WOMEN IN INDIA:     The Indian sociological set up has been traditionally a male

dominatedone. Women are considered as weaker sex and always to depend on men folk in their family and outside, throughout their life. They are left with lesser commitments and kept as a dormant force for a quite long time. The Indian culture made them only subordinates and executors of the decisions made by other male members,in the basic family structure.

 

                                       The traditional set up is changing in the modern era. The

 transformation of social fabric of the Indian society, in terms of increased educational  

status of women and varied aspirations for better living, necessitated a change in the life style

of Indian women. 

                                       Indian families do have the privilege of being envied by the

westerners, since women here are taking more responsibilities in bringing up children

and maintaining a better home with love and affection. At the family level, the task of

coordinating various activities in a much effective manner, without feeling the pinch of

inconveniences, is being carried out by the women folk.    

 

                                       Thus, the Indian women have basic characters in themselves in the present sociological and cultural setup as follows.

 

Indian women are considered as Sakthi, which means source of power.

Effectively coordinating the available factors and resources.

Efficient execution of decisions imposed on them

Clear vision and ambition on the improvement of family and children.

Patience and bearing the sufferings on behalf of others and

Ability to work physically more at any age.

                                                       

 

NEED OF THE HOUR:     Women sector occupies nearly 45% of the Indian population.

 

The literary and educational status of women improved considerably during the past

 

few decades. More and more higher educational and research institutions are imparting

 

knowledge and specialisation. At this juncture, effective steps are needed to provide

 

entrepreneurial awareness, orientation and skill development programmes to women.

 

 The institutions available at present are very limited. Moreover, their functions and

 

opportunities available with them are not popularised much.

 

Women” as Entrepreneurs in India:

Women owned businesses are highly increasing in the economies of almost all countries. The hidden

entrepreneurial potentials of women have gradually been changing with the growing sensitivity to the role

and economic status in the society. Skill, knowledge and adaptability in business are the main reasons for

women to emerge into business ventures.‘Women Entrepreneur’ is a person who accepts challenging role to

meet her personal needs and become economically independent. A strong desire to do something positive is

an inbuilt quality of entrepreneurial women, who is capable of contributing values in both family and social

life. With the advent of media, women are aware of their own traits, rights and also the work situations. The

glass ceilings are shattered and women are found indulged in every line of business from pappad to power

cables. The challenges and opportunities provided to the women of digital era are growing rapidly that the

job seekers are turning into job creators. They are flourishing as designers, interior decorators, exporters,

publishers, garment manufacturers and still exploring new avenues of economic participation.In India,

although women constitute the majority of the total population, the entrepreneurial world is still a male

dominated one. Women in advanced nations are recognized and are more prominent in the business world.

But the Indian women entrepreneurs are facing some major constraints like –

a) Lack of confidence – In general, women lack confidence in their strength and competence. The family

members and the society are reluctant to stand beside their entrepreneurial growth. To a certain extent, this

situation is changing among Indian women and yet to face a tremendous change to increase the rate of

growth in entrepreneurship.

b) Socio-cultural barriers – Women’s family and personal obligations are sometimes a great barrier for

succeeding in business career. Only few women are able to manage both home and business efficiently,

devoting enough time to perform all their responsibilities in priority.

c) Market-oriented risks – Stiff competition in the market and lack of mobility of women make the

dependence of women entrepreneurs on middleman indispensable. Many business women find it difficult to

capture the market and make their products popular. They are not fully aware of the changing market

conditions and hence can effectively utilize the services of media and internet.

d) Motivational factors – Self motivation can be realized through a mind set for a successful business,

attitude to take up risk and behavior towards the business society by shouldering the social responsibilities.

