What can a blend of talent, passion and perseverance achieve? Anything, absolutely anything. Yes, even winning the Australian Open while being 23 weeks pregnant. Serena Williams was expecting her first child when she accomplished this extraordinary feat in 2017. Our Rani of Jhansi fought the first War of Independence while carrying her infant son on her back.

You might be wondering what makes me cite these remarkable women. They came to mind when I heard about one of our women entrepreneurs. For a few months, I have been writing about ordinary women with extraordinary achievements. They have battled societal prejudices, economic hardships, and the paralysis of the lockdown. For me, they have been lessons in endurance, dedication and perseverance, and Indu is all of them and much more.

Indu Rani was one of our new customers in Uttar Pradesh. Motivated by the call for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Indu decided to give shape to her dreams of entrepreneurship. Indu was pregnant when she took the decision, sparked by dreams of a good future for her yet-to-be-born child.

A skilled beautician eager to prove her merit, Indu applied for a loan from VFS’s office in Muzaffarabad. With the loan, Indu set up a beauty parlour in her house.

Today, from being a housewife (her husband owns a dairy products shop), Indu is the most sought-after bridal makeup artist in her village of Tivra. Boasting of her beauty parlour’s services, Indu spoke about how she dreamt of being financially independent while completing her studies. Armed with a graduate degree, Indu completed an esthetician’s course and gained a few loyal customers. But she had to put her dreams on hold to get married.

New at her in-laws' house, Indu spun dreams of entrepreneurship. Every morning, when she saw off her husband and father-in-law as they left for work, the flame of entrepreneurship flickered in her. It grew stronger even when she became pregnant. Finally, she approached VFS for a loan.

Now, with a flourishing enterprise, Indu nurtures a vision of prosperity. She will raise her child in a happy, safe and financially secure environment.

Even on a busy day at the parlour, with brides getting decked up and leaving as happy customers, Indu manages to take a call from VFS and share her happiness with us.

Like Indu, many mothers are breaking stereotypes and forging a future for their children and themselves. They break down their dreams into implementable ideas. All that they need is a bit of handholding and financial assistance. I am happy that the VFS team keeps locating such entrepreneurial minds and nurtures them.