Meet woman who was married at 12, faced domestic abuse, worked at 16 for Rs 2, later built Rs 100 crore company, she is...

There are numerous stories on 'from rags to riches.' But Kalpana Saroj's story is inspirational in all ways. How a child bride, who experienced domestic abuse, did not gave up on life and became one of the biggest business mogul in India. In the business world, she is known as the 'original slumdog billionaire'. Let's have a look at her story. 

Kalpana Saroj was born in 1961 to a Dalit Marathi Buddhist family. She hails from Roperkheda village in, Akola, Maharashtra. Her father was a police constable. She has faced several challenges in her childhood, from child marriage to domestic violence. Kalpana Saroj was married at the age of 12 and dropped her studies. Child marriage was a custom in her community. She lived in a slum in Mumbai, with her in-laws and faced physical and mental abuse. They treated her like a maid. Kalpana's condition became wore day by day, as she lost so much weight. One day her father paid a surprise visit, and seeing her condition, he rescued her from her in-laws. She left her husband with her father's support. But community was not ready to accept her. After returning to her village, she was treated as an outcast, which led her to depression. One time she also tried to commit suicide.

From 'slums' to 'millionaire'

Saroj spent most of her teenage in dark times. However, there is one saying, "after darkness, there is light". Kalpana at the age of 16, moved back to Mumbai to live with her uncle. To support her family, she started working in a garment factory, where she earned Rs 2. She also successfully started a tailoring business and then a furniture store, with the help of  government loans of Rs 50,000, for scheduled caste people. She made Rs 50 per month. As a smart women, she started investing her money. 

In 1990s, Kalpana Saroj established her own business, and founded KS Film Production, a company for releasing Telugu, Hindi, and English films, and later expanded her real estate firm through her strong network. 

Kalpana Saroj was one of the board member of Kamani Tubes. In 2001, Kamani Tubes were on the verge of liquidation and they decided to approach Kalpana Saroj. She took the challenge and purchased the company for Rs. 50 lakhs from Navinbhai Kamani. The company hadn't paid a single penny to its 3,500 workers for 3 years, but Kalpana changed its fortune and started its restructuring. The company generated a revenue of Rs. 100 crores under her leadership.

Kalpana Saroj, who once used to earns Rs 2 received, now has personal assets worth $112 million. As per reports, her net worth is Rs 917 crores. She has also received the prestigious Padma Shri award in April 2013 from President Pranav Mukherjee. She remarried Samir Saroj at the age of 22, however the couple divorced in 1989. She has two children, a son, Amar Saroj, and a daughter, Seema Saroj. She also serves on the board of governors of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.