Other factors are family support, Government policies, financial assistance from public and private

institutions and also the environment suitable for women to establish business units.

e) Knowledge in Business Administration – Women must be educated and trained constantly to acquire the

skills and knowledge in all the functional areas of business management. This can facilitate women to excel

in decision making process and develop a good business network.

f) Awareness about the financial assistance – Various institutions in the financial sector extend their

maximum support in the form of incentives, loans, schemes etc. Even then every woman entrepreneur may

not be aware of all the assistance provided by the institutions. So the sincere efforts taken towards women

entrepreneurs may not reach the entrepreneurs in rural and backward areas.

g) Exposed to the training programs - Training programs and workshops for every type of entrepreneur is

available through the social and welfare associations, based on duration, skill and the purpose of the training

program. Such programs are really useful to new, rural and young entrepreneurs who want to set up a small

and medium scale unit on their own.

h) Identifying the available resources – Women are hesitant to find out the access to cater their needs in the

financial and marketing areas. In spite of the mushrooming growth of associations, institutions, and the

schemes from the government side, women are not enterprising and dynamic to optimize the resources in

the form of reserves, assets mankind or business volunteers.

Highly educated, technically sound and professionally qualified women should be encouraged for managing

their own business, rather than dependent on wage employment outlets. The unexplored talents of young

women can be identified, trained and used for various types of industries to increase the productivity in the

industrial sector. A desirable environment is necessary for every woman to inculcate entrepreneurial values

and involve greatly in business dealings. The additional business opportunities that are recently approaching

for women entrepreneurs are:

• Eco-friendly technology

• Bio-technology

• IT enabled enterprises

• Event Management

• Tourism industry

• Telecommunication

• Plastic materials

• Vermiculture

• Mineral water

• Sericulture

• Floriculture

• Herbal & health care

• Food, fruits & vegetable processing

Empowering women entrepreneurs is essential for achieving the goals of sustainable development and the

bottlenecks hindering their growth must be eradicated to entitle full participation in the business. Apart from

training programs, Newsletters, mentoring, trade fairs and exhibitions also can be a source for

entrepreneurial development. As a result, the desired outcomes of the business are quickly achieved and

more of remunerative business opportunities are found. Henceforth, promoting entrepreneurship among

women is certainly a short-cut to rapid economic growth and development. Let us try to eliminate all forms

of gender discrimination and thus allow ‘women’ to be an entrepreneur at par with men.

The increasing role women are playing as business owners is part of the overall

impact women are having on society today. Women in the media are bringing new

insights in reporting; women in the movies are featured in expanded roles beyond

those of wife, girlfriend, or mother; women in medicine are offering new

dimensions to caring for patients and more research on women's health issues;

women in law are seeking justice for crimes committed against women; and

women in politics today represent the largest constituency in history

While the trend of women owning businesses is growing, it is certainly not

new. Women have owned and operated businesses since the beginnings of

American history and much earlier in other parts of the world. They rarely

were recognized, however, or given credit for their efforts. Often women

were invisible as they worked side by side with their husband in business

and may have only stepped into the leadership position when their husband

died.

Women tend to launch businesses in the industry where they have had

direct experience, mostly in traditional fields. This explains the lack of

women business owners in nontraditional fields such as manufacturing. This

is slowly changing, however. From 1980 to 1989, women-owned sole

proprietorships increased over 175 percent in mining, construction,

manufacturing, and transportation.

In the late 1990s, 60 percent of women-owned businesses were

concentrated in retail and service sectors and in traditional industries such

as cosmetics, food, fashion, and personal care. Famous women business

owners in these industries include: Mary Kay Ash, Mrs. Fields, Estee

Lauder, and Donna Karan.

Indra Nooyi- 4th position- Chief Executive—designate, Pepsi Co.

This Madras born woman was a straight “A” student in her school. Nooyi did her bachelors from Madras Christian College and MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Nooyi then went to USA and

attended Yale University. From Yale, she obtained degree on management. This brilliant corporate woman started her career in Boston Consulting Group and moved on to Motorola and Asea Brown Boveri.

