Meet Satyam Sundaram; An MBA Grad Who Is Making It Big By Selling Bamboo Products On The Footpath

The story of Satyam Sundaram- an MBA grad from the Purnia district in Bihar, is unlike anyone else. While it is common for MBA grads to quit their high-paying jobs in order to have a better work-life balance, that's not the case with Satyam.

Along with his mother Asha Anuragini, Satyam sells bamboo products on the roadside. They want to promote the adoption of bamboo products in place of plastic, and environmental concerns lie at the heart of their endeavor.

Also read: This IIT-grad Couple Quit Their US-based Jobs & Started Their Farm In Madhya Pradesh!

Over time, their work has also been recognized by the District Magistrate (DM) and she helped them to increase their reach and establish the business further. From starting at zero, Satyam and her mother have started a factory last month. However, it was not an easy ride for the duo as they had to overcome many obstacles on their way to success.

A Feeling That Always Bothered Satyam

Even since he was a child, Satyam has always felt a deep connection with the birds, animals, and the environment in general. Satyam says that he owes his deep connection with the environment to her mother and how she brought her up.

"I think exactly like my mother. It is from her that I got the inspiration to do something for the environment," Satyam said in an interview with The Better India. However, in spite of the inspiring idea behind the venture, Satyam acknowledges that starting off with it was not easy.

Right from conceptualizing the business idea, to coming up with a marketing strategy, the mother-son duo had to face a lot of problems. Nevertheless, they persisted and made sure that the business today is running smoothly and showing signs of steady growth. 

The Birth Of A Business Idea

The business idea dawned on Satyam when he was in his final year of MBA and was doing an internship with a company. During the course of the internship, Satyam had to travel to different places in order to market the products. One such trip took him to the edge of the city where he saw a waste dump and the pollution made him question all his life choices so far.

Satyam said, "The nature lover within me became very sad after seeing those heaps of plastic waste. I realized that I will be able to earn money by doing a job but I will not be able to solve this huge crisis that is plaguing the world around us".

When he explained his idea to his mother, she did not take it well. "The financial condition of our home was not good and so I asked Satyam to distract himself from these thoughts and focus on his studies and job. But in my heart I knew that his concern was right," Satyam's mother said.

The next step for Satyam was to research alternative products that can replace plastic. During his research, he found out that a variety of products can be made out of bamboo that are equally sturdy and useful. He then went ahead and bought ten bamboos and started work with the help of his mother.

Satyam's mother is a teacher of arts and crafts, and she took help from YouTube to come up with a bamboo bottle. It was their first-ever product and they decided to sell it on the roadside. 

From Facing Taunts To Making It Big

When the mother-son duo started selling bamboo bottles on the streets, they faced a lot of taunts from people. Satyam became an object of ridicule for studying so much and then selling bottles on the streets. However, his mother never left his side and continued supporting him throughout.

"Back in the day, people would come to our stall and praise our product, but refuse to make a purchase. Several times I have thought that I will leave all these and focus on my job, but then I would think of my mother who has stood by me all along. Finally, I decided that somehow I will make people turn away from plastic," Satyam said.

Gradually the word started spreading in the city and people were talking about their stall. Many local media channels came and covered their story as an MBA grad selling bamboo bottles on the roadside was highly newsworthy.

Also read: A Fan Of 5-Minute Crafts? Here Is Something Useful That Even Impressed The Mahindra Group Chairman

Slowly they started increasing their product line up from bottles to pen stands, trays, and cups. Eventually, the news reached the District Magistrate (DM) thanks to the efforts of the media channels that took interest in their story. Once the DM took interest in their venture, they started receiving help in different ways.

Satyam's mother Asha said, "With the help of the DM we got sent to the Department of Industries. They liked our products and since they were handmade, the department decided to promote them further."

With the help of the Department Of Industries, they got the opportunity to take part in an exhibition. People at the exhibition loved their products and encouraged them to scale the business up further. 

What The Future Holds For Them

Thanks to their collaboration with the Department of Industries, it became easier for the duo to get a loan. Satyam decided to build a factory on their family farmland and scaled up the business massively.

They source the bamboo from Manipur and use it to craft the products. In fact, last month Bihar's industry minister Shahnawaz Hussain came and inaugurated the factory which they have named, "Manipuri Bamboo Artifacts".

They have also started receiving large orders. Their latest order is from the Bihar Government which wants them to supply bamboo dustbins that will be kept in various government departments.

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