He quit his job at an IT company and started making footwear from scrap tires, with an annual turnover of Rs 7 lakh.
Pooja Apte Badamikar from Pune unveiled two prototypes made from aircraft and truck tires at Startup India, people liked the idea
Pooja says 100 crore tire scrap is generated in the world every year, of which only 0.1 per cent is reused and recycled.
Pooja Apte Badamikar, a 28-year-old IT professional living in Pune, is quitting her well-paying job and making footwear from scrap tires. Their innovation is playing an important role in saving the environment. She makes 200 pieces of footwear every month and has an annual turnover of Rs 7 lakh.
Pooja got a job in an IT company after doing electronic and telecom engineering from Pune University. Pooja worked there for four years. During this time he did post graduation in Renewable Energy from Terry University, Delhi. During the course he started studying up cycling and recycling. Now he knows that everyone knows about plastics, but very few people know even after the question of tires became serious.
In the year 2018, she won a prize in the Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur category
Pooja says the world generates 100 crore tire-scraps every year, of which only 0.1 per cent is reused. Under these circumstances, many tires remain the same in Landfill. As I began to study and research this, I came to know about the African community who made footwear from scrap tires. I took inspiration from them and decided to start working on a plan to create beautifully designed shoes. Some time later I also made two prototype designs from truck and aircraft tire scraps and presented them in 'Startup India'. This design was much appreciated and in the year 2018 I also got a prize of Rs. 50,000 in the Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur category. This is how I started my brand Nemital.
Creating this prototype for worship was not so easy. "When I went to the local cobbler, he refused," he says. Prototypes made with the help of some cobblers. The prize money I spent on research and development in the manufacturing sector. Launched the product in May, May 2019.
Pooja further says, we are preparing 35 types of products in the category of men, women. In this we sell through online platforms. We also have a small warehouse cum studio in Pune. From here we also sell the product. From here we also do room material and designing work.
Pooja says, I initially chose the fabric myself. I brought in tires and designed the product, which meant I worked like a soloprenior. A designer joined us eight months ago. They belong to the footwear industry.
Invested one lakh rupees to start a business
Pooja says, I had a good job. Leaving a paid job and starting from scratch was a big personal challenge. It is important for anyone looking to start a startup to know that if you plan to earn the same amount of money within 6 months of starting a startup, it is wrong.
Pooja says about footwear production, it is divided into different parts. Procurement and cutting of tires is done first. For this we enlist the help of regpickers. The pyrolysis plant also takes tires from the tire supplier. The process of preparing the bottom is then done.
In the meantime a cushioning layer is applied to the bottom. These are crafted by a different craftsman. Then the work of the upper layer is done. A tailor madam makes a layer on top of various fabrics and cushions. We produce 200 pieces. Our annual income is Rs 7 lakh. He invested Rs 1 lakh to start this business. In this we spent 50 thousand rupees on research and 50 thousand rupees on raw materials.
Start a business with one customer and one order
Pooja says that if a person wants to do this business, it is not difficult, although its creation is not so easy, i.e. you have to start a business with one customer and one order at the beginning. If you satisfy that customer with cushioning, comfort and style then satisfy your customers with the quality of the product. The initial investment is not more than Rs 50,000.
Posts
