Once a daily wage labourer, now CEO of a ₹3.5 core firm: Who is Rajasthan's Rukmini Katara?
Rukmini Katara's journey began in Madwa Khaparda, where she joined a self-help group under Rajeevika and learned to make and install solar lamps and plates.
In a quiet village tucked away in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, a woman who once earned her living under the scorching sun of NREGA worksites now runs a company that powers homes with solar energy.
Rukmini Katara, who studied only till Class 9, has gone from being a daily wage labourer to the CEO of a company with a turnover of over ₹3.5 crore, News18 reported.
Her journey began in Madwa Khaparda, where she joined a self-help group through Rajeevika and learned how to make and install solar lamps and plates.
Rajeevika, officially the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP), is an autonomous body under the Department of Rural Development, Government of Rajasthan. It works to implement livelihood programmes aimed at improving the lives of the rural poor.
The spark of learning soon grew into leadership. Today, she leads Durga Solar Company, formally registered as Dungarpur Renewable Energy Technology Private Limited.
Under her leadership, the company not only manufactures solar plates, bulbs and equipment but also employs 50 women from her region, offering them a chance to build independent lives, the report added.
Felicitated by PM Modi, Rukmini says education no bar to success
Rukmini’s story reached national recognition in 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated her in Delhi. Speaking at the event, she said, “Women should never stop themselves because they have less education. You can grow even with less education.”
At home, she is a mother of four and a source of inspiration to her children, two of whom are pursuing B.Ed degrees while the younger two continue their studies.
For the many tribal women who see their reflection in her, Rukmini stands as living proof that transformation begins with belief.
“I studied only up to the ninth standard. But today I am the owner of a company. So why can’t other women do this?” she says, her quiet confidence lighting up more than just homes.
By January 31, 2025, about 10.05 crore women-led households had been mobilised into 90.90 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs), according to the government.
