By Hima Nandan, Partnerships & Marketing; Shruti Anand, Specialist - Marketing and Communication, Udhyam Vyapaar
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For the past year, Udhyam Vyapaar has been working alongside waste pickers in Bengaluru as part of the Saamuhika Shakti collective, helping them build and grow micro businesses. These nano-entrepreneurs, many of whom started ventures like food vending, crocheting and other businesses, face many challenges in running their businesses and scaling up. Udhyam’s role has been to listen, learn and work together to discover practical ways to strengthen their businesses and incomes.

Under the guidance of the design-thinking approach, Udhyam spent time understanding each nano-entrepreneur’s journey, the roadblocks they face, and the kind of support required to help them succeed. The past year has been a journey of adapting, problem-solving and initiating steps to make steady progress—together.

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Supporting Nano-Entrepreneurs: Challenges and learnings
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Teaching business skills wasn’t just about training sessions. It began with helping waste pickers see themselves as nano-entrepreneurs in the first place. Many of the waste pickers Udhyam met had never viewed  their work as a business in a true sense. So the first step was to work on shifting that mindset.

Udhyam’s training focuses on keeping things simple and practical. Instead of complex theories, business ideas and strategies are broken down into everyday actions that nano-entrepreneur scan try out. Encouraging small experiments was key—whether it’s testing different sales locations, adjusting prices or trying new products to find what works best.

Another important element has been about building confidence through shared stories. Hearing from fellow nano-entrepreneurs who found success made the journey feel more achievable. Alongside this, Udhyam provided ongoing one-on-one support, helping them tackle challenges as they came up, from managing money to dealing with slow sales days.

But, of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Some key challenges have been:

• ‍Finding the right nano-entrepreneurs: This took time. Verifying and onboarding waste pickers serious about growing their businesses required extra effort.‍
• Overcoming hesitation to change: Many nano-entrepreneurs were reluctant to try new things, even when the changes could lead to better profits. Multiple conversations and patient 1-on-1 mentorship sessions were needed to encourage small iterative shifts.‍
• Financial struggles: With little to no access to credit, investing in better raw materials or expanding the business was difficult. The only credit available was through middlemen charging extremely high interest rates which keep them running from one credit vendor to another, in unending loops. Watch Saamuhika Shakti’s video discussing the nano-entrepreneurs’ journey in the Balloon Selling business to understand how financial support has helped uplift their business. ‍
• Limited market reach: Many nano-entrepreneurs were only selling within their immediate circles, requiring extra guidance and support to grow beyond their communities.

Despite these hurdles, there have been many moments of progress. With nano-entrepreneurs beginning to understand the  business reality and scope and take steps toward growth.

Read this piece - ‘Weaving a New Dream from housekeeping to entrepreneurship’ -  for a view into the background of the nano-entrepreneurs Udhyam Vyapaar supports.

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What’s Helping Nano-Entrepreneurs the Most
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To make sure the support is truly useful, Udhyam adapted its approach based on the ground realities waste pickers face daily.

• ‍Training That Clicks: Time was spent on the ground with the businesses to understand their entire workflow and the people they interact with. By analysing sourcing and sales options, the team identified ways to reduce costs and boost revenue. However, shifting mindsets wasn’t easy—many entrepreneurs showed high inertia and were risk averse. The Udhyam team had to break down complex ideas into simple, practical solutions that could be easily understood and implemented. This participatory and hands-on approach has been far more impactful than traditional classroom-style teaching.

The women of Anandapuram are an example of how training and support can help start a business and create a community for women. Read the blog on ‘Crafting a Better Future: Catalyzing Creativity and Livelihoods Among the Informal Waste Picking Community’ which charts the experiences of Ammu and Mageshwari from learning to crochet, checking out designs on Pinterest to attending sales events.

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• ‍Trust as a Factor: Many of the waste pickers have been part of different programs before, and some were skeptical about Udhyam’s efforts. Investing time in building genuine relationships, showing up consistently, and addressing immediate concerns first helped lay the foundation for deeper engagement. Taking the time to understand their needs and concerns before diving into training has helped create stronger engagement and impact.
• ‍Sourcing to Improve Efficiency and Profits: Enhancing sourcing strategies has also been integral to helping the nano-entrepreneurs improve their earnings. Like with wire basket sellers, Udhyam’s team took the nano-entrepreneurs to wholesale markets to help them find the best prices for the raw materials. By helping them find better suppliers and training them to negotiate in wholesale markets, business costs were reduced, leading to higher profit margins.‍
• Market Connections & Marketing Strategies: Udhyam’s cornerstone intervention has been building regular selling opportunities rather than having the nano-entrepreneurs rely only on seasonal events to bring in steady income. Through market connects with local and city-wide retailers, wire baskets makers, soap sellers, bangle sellers, etc. are now able to stock their products in different shops. Many nano-entrepreneurs are now also exploring cross-selling, alternate business opportunities and product expansion—for example, wire basket sellers pairing up with fruit and flower sellers, food vendors adding packaged snacks and balloon sellers offering festive decorations. Dyads have been formed to create regular selling opportunities between businesses.

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To know more about how one-on-one mentorship and market connections are helping nano-entrepreneurs grow their businesses, read Udhyam Vyapaar’s blog on ‘Forging a Living:Building the livelihoods of Metal Bangle Artisans from the informal waste-picker community’

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What’s Next?
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With a year of experience and lessons behind, the focus now is on deepening impact and ensuring long-term sustainability for these businesses. The plan ahead includes:

1. Strengthening business growth – Onboarding nano-entrepreneurs to make their businesses more stable and profitable
2. Boosting income levels – Continuing to help nano-entrepreneurs grow their earnings and achieve greater financial stability
3. Encouraging entrepreneurial action – Supporting small business decisions and experiments, through testing new products, optimising business locations and much more
4. Identifying and showcasing role models – Finding standout entrepreneurs who can inspire and guide others in their communities
5. Strengthening market links – Helping nano-entrepreneurs access better suppliers, new sales opportunities, and a wider customer base
6. Improving financial access and financial management

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Looking Ahead
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The year past has been one of listening, learning, and taking steady steps forward. There’s still a long way to go, but the progress so far has shown that with the right support, these nano-entrepreneurs can build something truly sustainable. For Udhyam, sustainability refers to the businesses being financially stable, being able to grow over time and not being dependent on Udhyam’s support. Being sustainable means the nano-entrepreneurs are able to continue running their businesses and even expanding their businesses in the future with consistent income, access to larger markets and better financial resilience.

The goal now is to keep this momentum going—so that more nano-entrepreneurs not only earn a stable livelihood but also inspire and uplift those around them. With continued collaboration, patience and problem-solving, Udhyam hopes to create lasting change in the lives of Bengaluru’s waste picker communities.

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