Bettiah, Dec 26 (IANS): Archana Kushwaha is now running her own factory in Bihar’s Bettiah with the help of the state government. The factory provides employment to at least 25 people. The company is manufacturing sarees, lehengas, and suits.

The products are sent to various places, including Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Siwan, Patna, and West Champaran.

Archana, who once worked in a factory in Surat, is now the owner of a factory with an annual turnover of several crores.

Talking about how her fortunes changed, Archana shared her story with IANS.

She said: "When the pandemic hit, work in Surat came to a halt, and we decided to return to Bihar. During our journey back, I had many thoughts about what we would do to make a living. With the support of the local DM and the state government, we received a loan of Rs 25 lakh, which enabled us to start our own business. Today, we run a factory that employs 25 people, and we manufacture lehengas, sarees, and suits here."

"Our products are distributed across various parts of Bihar. Returning to Bihar has been a great experience, and this year our factory achieved a turnover of Rs 3 crore. I used to work in another factory in a different state, but today I am the owner of my own factory. I want to thank the state and Central government for helping me reach this position."

It is worth mentioning that Archana Kushwaha received a loan of Rs 25 lakh through the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in 2020, facilitated by the district administration.

With this loan, she set up a factory in Chanpatia for making sarees and lehengas. She gradually started the operations, brought in machines from outside, and has now reached this milestone. This is how her earlier struggles came to an end with her own factory.