Meet Umakant Verma who belongs to Kathia village which is 10 km away from Fatehpur tehsil in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. He belongs to a backward but dominant caste of his village. The family had for generations been farmers.

After completing his schooling, although he wanted to do something different, he joined his family members to help them in the fields. Eventually, 30-year old Umakant left agriculture and decided to go into business.

He sold of some of his land, raised some money and rented a shop in Fatehpur. There was a high level demand for engine and pump parts. Umakant used this to his advantage by selling engines and spare parts. He invested his profits in land and set up a brick kiln. He now sells bricks in Barabanki district and Lucknow, and has a turnover of around Rs. 12 lakhs per anum. He however, does not sit on laurels. Umakant is planning to build a shopping complex.