The Inspiring Story of Priyam

Image via BBC News

Breaking the stereotype of trans-women in India making their living by performing on social occasions, this 35-year-old, M Taslima Nasreen chose to take her leap of faith into entrepreneurship and became the master of her own fate. She owns Priyam, a company that manufactures cleaning products varying from toilet cleaners to mixed phenyl and sells them at a very affordable price.

Everything looked bright for Taslima until the pandemic hit, she told TNIE, that she lost hope on her newly-found business which was paralyzed due to the lockdown in 2020. By that time, she had spent around Rs 2 lakh in the business, which was a huge investment for her. It’s as if Taslima was born to deal with obstacles; she remembered there were so many times in her life getting turned down for a job position for being a trans. Despite all the unfair challenges she faces as a result of her identity as a trans-woman, Taslima managed to make a living. Perhaps it was the zeal inside her that helped her get through obstacles all these times. Talima went on with her business and tried to market her inventories door-to-door.

Superintendent of Police S Selvanagarathinam told TNIE, “The department allots amount to each station to purchase cleaning materials. Heavy stations get allotted Rs 7,000 each, medium stations get Rs 5,000 each, and light category stations are allotted Rs 3,000 each. We got to know about the products she manufactures and after verifying the quality and price, we decided to place an order.” They hope the purchase could give a chance for this entrepreneur to get back on her feet, and also may encourage other transpersons to start their own businesses. Talima is already ecstatic, “I am pleased that I was able to provide employment prospects to at least ten families”, adding that she hoped her venture would expand soon.