“I guess the silver lining amidst the whole Coronavirus outbreak is people realizing how resilient they can get and, of course, taking bold leaps of faith, now that they’ve witnessed the worst. My journey too, as an entrepreneur started on a similar note, after working in the printing industry for almost 2 decades.

Life earlier, was settled and smooth sailing as an employee. My routine was fixed and days were all about completing my share of work and heading back to my PG, to leisurely interact with my family. I never had the luxury of staying with them, you see; those calls therefore, were everything I longed for

But thanks to the 2020 jolt, all of us senior employees too, were rendered jobless and sent back home immediately. Now, I was in a safe environment amidst my kin which came as a relief, but it also meant a halt in my income source! The first few months, especially, were daunting, just thinking about how life was gonna proceed further.

Of course, hailing from a family of farmers, my first instinct was to step out into our land and try my hand at agriculture. But it wasn’t long enough before I realized the depth of my requirements and understood that the income from there wouldn’t ever be sufficient to run my home like before.

It was a crucial moment, that was to decide what the future course of my life would look like. But like they say, “when you really wish for something, the universe does find a way of bringing it to you”

Similarly, in a few months, when traveling restrictions were eased in Tamil Nadu, I was quick to notice the flood of tourists flocking my birth village, the hills of Kolli. Now, that alongside my love for food, got me to immediately start a small stall on an important junction. Fusing Salem’s famous “thattais” with North Indian chaat, I began experimenting with popular recipes at home with my wife.

And slowly, I saw my initiative bore fruit, gradually aiding me to develop my small business initiative into a sustainable one. Now, there definitely were difficulties at every step, but thanks to my wife I was able to handle them without much hassle.

Today, I am a happy man who gets to stay in my native, earn better and witness the magic of entrepreneurship all in my late forties. Times might make you tumble, but I guess it eventually pays off to trust your gut and keep moving forward!”