Housewife who showed way to hundreds of women

Instead of sitting quiet in the house and spend time watching Television after completing the household works along with sending husband to the office and children to the school, Siliveri.

Padmavathi, a housewife thought of doing something innovative, searched for employment opportunities, learnt business skills, selected a new path and with firm determination she established Ultra-thin sanitary napkin industry, first of its kind in Telangana state.

S Padmavathi, native of Yellandhu of Khammam district got married to Rajendar of Karimnagar district in 1996. Deriving inspiration by reading the success stories of women in dailies, she decided to start a small scale business which has scope for creativity and started a Saree painting business after learning it and also given training to the other women.

Later after a few years, she learnt tailoring and opened a tailor shop in Mankammathota and worked as a trainer in Alganoor Mahila Pranganam for four years and gave training to about 500 members of women in tailoring and preparation of napkins under Integrated Skill Development Scheme.

When she was working as a trainer, she realized that many girls and women are facing problems during menses cycle (Menstrual cycle) for not using hygienic sanitary napkins. Some are falling victims to various kinds of diseases due to unhygienic conditions unable to buy the sanitary napkins in the shops which have high prices.

To help such girls and women, S Padmavathi established SP industries in the month of February, 2020 by taking loan from the bank with the support extended by the officials she purchased the machinery required from Mumbai and decided to produce sanitary napkins in the name of 'Right-Way'.

When she was gearing up to start the production on a large scale by deploying employees, the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic came as a huge blow to S Padmavathi. Without any production work, paying bank installmentsevery month with no income, Padmavathi faced financial problems. But she did not lose hope, for the sake of other women who believed her, she somehow managed to pay them salaries.

She came to know that the Prathima Medical college decided to distribute around one crore masks free to the public. She consulted the management of the college, grabbed the opportunity of making one crore masks and started the works in the SP industry which was established by her with women employees.

Hundreds of women employees got employment opportunities during their hard times when the Coronavirus broke out and Padmavathi became a real inspiration to them. Padmavathi shares, " I established Tailors Cooperative Society in the united Karimnagar district with an aim to help the poor women and provide employment opportunities to them and established around 40 societies across the united district."

Taking her as an inspiration around 120 societies were established across the state in several districts.

Padmavathi also shared that after relaxation was given in lockdown orders, she started production works of Ultra-thin Sanitary napkins first in Telangana state by taking loan from the Central government under Atmanirbar Bharat Abhiyan Scheme. Around 200 members are working in the industry out of which 85 percent of them are women from weaker sections. She said that she was able to establish such a big scale industry with the support extended by her partners Kavitha, Swaroopa and Ch Swarupa along with her family members and friends.

"The Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and chief secretary Smitha Sabharwal who came to know about SP industries appreciated and assured me that they would visit once whenever they get an opportunity," She said with a smile on her face.