Ardhi Krishna Rao, a 47-year-old retired havaldar from Gopalpur, Odisha, served in the Indian Army for 26 years. As retirement loomed, he knew he couldn’t spend the rest of his days idle. A love for action, honed through years in uniform, led him to entrepreneurship. With guidance from I Create India—an initiative that supports army veterans transitioning to business—Ardhi launched a kewda oil extraction enterprise in his hometown.
The kewda flower, revered in Odisha’s Ganjam district, yields an aromatic oil used in the food industry. Processing it is no easy task: 30,000 flowers are needed for just 1 kg of oil, and each flower costs around ₹30. Despite the steep investment and skeptical voices around him, Ardhi took the plunge. Today, he calls it the best risk he’s ever taken.
Founded 25 years ago, I Create India initially focused on schools, colleges, and self-help groups. But in 2015, the nonprofit shifted focus to Indian Army veterans—most of whom retire around the age of 35, with nearly 60,000 leaving service annually. The result? A robust programme of mentorship, business education, and post-retirement support.
“Retirement isn’t the end,” says Ulhas Kamat, the organisation’s chief mentor. “It’s the beginning of a new chapter.” What began as a pilot at the Army Service Corps Centre in Bengaluru has now grown into a formal partnership with the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans.
Veterans receive a five-day workshop to build business acumen—from ideation to pricing strategies. The programme encourages participants to build on their existing skills rather than follow a fixed business model.
Take C. Kanniappan, 52, from Tamil Nadu’s Ranipet. Trained by I Create India, he transitioned from rice trading to running a thriving supermarket selling essentials like tea, sugar, and dairy. “I never thought I could build this,” he says. “But they showed me how to attract customers and keep the store profitable.”
Another success story is Khush Naseeb Ahmed, 44, who revived his family’s handloom business in Tanda, Uttar Pradesh. His family has been weaving since 1947. After receiving mentorship, Khush joined the legacy, now earning ₹15,000 a month while finding joy in experimenting with designs.
Davinder Singh, 38, from Gurdaspur, Punjab, used his background in farming to launch a farm equipment rental service. From harvesters to tractors, his machines work round-the-clock during the harvest season, earning him ₹14 lakh annually. Now, he’s working on a plan to help brick kilns switch from coal to stubble as a heat source—helping both farmers and the environment.
In Vishakhapatnam, Varahala Babu Ruttala, 40, turned financial stress into entrepreneurial spirit. Concerned about his family’s future, he started a cashew processing unit using skills he picked up in his last posting near Leh—and I Create India’s training.
So far, over 1,950 ex-army personnel have become entrepreneurs thanks to the programme. While I Create India doesn’t provide direct funding, it helps veterans access loans and existing government schemes. With investment needs typically under ₹5 lakh, many veterans bootstrap or rely on small-scale funding.
The initiative’s impact extends beyond numbers. It gives veterans more than just livelihoods—it restores their sense of purpose and independence after service. “They’ve served the country,” says Ulhas. “Now, it’s time for them to serve their communities—on their own terms.”
