When 45-year-old Madhabi Mondal Saha, a housewife, turned an entrepreneur, nobody had the faintest idea that one day she would bring laurels to her village.

"My mother-in-law introduces me to our relatives as the ghar ki Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity)," said Madhabi. Hailing from Khasjangle village in West Medinipur in West Bengal, she has just received the Ministry of Medium and Small Enterprises special award for SC/ST entrepreneur from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In 2000, Madhabi started Sarama Steel Furnitures with an initial investment of Rs 65,000. While a part of the investment was through a loan from a co-operative bank in Medinipur, she borrowed most of the remaining amount from relatives. "I also had to sell some of my jewellery besides, taking money from my father, mother-in-law and friends," she said.

She set up a small workshop with five workers and started making steel furniture like almirahs, chairs and hospital beds. "Initially, the problem was money, then when we started production it was publicity. Our village is too small to make good business, so we had to place advertisements in local newspapers and hoardings. After those initial hiccups, the sales figure started growing and now we are catering to surrounding areas and government departments, both on a wholesale as well as retail basis," Madhabi said.

She now runs two showrooms, one in Khasjangle and the other in Medinipur, and provides direct employment to 20 people.

The value of her annual production, which was Rs 17 lakh (Rs 1.7 million) in 2001-02, increased to Rs 26 lakhs (Rs 2.6 million) in 2004-05. Her company made a profit of Rs 200,000. "Now, the value of our industry is Rs 65 to 70 lakh and profits are much better than the previous years," she said.

Madhabi took a loan of Rs 12 lakh (Rs 1.2 million) from Allahabad Bank [Get Quote] (where her husband works as a clerk) last year and has some major plans ahead. "I have a proposal to set up an electric coil industry with an investment of Rs 50-60 lakhs (Rs 5 to 6 million)," she said.

"As a joint family we were always in need of more money and I wanted to provide a better life to my children," said Madhabi, who studied till 8th standard.

This first generation women entrepreneur from a socially disadvantaged community stands as an inspiration for other women in her village. "They look up to me with respect now," she said with smile.