HYDERABAD: Vijayalakshmi's pursuits in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) has lead to her being awarded the prestigious award of one among India's top 25 MSME entrepreneurs for the year 2010-11 by the Ministry of MSMEs.What makes the award even more special is the fact, that only three women were selected across the country for the same; with two out of that three hai l ing f rom Andhr a Pradesh; the other one being Dr Ratna Sudha of city based Unique Biotech Limited. In the year 1978, when the idea of a woman entrepreneur hadn't yet found appeal in popular social thinking, a woman named Vijayalakshmi bagged an order from the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Authority to manufacture solder sticks for filling radiator holes, the only woman among twenty engaged for the same. An electronics engineering graduate from the Andhra University, her family was her source of encouragement as she began production of around 10 tonnes of solder sticks to numerous bus depots in the state, under the brand name Anu Industries.Her annual turnover then was `10 lakh.Thirty three years and multiple-industrial experiments later, her solder sticks industry was replaced with three dip molding factories, an electronics factory and a coconut water bottling plant, bringing her an annual turnover of `20 crores with a combined workforce of 500 employees. “Turning entrepreneur for me was a natural inclination.I never felt threatened by the 'outsider' tag amidst the male-dominated industry.Noone will discriminate you based on gender once you reach level of experience or expertise”, opines Vijayalakshmi. Her first enterprise was financed with help of bank loans.Having repaid all her dues, she sought greener pastures. “ The competition in the solder sticks division was picking up, and I wanted to try out a different technology, not yet introduced in India, as part of a long term business plan.” It took her five years before she could zero in on the dip molding technology.She soon visited Korea to study the process and initiated efficient technology transfer with her Korean technical partners, finally setting up a unit at the Jeedimetla Industrial Park in Rangareddy district in 1998. The first thing she did thereafter was to apply for ISO certification.Call it a touch of inspiration or natural instinct, but with the certification, her production and profits improved drastically. But she isn't just an in-your-face capitalist.She believes in providing social security and independence to women.A visit to her factory will see women working not just in second degree operations like packing, cutting, sorting and so on, but also operating machines on the shop floor and acting as floor managers.“More than 70% of my employees are women, and I trust them as much as men in handling any type of factory work”, she said. Not one to rest, she wants to implement a few more business ideas.“I'm nearing 57 now.Maybe after 3-4 years, I may retire, but till that happens, I'm going to execute my long cherished dream of manufacturing electronic chokes, solar appliances and even PCBs for electrical devices.Even social enterprise businesses rank high on my list of things-to-do in the distant future”, she adds, her Rs.12 crore smile shining through.
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