She joined Pepsi Co. in 1994. She turned the company into a bold risk taker. In 1998, Pepsi acquired Tropicana. In 1997, Pepsi started its own fast food chain. In 2001, she became President of Pepsi Cola.

Wall Street Journal included her name in their top 50 women to watch in 2005. Fortune magazine declared her 11th most powerful women in business.

Sonia Gandhi-13th position—President, Congress Party

She was born in Italy and had a normal upbringing. In 1964, she went to Cambridge to study English and met Rajiv Gandhi. The two fell in love and got married in 1968. Sonia’s entrance into politics was

accidental. In 1991, after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, she was approached by the Congress Party leaders but she refused. She finally joined politics in 1998 by taking over the charge of Congress Party. Her opponents tried to ruin her image by labeling her as a foreigner, but with her timely decision to give

up the position of Prime minister to Dr. Manmohan Singh, after winning the general election of 2004, she outmatched her opponents.

Lalita Gupte & Kalpana Morparia—93rd position—Joint Managing Directors, ICICI Bank

Kalpana Morparia and Lalita Gupte are Joint Managing Directors of ICIC Bank, the second largest bank of India. Lalita Gupte holds a Master’s Degree in Management Studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of

Management Studies. She joined ICIC Bank in 1971. Her reason behind success is her supportive family. She got great support from her husband and in laws.

Ms. Kalpana Morparia is a graduate in law from Mumbai University. She joined ICIC in 1975 as a senior legal officer. In 1996, she became General Manager. She became Executive Director in 2001. In 1999, for

her contribution in Finance and Banking sector in India, Indian Merchants' Chamber awarded her.

Vidya Manohar Chhabria—95th position—Chairman, Jumbo Group

The wife of late Manohar Rajaram Chhabria, is now leading Jumbo Group, a Dubai based $1.5 billion business conglomerate. She became chairperson of the company after the death of her husband in 2002. She runs the business with the help of her three daughters. She was ranked 38th most powerful women

by the Fortune magazine in 2003.

Anu Aga- Chairperson (former) Thermax Group

Like Vidya Manohar Chabaria, this woman also became the Chairperson of Thermax Engineering after the death of her husband Rohinton Aga. The company’s condition was critical at that time. Its share price dipped to Rs. 36 from Rs. 400. Anu Aga, the then Director of Human Resource, Thermax, was compelled to take charge of the company. In order to make the company profitable, she brought a consultant from

abroad and restructured the company. The strategy worked and the company saw profit again. She stepped down from the post of chairperson in 2004. Now, she spends most of her time in social activities.

Bombay Management Association awarded her Management Woman Achiever of the Year Award 2002-2003.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw—Biocon

She is the first female master brewer and the richest woman in India. Her father was a master brewer and he encouraged her to get into this profession. Shaw obtained her Honors degree in Zoology from

Bangalore University. Then she went to Ballarat University to study brewery. Her first job was in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974, as a trainee brewer. She started her firm Biocon India in 1978 in her garage.

When she applied for loan to the banks, she was turned down. At that time, biotechnology was not known in India and she was a female and her company did not have much assets. With her hard work and

determination she overcome all these obstacles and turned Biocon into the biggest biopharmaceutical firm in India.

Simone Tata—Managing Director (former) Lakme

With her visions, she changed a small unknown cosmetics company, one of the subsidiaries of Tata Oil Mills, into one of the leading cosmetic companies of India. Lakme changed the face of Indian fashion and cosmetics forever. For her success, Simone N. Tata is also known as Cosmetic Czarina of India. Simone

joined Lakme in 1961 and became Chairperson in 1982. The company is now sold to Hindustan Liver. Simone is now heading Trent Limited another subsidiary of the Tata Company.

