January 23, 2025

Sales and sisterhood: What drives a small-scale business in Pune

A day in the lives of two women microentrepreneurs, who combine their marketing and product design skills to craft a winning formula for their social enterprise.

2 min read

Watch this video about a day in the lives of Asha Shinde and Sana Shaikh, who lead a women’s small-scale business called Umang Mahila Udyog. Based out of Maharashtra’s Pune district, Umang produces handcrafted and knit goods, including a variety of bags, stationery, unique gift items, and furnishings. Asha and Sana outline the complementary functions they perform through the day to keep the business running smoothly, including procuring raw materials, designing products, and marketing them to consumers. The conditions that led to Asha and Sana joining Umang were quite different, but they shared a deep ambition and a tireless work ethic, which drives the organisation today. Besides their professional obligations, they manage various responsibilities outside of work. Ultimately, they hope to make Umang a household name and grow the business in a manner that enables it to sustainably support even more women in their community.

Know more

  • Learn how philanthropy can be mobilised to facilitate women’s entrepreneurship.
  • Watch this video on the experiences of women entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Do more

We want IDR to be as much yours as it is ours. Tell us what you want to read.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Asha Shinde-Image
Asha Shinde

Asha Shinde is a coordinator at Umang Mahila Udyog, where she is responsible for marketing the products made by Umang’s women partners. Her focus areas are helping migrant women who have moved from villages to cities and finding ways for more women to be able to combat domestic violence. Asha lives in Kasarwadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra, and has studied till standard 9.

Sana Shaikh-Image
Sana Shaikh

Sana Shaikh is a coordinator at Umang Mahila Udyog. She has been involved in tailoring work for the past 17 years. Sana aspires to create an identity for herself using her skills, and wants to move ahead in life along with the women who work with her. She lives in Kasarwadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra, and has studied till standard 9.

COMMENTS
READ NEXT