Rima Laishram : Scripting a tale of success with Chak-hao tea
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 30 2018:
At a time when experts are saying that unemployment has become a serious threat to the society and is becoming a major factor for the increasing crime and immoral activities in the State, Rima Laishram, a young lady from Kongpal Lairikyembam Leikai of Imphal East District, is showing the society that one can become a successful entrepreneur and a role model for all the unemployed people.
Rima started her enterprise in pickle making with a capital investment of just Rs 1000 which she received as stipend for joining a one month long food processing course at DIC, Imphal East in 2016 .
Now the 25 year old entrepreneur has successfully established Rima Food Industries and has become the first entrepreneur to manufacture black rice (Chak-hao) tea in the State apart from manufacturing many other black rice products and bakery items.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Rima stated that she started making pickles out of the starfruit (Heinoujom) grown at her residence by adding sugar and other ingredients which she bought using the stipend money (amounting to just Rs 1000).She said that she also sold the finished products herself during the initial stage of establishing her industry.
Despite ridicules from certain sections of the society on many instances, especially from her friend circle when she was selling her products personally, she ignored them and continued to sell her products with wider coverage.
Recounting the hardships she faced to become an entrepreneur, Rima asserted that she was rejected by the authorities concerned at first when she applied for the one month food processing course at DIC, Imphal East, Porompat.
However, due to her strong will and desire to join the training, she attended the training course everyday by occupying the place of trainees who were absent.
Although the trainers/authorities of the training course initially told her not to come to the training course as the trainees had outnumbered the intake capacity, they recognized Rima's enthusiasm and finally admitted her in place of a trainee who left the course midway.
Rima also bore the brunt of her family' financial debt during the initial stage of establishing her industry as her father also died during the time.
She had to manage her own educational expenses at the time but with firm determination and will, she completed her graduation from Naorem Birahari College, Sawombung and successfully established Rima Food Industries as well.
Apart from generating a handsome revenue for her family, Rima's industry is also providing jobs to a few unemployed people.
As of now, around 15 individuals, mostly women, are employed in Rima Food Industry.
Apart from this, Rima is also making many farmers grow black rice in their farms which she later buys as raw materials for her industry.
Although Rima has been successful in establishing a micro-based industry, she cannot expand her food industry rapidly due to lack of huge capital investment.
She exuded confidence that her industry would grow much faster and bigger if there is a one time huge capital investment.
She conveyed that her industry has reached the present stage only with the gradual expansion of the capital investment.
"I had applied for a Government loan some years back, but the authorities concerned did not accept my proposal on the reason that they fear giving out a bigger amount of loan to a young lady who is below 18 years (at the time)", Rima said, "However, I have been selected for a Government loan recently and some of the loan amount have been received and I have used them to buy a machine for grinding black rice to make black rice tea" .
She further expressed keen desire to get support from the Government and other agencies concerned, especially monetary assistance.
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