Indu Jain- Chairperson (former) The Times Group

Indu Jain has many identities: spiritualist, entrepreneur, humanist, educationalist, great lover of art and culture. She was the Chairman of the The Times Group, the biggest and the most powerful media house in India. The company was bought from a British group. Now, her two sons Samir and Vineet are running the company. Among the major products of the company, The Times of India, the largest selling English daily newspaper of the world. In 2000, Jain delivered speech at the Millenium World Peace Summit of

Religious and Spiritual Leaders.

Priya Paul—Apeejay Surrendra Group

Priya Paul finished her Bachelor’s in Economics from USA. She got into her family business at the age of 24 after her father Surrendra Paul was assassinated in 1990. Appeejay Surrendra Group has several

subsidiaries such as, tea, hotel, shipping, retail, real estate and financial services. At present, Priya is the Chairperson of Appeejay Park Hotels.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani— Kinetic Motor

This beautiful woman is the Joint Managing Director of Kinetic, and the Managing Director of Kinetic Finance. Her grandfather founded this company. He was a very well known figure in the Indian auto

industry. Sulajja did her MBA in America. Later, she worked in Barra International, a California based investment consultancy firm, for four years and then returned to India and joined her family business. She

travels a lot around India and likes to deal face to face with people. This is how she tries to understand the market in her country.

Neelam Dhawan—Managing Director, Microsoft India

She has become a pioneering figure in the IT industry of India. Neelam Dhawan has been working in the Indian IT field for the last twenty two years. She is the new Managing Director of Microsoft India. Before

coming to Microsoft, she worked in all the top IT companies in India such as HP, IBM and HCL

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Neeta Lulla wins Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award

India Infoline News Service / 14:06 , Aug 30, 2010

The award function also had a fashion presentation by Neeta Lulla. Neeta Lulla showcased a special line of her collection to celebrate the award show.

Neeta Lulla wins Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The award function also had a fashion presentation by Neeta Lulla. Neeta Lulla showcased a special line of her collection to celebrate the award show.

Neeta Lulla was presented with SME Entrepreneur of the year award at Franchise India Small Business Awards 2010 on 28th August, 2010 at the Novotel. The award show organized by Franchise India and Earnst and Young recognized excellence in small industries. The award function also had a fashion presentation by Neeta Lulla. Neeta Lulla showcased a special line of her collection to celebrate the award show.

This award acknowledges Neeta Lulla’s significant increase in retail presence across India as well as globally in a short time span since getting in to mainstream retail. The designer has also had a huge impact on the Indian fashion scenario over the last 2 decades due to her association with Bollywood and consistency in producing ensembles with superb style and quality.

The Neeta Lulla brand is also one of India’s first designer brands to launch and online shopping format and has also create tie ups with leading online shopping stores in India. Apart from this the brand also has interests in fashion education and art.

About mallika

Economic Times Businesswoman of the year 2006, she is a well known entrepreneur of India. She has always strived hard to reach for skies, but has deeply rooted her foot into the ground. She is a strong headed woman, who is leading the activities of a Company that is involved in macho business such as tractor manufacturing. She has been able to rise and stand out above all others and make a name for herself in the competitive business world of today. Well, we are talking about Mallika Srinivasan, director of the Rs 2500 crore Amalgamations Group Tafe. Mallika Srinivasan is one of the most successful women CEOs in India. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Mallika Srinivasan, so read on…

Life History

Born on November 19, 1959 as the eldest daughter of industrialist A Sivasailam, she is the pride of her parents. She was always brilliant in academics. She did her in MA (econometrics) from Madras University. Thereafter, she went

abroad to pursue further studies. She did her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Married to Venu Srinivasan, the CMD of TVS Motor, she is living happily with their two children.

In the year 1986, she planned to join the family business. She was made the General Manager of Tafe (Tractors and Farm Equipment) Company. When she took over the responsibility of furthering the economic wealth and business, the turnover of the Company was Rs 85 cr. Under the expert guidance of her father and the whole hearted support of the team, she brought about a major transformation. She converted Tafe into a hi technology-oriented company, thereby becoming the initial choice of the farmers. There was a period, when the Company had to face a tough time, however; even then, the Company invested a huge amount of over Rs 70 crore in the designing and development of product.

