Indoreone day beforeAuthor: Yogesh Pandey
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was very impressed by the success story of NRI Poonam Gupta who came to participate in the Pravasi Sammelan. This story of Poonam is unique, interesting and going to show the way to others. Poonam chose business without capital.
In the initial phase, Poonam said to her husband – Join my company only. The reaction of the husband doing a job of 80 lakh rupees was – you will not be able to afford me.
Poonam continued to grow her business, after a few months she hired her husband for a job almost twice the current salary i.e. Rs 1.50 crore.
Read Poonam’s success story, hearing which even the Finance Minister was impressed…
Didn’t get a job in Scotland then chose business
Delhi’s Poonam got married in 2002 to Puneet Gupta, who is working in Scotland. Poonam also shifted there. Husband used to work in the medical field. Poonam did her MBA with a degree in Economics Honors from Lady Shri Ram College. Poonam felt that both the degrees would lead to a job in Scotland, but it did not happen. After a lot of wandering, when the job was not found, Poonam thought of doing business.
When Poonam started research, it came to know that companies in Europe and American countries throw tons of scrap paper every day. This used to happen because the companies there used to launch only the best quality products in the market. It is the same with paper. A higher quality product cannot be made by reusing scrap paper, so it is thrown away. Companies spend lakhs of rupees every year to dispose of this paper.
Got a unique idea, set up a company without capital
After 10 months of research, Poonam found a way to reuse the scrap paper. In India, this paper can be recycled and made into paper again. According to India, this scrap was of good quality. Gradually Poonam contracted to take scrap paper from some companies in Italy, Finland, Sweden and the US. Poonam told the companies to give me the waste for which you spend money to dump. I will also give you some money in return. Companies showed interest on this offer. Firstly an Italian company gave scrap.
Poonam made a contract with an Italian company that first they would take the goods and then pay after a few months. For the company anyway, it was just garbage, it didn’t matter to them even if they didn’t get money for it. At least he was saving the money it would have cost to dump the scrap paper anyway. Poonam had already found a scrap buyer in India. She grew up in Old Delhi, where there is a lot of paper business. Then Poonam’s father was also a well-known businessman of Old Delhi, so Poonam did not face any problem of goodwill.
The first deal was for 40 lakhs, after that orders kept pouring in.
As per the contract, Poonam’s first deal was Rs 40 lakh for two containers. This deal turned out to be profitable. Till now Poonam used to do business in her own name. Confidence increased when two-four more deals were found. Poonam tells that all this was happening without any loan. When I got a big deal in between, I asked some people in the market to invest money. Seeing my credibility, they agreed to invest money. That’s how I was able to crack big deals too.
Wanted a reliable partner, so gave job to husband
In 2004, Poonam got the company registered in Scotland under the name PG Paper. Profits and business were increasing. Now Poonam’s company was buying scrap paper from many companies in Europe and America. He needed a reliable partner. Poonam offered her husband Puneet to join my company. Puneet used to work in a big medical company in Scotland. Then his annual package was 80 lakh rupees.
Puneet said after listening to his wife’s offer – Mrs.ji, you will not be able to afford me. Then Poonam said – you join part time for six months, if you understand then go ahead otherwise there is no problem. After working for six months, Puneet agreed to join his wife’s company. Poonam gave him a package of 1.50 crores.
Poonam says that our goodwill was increasing and banks were coming forward and getting ready to give loans. Actually, banks in Europe give loan to any company only after five years. Because of this I had to take money from the people of the market.
our couple was working hard
Poonam says- Now our pair was working vigorously. There were many employees in the office who handled different departments. On getting better response, companies started giving us reference and in this way we became a company with crores of turnover. We also tried our hand in the business of construction, IT, hospitality. We got success here also. Today our company has a net worth of Rs 1000 crores. We own 9 companies today. There is business in more than 60 countries and our companies have offices in 7 countries.
… why India was chosen for scrap
Poonam says, ‘I grew up in India. People in our country do not give up anything easily. Use it for years. Jugaad with junk is done in the best way. Take the sofa, get it repaired, change its cover and use it for years. Nothing is rejected in our place, but after its work is done, it is thought that how it can be used in other work. This thinking of India forced me to do business here.
Recycle clothes like paper
Poonam says – Carbon credits and sustainability are being talked about all over the world. Especially the discussion of sustainability in textile is in full swing. The concept is that how can clothes which we are not using be reused. We are working very deeply on this. Research is being done, just as the sustainability of paper has become an industry, in the same way, used clothes can also be reused. Research is being done on how this can be done better. People will also be able to get money for their old clothes. This is exactly what we did with the paper scraps. We used the rejected wallpaper to print books. We used magazine paper for the poster.
First girl in the family to enter business
I come from baniya family. I am the first girl from my family who is in business. I have seen that my mother used to do housework all the time. If you want to earn respect in the society, then you have to become something and show it. Be it a professor, a teacher or a doctor. Family members used to say earlier that business women are not respected much. Today I also told Finance Minister Sitharaman and other women entrepreneurs that if we do our work well, we will get more respect. I had this thought within me that I don’t just have to make chapatis in the kitchen, I also have to do something. I had seen my father working, my father was also a famous Kalai businessman of Delhi.
Father said – wanted to make Poonam a doctor
Poonam’s father Gaurishankar Gupta says, ‘I wanted the daughter to become a doctor, but she used to talk about business from the beginning. Then got married and started looking for a job. His mind used to run a lot in business. Used to top in school-college. He helped himself.
The reporter said – How does it feel to see a daughter with a net worth of 1000 crores like this… So Poonam said with fervor – Now she has to see a daughter with a turnover of 1 lakh crores as well.
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