Kushinagar: Ravi Prasad, a resident of Hariharpur village in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, searched for employment in Delhi after completing his graduation in BA. While living in Delhi, a friend told him about the Indian Trade Fair organized by ITPO at Pragati Maidan. He saw a tapestry of handicrafts on display from across India. He stumbled upon a stall featuring a machine designed to extract fibre from banana trees, which was then used to create handloom and handicraft items. At the same stall, he also learned about the banana water. This inspired him to think how he could adopt such methods to help people find employment.

A business idea

Ravi Prasad recognized the potential of utilizing the method in his district. Banana cultivation took place on approximately 27 thousand hectares of land, and farmers often threw away the tree trunks after harvesting. Ravi saw the potential for extracting fibre from banana stems in huge quantities.

Receiving training

Ravi Prasad requested the businessmen he had met at the fair to teach him skills of extracting banana fibre. Fortunately, the businessman agreed and invited him to a village approximately 160 km away from Coimbatore for a month-long training session in making products from banana fibre. The language barrier posed a challenge for him, but that did not stop him from pursuing the training. 

Financial assistance

Ravi Prasad completed his training in South India and returned to his village in 2018. The next challenge he faced was of acquiring the funds. He applied for a loan under the Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana in Kushinagar but faced difficulties on obtaining approval. At a point, due to the lack of financial assistance, it seemed impossible to achieve the dream. Fortunately, after some time, a loan of Rs 5 lakh was sanctioned. 

Launching the business

Ravi Prasad shares that he sources banana trees from nearby farmers for his handicraft business. During the launch of his business in 2018, the UP government initiated the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) scheme, offering assistance to entrepreneurs like Ravi. Soon after, Kushinagar gained local fame for manufacturing handmade products. 

Training to women

Ravi Prasad’s business picked up the pace and he began receiving assistance from the government as well. A 10-day training program for women was initiated, where he offered training sessions to women. He offered participants Rs 2000 for the duration of the training, along with tea, snacks. Following the training, women received certificates and support to establish their own business. To date, Ravi has provided training to 700 women in the art of crafting banana fibre products.

Monthly income

Ravi Prasad primarily sells the goods online and participates in fairs to establish contacts with wholesale traders. Currently, there is a high demand for puja asanas and yoga mats, with most orders being fulfilled by women artisans. Ravi's efforts were recognized with a state-level award in 2021. On average, his business generates sales of approximately Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh per month.