At present, the Company is earning a business over Rs 1,200 cr. It has been a long journey for the Company, which has witnessed many ups and downs. But, it was the strong determination of this courageous woman that slowly and steadily made the firm climb the ladders of success. Today, the Company has not only found a niche for itself as the leading tractor manufacturer, but also expanded its area of operations. It has also entered into others businesses like engineering plastics, panel instruments, automotive batteries gears, hydraulic pumps, and farm implements.

The company has had a long alliance with Massey Ferguson, which is now a part of Agco. The company is looking forward to exporting fully constructed tractors to Agco. Presently, Agro has a stake of 24% in the company and the rest lies with Simpson & Co. Presently, Mallika Srinivasan is serving as the president of premier industrial bodies like Tractor Manufacturers Association and the Madras Management Association. She is the first lady to have assumed the role of a president of the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is also a prominent member of the governing board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Joint Managing Director, ICICI Bank Ltd.

Lalita D. Gupte is Joint Managing Director of ICICI Bank Limited, which is the largest private sector bank in India. She was instrumental in transforming the erstwhile ICICI Limited from a development financial institution into a well-diversified universal bank, which culminated with the merger of ICICI Limited and ICICI Bank Limited. At ICICI Limited Mrs. Gupte was Joint Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer and played a key role in making ICICI the first Indian company and second bank from Asia to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Mrs. Gupte has about three decades of experience in the financial services industry, having started her career with ICICI Limited in 1971.

Mrs. Gupte has received numerous awards during her career, including "The Woman of the Year Award" for 2002 presented by the International Women's Association for her achievements in the corporate world, "The 21st Century for Finance & Banking Award" by the Ladies' Wing of the Indian Merchants' Chamber (1997) and "Women Achievers' Award" from the Women Graduates Union (2001).

In addition, Mrs. Gupte has been a member / chairperson of various expert groups. She was a member of "The Expert Group on Foreign Exchange Markets in India" formed in November 1994 by the Reserve Bank of India and a member of the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. Mrs. Gupta was Member-Secretary of the "Expert Group on Commercialisation of Infrastructure" formed by the Government of India in 1995. She was also Chairperson of the "Confederation of Indian Industry - National Committee on E-Commerce".

Mrs. Gupte has two children and lives in Mumbai. She enjoys spending her free time with her family and friends. Mrs. Gupte holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's degree in Business Management.

Profile

Lalita D. GupteJoint Managing Director

ICICI Bank Ltd.

As the Joint Managing Director of ICICI Bank, India's largest private sector bank, Mrs. Lalita D. Gupte is responsible for its international banking operations.

Mrs. Gupte has more than three decades of experience in the financial sector, beginning her career with the erstwhile ICICI Limited in 1971 in the project appraisal division. Since then she has held various leadership positions in areas of Leasing, Planning & Resources and Corporate Banking. Mrs. Gupte was appointed as Executive Director on the Board of Directors of the erstwhile ICICI Limited in 1994 and subsequently as the Deputy Managing Director in 1996. She was elevated to the post of Joint Managing Director of ICICI in June 1999, a position she continues to hold in the merged ICICI Bank.

Mrs. Gupte was instrumental in transforming ICICI Bank from a primarily term lending institution into a technology led diversified financial services group with a strong presence in India's retail financial services market. Having established itself as a leader in the domestic market, ICICI Bank is now increasing its presence in international markets. Mrs. Gupte is at the helm of ICICI Bank's global foray, which includes operations in the USA, Canada, UK, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, Sri Lanka, Russia, South Africa and Bangladesh. She is responsible for ICICI Bank's international relationships and businesses in the retail, corporate and technology areas and for forging international alliances required for the domestic businesses.

