Mudra loan helps Una woman expand business in Manali

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Mudra support helps Poonam expand from one shop to five in Manali

Manali, September 20

A small vegetable shop in Manali has grown into a five-shop business for Poonam Sharma, a native of Una district, with support from the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. Her annual income has increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, while her current loan limit under the scheme stands at Rs 42 lakh.

Poonam moved to Manali in 2012 and initially encouraged her husband, who worked at a vegetable shop, to start his own business. The couple opened a small vegetable shop in Aleu and continued operating it until 2015.

According to Poonam, their initial attempts to obtain a bank loan were unsuccessful as they belonged to another district. After the Mudra Yojana was launched in 2015, she received an initial loan of Rs 2.5 lakh.

The loan helped her expand the vegetable business and start a grocery store. As the business grew, her loan limit increased to Rs 5 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, eventually reaching Rs 42 lakh.

Poonam now runs five shops in Aleu and Jagatsukh with her husband and provides employment to six other people.

She said the scheme helped her expand her business and move beyond the small-scale operation she had started with.

Poonam also received an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being selected as the only beneficiary from Himachal Pradesh for an interaction marking 10 years of the Mudra Yojana on April 8, 2025.

During the interaction, she shared how the scheme had helped her transform from a homemaker into a businesswoman.