“When you hear the word’ start-up,’ it conjures up pictures of millennials in Silicon Valley or Bengaluru trying to build billion dollar ‘unicorns,'” Anand Mahindra wrote. From now on, let’s include a 96-year-old woman who believes it’s never too late to launch a business.
We have all frequently heard inspirational figures and well-known celebrities say in their speeches that there is no age limit to success and recognition. Starting at 40 or 50, you can still soar to new heights. But have you seen someone doing it at the age of 90? At the age of 90, Chandigarh-based Harbhajan Kaur made her first income of 2000 INR by doing what she loves most—cooking!
Early life
Prior to that, Harbhajan was a typical Indian housewife who worked nonstop her entire life to raise her family. She has three daughters, Mini, Manju, and Raveena, with Raveena being the youngest and Manju being the middle daughter. Kaur made a variety of dishes for her devoted husband and their daughters because he loved to eat. Her husband played a crucial role in her path because he frequently hosted gatherings featuring her delicacies and was extremely proud of them.
He might not be here with me in person right now, but I know he would be proud of what I’ve accomplished. I owe some of my success—and more to come—to him, my pillar and rock, she writes in an Instagram post that her granddaughter Supriya manages on her behalf and translates from her own words.
Breaking Stereotypes
Mrs. Harbhajan Kaur, 96, told Humans of Bombay (HoB) about how she came to believe that she had lived her “entire life without earning a penny” until five years prior. And that’s when she started on the heartwarming entrepreneurial path. When her daughter suggested that she sell her homemade barfis in the market, the woman thought she wanted to start again.
Mrs. Kaur made a magnificent sum of 2000 rupees from the sale of her besan barfis, which were completely sold out on the first day. As soon as the word got out, she started receiving large orders and gained a lot of notoriety. Awarded Entrepreneur of the Year, too, went to her!
She always had the support of granddaughter and daughter of Harbhajan. The branding and packaging of the food products are handled by her granddaughter. Knowing that she still works and finds it rewarding despite her advanced age is both shocking and heartwarming.
People begin separating themselves as they reach the age of 90. They begin to believe that they are powerless to take action on their own. Then again, there’s the woman who established her company at 90 and ran it from there on her own. She continued to work hard even at this young age. She created 200 Kg of barfis herself to send with the invites for her granddaughter’s wedding as well.
Ageless Ambition
She has received praise for her efforts from a few renowned people, like Captain Amarinder Singh and Anand Mahindra. Captain Amarinder Singh stated he would love to try her famous barfi, while Anand Mahindra referred to her as the year’s most successful entrepreneur. Our exemplary entrepreneur will soon experience greater success.
We may learn from Harbhajan Kaur’s strength of character and optimism because these are two of the qualities that helped her overcome the coronavirus she caught during the second wave. With the help of her grandchildren, Harbhajan Kaur has amassed over 22k followers on Instagram. When they are unsure of their life choices, she continues to make reels with them while also imparting all of her wisdom, encouraging them by saying, “It’s never too late to change your mind,” adding, “If nani can do it at 96, anyone can do it.”