ICICI Bank is today a technology and retail banking leader in India. In 2004, ICICI Bank received the "Best Bank in India" award from Business India and "India's Most Customer-Friendly Bank" from Outlook Money amongst several other awards. ICICI Bank also continues to gain recognition internationally with numerous awards including the Best Bank in India by Euromoney, Global Finance, Asian Banker Journal and the Banker.

Mrs.Gupte has received numerous awards during her career, including The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence on "The Women Behind ICICI" for "Business Woman of the Year 2004-2005". This award was "for running one of the most respected financial services powerhouses in the country for creating an organization which has nurtured a generation of women achievers and for inspiring young professional women everywhere". Her other awards are "The Woman of the Year Award" for 2002 presented by the International Women's Association for her achievements in the corporate world, "The 21st Century for Finance & Banking Award" by the Ladies' Wing of the Indian Merchants' Chamber (1997) and "Women Achievers' Award" from the Women Graduates Union (2001). In July 2003 in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the corporate world, Mrs.Gupte was awarded the "Most Influential Marathi Woman Award" by the Maharashtra Foundation of U.S.A. Mrs.Gupte is also a recipient of the "Annasaheb Chirmule Award" for the distinguished services in the field of financial services. This award is given by the Annasaheb Chirmule Trust which has been founded by the United Western Bank Limited.

In addition Mrs. Gupte has been a member / chairperson of various expert groups. Currently, she is on the Center for Asia Pacific Policy Advisory Board of RAND. She was the Chairperson of the Women Empowerment Committee constituted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the apex chamber of commerce of Indian industry.

Prior to that, she has been a member of "The Expert Group on Foreign Exchange Markets in India" formed in November 1994 by the Reserve Bank of India and Chairperson of the "Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - National Committee on E-Commerce".

In addition, Mrs. Gupte regularly addresses seminars at leading business schools, in the U.S.A. including Harvard and Wharton. She has been on the Board of Governors of IIT, Mumbai and is presently Member of the Board of Management of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.

Mrs.Gupte holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's degree in Business Management.

Mrs. Gupte has two children and lives in Mumbai.

History

Lijjat was the brain child of seven semi-literate Gujarati housewives from Bombay (now Mumbai). The women lived in Lohana Niwas, a group of five buildings in Girgaum. They wanted to start a venture to create a sustainable livelihood using the only skill they had i.e. cooking. The seven women were Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat, Parvatiben Ramdas Thodani, Ujamben Narandas Kundalia, Banuben. N. Tanna, Laguben Amritlar Gokani, Jayaben V. Vithalani, and one more lady whose name is not known[6].

The women borrowed Rs 80 from Chaganlal Karamsi Parekh, a member of the Servants of India Society and a social worker[6]. They took over a loss-making papad making venture by one Laxmidasbhai[7] and bought the necessary ingredients and the basic infrastructure required to manufacture papads. On March 15, 1959, they gathered on the terrace of their building and started with the production of 4 packets of Papads[8]. They started selling the papads to a known merchant in Bhuleshwar. From the beginning, the women had decided that they would not approach anyone for donations or help, even if the organization incurred losses[9].

Ramdas Padhye, ventriloquist, with his Bunny used in Lijjat Papad AD

The Rabbit remains a part of the Lijjat Papad packing

Chaganlal Karamsi Parekh, popularly known as Chaganbapa, became their guide[4]. Initially, the women were making two different qualities of papads, in order to sell the inferior one at a cheaper rate. Chaganbapa advised them to make a standard papad and asked them never to compromise on quality. He emphasized to them the importance of running it as a business enterprise and maintaining proper accounts[10].

Lijjat expanded as a cooperative system. Initially, even younger girls could join, but later eighteen was fixed as the minimum age of entry. Within three months there were about 25 women making papads. Soon the women bought some equipment for the business, like utensils, cupboards, stoves, etc. In the first year, the organization's annual sales were Rs. 6196[11]. The broken papads were distributed among neighbours[7].

