Programme by the GTT Foundation that I couldn’t miss. Through the training and guidance in the program, I could polish my culinary skills. I am now able to take orders for snacks and cakes. The training has enhanced my confidence and helped me to become self-reliant.” 

Mahajan is now a well-established small entrepreneur who earns profit through selling self-made snacks and cakes. Along with self-confidence, she has gained extended knowledge about food-making in the UEDP like marketing the products. Furthermore, she is ready to handle any financial crisis in her family.