How a youthful Patna lady without business foundation constructed a Rs 1 crore turnover clay brand in only three years

Hailing from a middle-class family in Patna, Bihar, Akriti Verma was inspired by her uncle to become an entrepreneur. At age 26, with no business background, she took the bold step of starting a wall putty manufacturing company with Rs 15 lakh.

Three years later, her company Renaissance Industry Private Limited has built a Rs 1 crore turnover brand, AKV Wall Putty which competes with products from giants such as Birla, J K Cement, and Iris in the market. But he always had time for his family and for himself, while my father who had a government job did not have much time for us, says Akriti, explaining why she got into the business by quitting a well-paying job in Singapore.

But she was a strong woman and stood her ground, says Akriti, 29, who studied at Mount Carmel School, Patna, and finished her Class 12 with 79% in 2010. Akriti completed her English Honours (2010-13) from Dayal Singh College, Delhi University, and went to Cardiff Metropolitan University, Singapore Campus, to do her MBA in Project Management (2013-15). “When I was in Singapore, and traveling, big and beautiful buildings always attracted me, says Akriti.

As I was planning to start a business, I thought of making some products that could be utilized in the realty sector. “I initially thought of making white cement, but gave up the idea since it was a capital-intensive product. Back in India, she got her company Renaissance Industry registered in 2015 through her mother, who was trying her hand at organic farming and goat farming on a one-acre land the family owned at Nagai village in Siwal district, Bihar.

“We planned to make goat cheese in India, and send it to Singapore, where there was a demand for it. But we never got the manufacturing license and so the project never took off, says Akriti. After working for about two years in Singapore, Akriti returned to India with her savings to start a business. I had zero ideas about the process of starting a manufacturing unit, says Akriti on setting up the putty-making unit.

“My chartered accountant guided me in getting the manufacturing license and the ISI trademark.” She set up her factory at a rented place in Patna and began production in 2018 with four employees. 11 employees work with her now and in FY 2020-21 the turnover touched Rs 1 crore.

Akriti built her business by listing her company on trade portals such as India Mart and Trade India. “It is primarily a B2B business,” she says. has a simple business funda; she never says any to any client and takes up even smaller orders. There are discounts for bulk orders too, she says.

I plan to diversify in the future and introduce new products like tile adhesives, and even manufacturing of white cement is in the pipeline. She has traveled to many towns and cities as she built her business. “I have often traveled to cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha to promote our product among the traders and builders,” says Akriti, who prefers to travel by her own car mostly and would take the flight only while visiting far off cities like Bhubaneshwar.

There was no time to waste, and so I fixed the machine myself as the manufacturer gave me instructions over the phone, says Akriti. In March 2019 she suffered a personal setback when she lost her mother under tragic circumstances. Akriti has a younger sister who is a lawyer and a brother who is still studying in college.