During the first year, the women had to stop production for four months during the rainy season as the rains would prevent the drying of the papads[4]. The next year, they solved the problem by buying a cot and a stove. The papads were kept on the cot and the stove below the cot so that the process of drying could take place in spite of the rains[6].

The group got considerable publicity through word of mouth and articles in vernacular newspapers. This publicity helped it increase its membership. By the second year of its formation, 100 to 150 women had joined the group, and by the end of the third year it had more than 300 members[6]. By this time, the terrace of seven founders could no longer accommodate the members and the ingredients, so the kneaded flour was distributed among the members who would take it to their homes and make papads[4]. The papads were brought back for weighing and packaging.

An attempt to start a branch in Malad suburb of Mumbai, in 1961, was unsuccessful[12]. In 1962, the name Lijjat (Gujarati for "tasty") was chosen by the group for its products. The name was suggested by Dhirajben Ruparel, was chosen in a contest held for the purpose, with prize money of Rs. 5[7]. The organization was named Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad[6]. In many Indian languages, Mahila means women, Griha means home, Udyog means industry. By 1962-63, its annual sales of papads touched Rs. 1.82 lakh[4].

In July 1966, Lijjat registered itself as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860[6]. In the same month, on Chaganbapa's recommendation, U N Deodhar, the chairman of KVIC personally inspected the Lijjat[4]. KVIC or Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission is a statutory body set up by the Government of India for development of rural industries. In September 1966, KVIC formally recognized Lijjat as a unit belonging to the "processing of cereals and pulses industry group" under the Khadi and Village Industries Act. It was also recognized as a "village industry". In 1966, KVIC granted it a working capital of Rs. 8 lakhs (0.8 million) and was allowed certain tax exemptions[6].

An attempt to start a branch in Sangli town, in 1966, was unsuccessful[12]. The first branch outside Maharashtra was established at Valod, Gujarat in 1968[11]. After tasting tremendous success with their papads, Lijjat began producing other products like khakhra (1974),

masala (1976), vadi, wheat atta, and bakery products (1979). In 1970s, Lijjat set up flour mills(1975), printing division (1977) and polypropylene packing division (1978). The group also initiated some unsuccessful ventures such as cottage leather, matchis and agarbattis.

In July 1979, the general secretary of a trade union tried to interfere in Lijjat's affairs, making certain demands on behalf of a few member-sisters. L. C. Joshi, Labour Advocate of Bombay and a well-known industrial relations expert, was called for consultations. In his observations on "Who owns Lijjat?", he clarified that member-sisters were competent to take a decision for their own and it was not open for an outside agency to interfere with the internal working of Lijjat[14].

In 1985, the Lijjat branch at Jabalpur was taken over by one Shantilal Shah as his own unit, which he ran with the help of a Sanchalika (branch head), who was wife of his employee. Lijjat went through tremendous pressures and court stay orders to retrieve the situation[15].

In 1987, Lijjat purchased new premises at Kamal Apartments in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai. The registered office shifted to the Bandra with effect from July 1988[7]. In 1988, Lijjat entered the soap market with Sasa detergent and soap[16].. Sasa had annual sales of Rs 500 million, accounting for 17 percent of Lijjat's total turnover in 1998. In March 1996, the 50th branch of Lijjat was inaugrated in Mumbai[17].

In 1980s, Lijjat also started taking part in several trade fairs and exhibitions, which improve its sales and made the brand name "Lijjat" well-known among the people[7]. The advertising was undertaken through the vernacular newspapers, television and radio. The institution sponsored programs and gave away gifts for the winners of specific shows in the television[18]. The money for advertisements was spent by the Polypropylene Division, which recovered the same by adding it to the price of the bags that it supplied to all the branches and institutions across the india.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Lijjat started attracted attention of foreign visitors and officials. The Vice-President of Uganda, Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, visited Lijjat's central office in January 1996, since she wanted to start a similar institution in Uganda[20]. Lijjat started exporting its products with the help of merchant importers in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Middle East, Singapore, the Netherlands Thailand, and other countries. Its annual exports accounted for more than US$2.4 million in 2001[11][21]. As its popularity grow, Lijjat started facing the problem of fake Lijjat papads being introduced in the market. In June 2001, three persons were arrested in this connection, in Bihar [4] . Lijjat's website explains the identification features of original Lijjat papads.

