Lighting Lives Through THR Enterprises

When women rise, courage multiplies, dignity ripples, and communities transform. Through integrated solutions in energy, finance, skills, and community, PCI India ensures that the light of opportunity never flickers, and that rural women don’t just survive—they shine on their own.

 Recently, we celebrated Diwali—a time that symbolises victory of light over darkness. But in Lalitpur, the darkness women face isn’t just symbolic. It is intermittent electricity, limited opportunities, and persistent poverty — a darkness that dims dreams and muffles voices.

I recently visited a Take Home Ration (THR) production unit, entirely run by women. The machines hummed steadily, steel utensils clinked, and packets of nutritious THR were sealed with care. But the real light was in the women themselves. Their energy, determination, and quiet pride filled the room. 

Among the women, Soniya stood out — not for grandeur, but for the calm determination that radiated from her every movement. She measured grains, operated machines, and sealed packets with care, knowing each packet was not just food, but a piece of someone’s life, a story of survival, and a symbol of dignity.

When I asked about her journey, she passed a smile that resonated her struggle and triumph.

“Earlier, power cuts meant we stopped work for hours. My income was unpredictable,” she said softly. Now, with solar power, the work never stops. “I can send my children to school, save, and even dream,” she added. Her words weren’t just about solar panels—they were about hope restored, dignity reclaimed, and dreams finally allowed to breathe.

Soniya’s Journey from Struggle to Strength

A few years ago, Soniya’s life was quieter, harder, and almost invisible. She stitched clothes in a dim corner of her room, earning barely enough for a meal. Her husband’s alcohol dependence left her trapped, and her children’s education seemed a distant dream. “Even one meal a day was hard sometimes,” she said, her voice heavy with memory. Poverty had not just emptied her pockets—it had tried to dim her spirit.

When she joined the THR initiative—led by the Department of Child Development (ICDS) and Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM), with technical support from PCI India—she felt fear at first. Machines, registers, accounts—everything seemed difficult.

“I didn’t think women like us could run something like this,” she admitted with a nervous laugh.

But this was not just an entitlement. It was a carefully nurtured path from confidence to capability, from dependency to dignity. Through patient mentoring, peer support, and training, Soniya learned to operate machines, maintain hygiene, track production, and handle finances. Fear turned into familiarity, and familiarity into pride and purpose.

Today, Soniya leads her unit with quiet authority. The same hands that once stitched to survive, now craft nourishment for hundreds of mothers and children—and in doing so, light the way for others to follow.

The Triple Threat

Empowering women-led enterprises in rural India is a complex journey. The challenges are interlinked:

• Financial Exclusion – Dreams on Hold: Around 60% of micro/small enterprise credit demand remains unmet. Without access to formal loans, women cannot scale, and dreams remain delayed.
• Energy Insecurity – Darkness at Work: Intermittent electricity stops production, lowers quality, and reduces income, keeping businesses small and fragile.
• Inter-sectoral Silos – Isolated Solutions: Training without energy, loans without skills, or community support without livelihood opportunities often fails. Women need holistic solutions, not isolated programs.

PCI India’s Holistic Approach: Lighting the Way  

PCI India bridges these gaps, creating an ecosystem where women are empowered to thrive:

• Energy Meets Livelihoods: Solar-powered THR units free women from unreliable grids, ensuring continuous production, job security, and growing outputs.
• Finance Meets Energy & Skills: PCI India links women to government subsidies and low-interest loans to fund machinery and DRE installations, making their enterprises sustainable.
• Skills & Leadership: Training goes beyond operations to include financial literacy, marketing, and decision-making, transforming operators into entrepreneurs.
• Peer & Community Support: Mentorship and collective problem-solving build confidence and leadership, ensuring no woman walks this path alone.
• Inter-sectoral Integration: Finance + energy + skills + community support = enterprises that flourish, not just survive.

 A Moment to Remember

As Soniya handed me a sealed THR packet, her shy smile lingered:

“Sir, jab aap isse ghar le jayenge toh sochiyega — yeh sirf ration nahi hai, yeh humari umeedon ka phal hai.” (When you take this home, remember — this isn’t just food, it’s the fruit of our hopes.)

In that moment, I wasn’t holding a packet. I was holding years of struggle, resilience, and pride, the tangible proof of how energy, finance, and empowerment together can transform lives.

Soniya’s story shows what happens when women are trusted, supported, and given tools to lead: fear turns to courage, scarcity to stability, and invisibility to influence.

Next year, when we celebrate Diwali, let’s do more than lighting lamps. Let’s celebrate resilience, empowerment, and dignity. Every solar-powered machine, every financial connection, every skill learned adds a spark that women carry into their homes, families, and communities.

“True light isn’t given. It’s created. And when women create their own light, entire communities shine.”

When women like Soniya rise, courage multiplies, dignity ripples, and communities transform. Development isn’t about aid — it’s about unlocking what people already possess and giving them the tools to shine.

Through integrated solutions in energy, finance, skills, and community, PCI India ensures that the light of opportunity never flickers, and that rural women don’t just survive — they shine on their own.

The author is Subodh Kumar Suman, Senior Manager- Enterprise Development, PCI India