Once a Daily Wage Labourer, This Young Man Now Owns His Business

Arjun Solanki's life-changing story is really inspiring.

You are born to very poor parents who work as daily wage labourers. Growing up, you are not even sure of two square meals a day. Worse still, your father, an alcoholic, died when you were all of 14. Your brother quits school and the two of you become daily wagers. When you’re this seeped in misfortune, and all of a sudden life hands you a baton of hope, what do you do? Grab it with both hands and make a new life for yourself. That’s exactly what Arjun Solanki did and what you just read is his life story.

The light at the end of the tunnel

Hailing from a village close to Indore, Solanki’s childhood was spent in hopelessness and penury. With no hope of gainful employment, he, like many other youngsters in his village, was staring at a dark future. But then, something happened that changed his life forever. For now, let’s call it the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, Solanki is an independent painting contractor who employs people under him. He knows about different types of paints, their application and solutions to common paint problems. He is aware of the basics of managing finances and knows the importance of grooming and communication. Most importantly, he now has something he didn’t have earlier – skills.

Now the good thing about success stories like his is that they inspire others to work towards their dreams. To this end, his brother (yes, the one who dropped out of school) is now pursuing an Electrical Appliances Repair course. In a nation starved of role models, sunshine stories like those of Solanki’s are truly heartwarming and special.

Changing lives, one skill at a time

Coming to Solanki’s life-changing encounter. One of his friends had completed a course at an academy that had in turn changed his life for the better. This encouraged Solanki to enroll for a skill development program at the same academy – ICICI Academy. It was a Paint Applications Technique course and it is here that he learnt all that he did. This course also prepared him for the real world.

After the completion of the course, the academy helped him get a job with a contractor. He then graduated to handling small contracts of his own. Eventually, he became an independent contractor and now hires other students who have trained at the academy. The course that his brother is pursuing too is from ICICI Academy.

Solanki is a fine example of how learning a skill can transform a person’s life. The Skill Development program is one of the seven focus initiatives of ICICI Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility. While successfully bridging the gap between skills and industry requirements, the academy is giving willing youngsters a shot at a productive life. This program offers over 49 skills and has impacted the lives of over 1,90,000 youth while assisting them with industry placements in companies including LG, Havells, Eureka Forbes and Daikin. It also promotes self-employment and encourages trainees to set up their own micro-enterprises.

Other initiatives that form part of ICICI Bank’s CSR are Digital Villages, Women Empowerment, Education, Clean India, Green india and Health. Together, they have transformed the lives of over 17 million underprivileged Indians and empowered over 2.5 million women. ICICI Bank surely believes in walking the talk!

In the meantime, even as you read this, Solanki, who once didn’t know what to do with his life, now dreams of growing his business even further.