Lijjat received the "Best Village Industries Institution" award from KVIC for the period 1998-99 to 2000-01[22]. In 2002, the "Businesswoman of the Year" award was given to "The Women Behind Lijjat Papad" at The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence[23]. At the awards ceremony, the President of Lijjat urged the State Governments of Maharashtra and Punjab to reconsider their decision of withdrawing the tax exemption on Lijjat's Sasa Detergent.

In 2002, Lijjat had a turnover of Rs 3 billion and exports worth Rs.100 million. It employed 42,000 people in 62 divisions all over the country[6]. The 62nd branch became operational at Jammu and Kashmir in 2002, enrolling over 150 members[11].

In 2003, Lijjat received the "Best Village Industry Institution"[22]. It also received the PHDCCI Brand Equity Award 2005[24].

Lijjat marks its 50th year of existence on March 15, 2009.[25].

Bharti Airtel ltd.

Year High(Rs.) Low(Rs.) Close(Rs.) P/E High P/E Low P/E Close Mkt Cap.(Rs. in Cr.)

Share Prices Of 2009

Dec-09 348.80 300.00 328.80 18.51 14.64 16.58 124,844.04

Nov-09 325.45 229.50 299.70 16.69 9.36 15.11 113,791.29

Oct-09 467.00 290.30 292.15 25.25 14.54 14.73 110,924.68

Sep-09 453.00 395.10 418.55 24.17 18.67 21.10 158,916.74

Aug-09 439.00 360.10 424.70 22.35 17.09 21.41 161,251.79

Jul-09 440.00 381.00 410.55 22.47 20.07 20.70 155,879.27

Jun-09 460.50 370.50 401.05 26.53 17.04 20.22 152,268.26

May-09 495.00 369.35 409.83 27.01 18.28 20.66 155,594.98

Apr-09 379.80 297.15 374.65 19.45 14.47 18.89 142,235.12

Mar-09 318.50 272.00 312.90 16.44 13.55 15.77 118,791.86

Feb-09 339.20 303.50 318.33 20.91 18.33 19.51 120,850.81

Jan-09 362.50 288.00 316.93 22.85 17.42 19.42 120,319.31

Reliance Communications Ltd

Year High(Rs.) Low(Rs.) Close(Rs.) P/E High P/E Low P/E Close Mkt Cap.(Rs. in Cr.)

Dec-09 189.90 168.30 172.90 30.19 25.80 26.58 35,686.91

Nov-09 183.00 162.25 171.95 28.92 24.39 26.43 35,490.82

Oct-09 319.70 175.00 175.95 49.41 26.76 27.05 36,316.43

Sep-09 317.30 260.60 308.00 49.72 39.54 47.35 63,571.82

Aug-09 293.40 221.35 260.50 46.84 28.16 40.05 53,767.72

Jul-09 302.85 228.50 275.65 48.10 28.50 42.37 56,894.71

Jun-09 359.00 282.65 289.90 57.10 41.48 44.56 59,835.94

May-09 346.80 211.75 305.80 58.56 30.68 47.01 63,117.73

Apr-09 240.90 172.65 214.95 41.03 25.46 33.04 44,366.11

Mar-09 188.40 131.35 174.60 29.68 20.05 26.84 36,037.79

Feb-09 183.75 150.30 155.45 14.78 11.42 12.36 32,085.19

Jan-09 265.45 155.00 170.20 22.51 11.22 13.53 35,129.62