Growing up in a traditional and patriarchal Indian household, Madhu Prakash, who is lovingly known as Bua Ji, was unable to step into her family business despite strong will. While younger Madhu couldn’t put her business woman mindset to action, the older one has defeated all odds by starting her own company – Phulo Phalo. She is now an inspiring woman entrepreneur who exemplifies that ‘age is just a number’.
This story is all about the journey of this hard-working woman who chose to become an entrepreneur at the age of 60. Happy reading!
Born in 1961, Madhu was a part of a stereotypical business family. Her childhood memories are mostly filled with love and laughter resonating from moments spent with her two brothers.
Growing up, Madhu was a keen observer and a great learner. As a businessman’s daughter, she always wanted to run a business of her own. However, patriarchy overpowered! The family business was passed on to her brothers, and she was married off to spend the rest of her life as a homemaker. Her dream to become an inspiring woman entrepreneur seemed to have become even more fetched.
As years went by, family get-togethers revolved around conversations hinting that Madhu was more business-minded than any of her siblings. While responsibilities subdued her, her ambition to become a businesswoman was still alive.
The family tree grew and another pioneer woman in the family – Sugandha Bathla decided to step a foot into the business. Her ambition and dedication to be an inspiring woman entrepreneur led her to quit her project manager job and kick-start a remarkable company named ‘Phulo Phalo’.
For Madhu, this was an opportunity to actualise her business woman mindset. Together, the two women started creating magic with age-old recipes. While there were endless challenges in kick-starting the business, Madhu’s ailing husband – Mr. Prem proved to be her biggest support. Despite being a cancer patient, he consistently pushed her to fulfil her dreams.
Today, Bua Ji and Sugandha successfully work with 15 people over the age of 55 years. Their team is reviving family recipes and age-old traditional dishes while generating income by doing what they love to do.
According to Madhu, “Phulo Phalo is more about practising traditional methods of slow & aware cooking to bring the best out of every ingredient in a dish”.
While Madhu marks milestone 60 this year, her ambition to become a better yet inspiring woman entrepreneur and help other senior citizens to fulfil their dreams continues to grow.
This two-generational duo has given an example of what determination and ambition can help us achieve. Madhu justifies the statement that ‘age is just a number’ and dreams can be fulfilled with willpower.
If you were inspired by their story or enjoyed reading it, leave a comment below to salute the hardworking spirit of Bua Ji.
You can also check other women’s stories on our website – thewingedwomen.com. If you think you have it in you to inspire someone, connect with us at @thewingedwomen on Instagram or e-mail at thewingedwomen@gmail.com.
