This Machine Changed My Life : How a Rural Woman Doubled Her Income Making Leaf Plates
Meet Heti Devi. She lives in Bihanadhar village, not far from Mandi town. And she has a story that will make you believe in the power of small opportunities.
Like many rural women, Heti always wanted to contribute to her family’s income. But she never imagined a simple machine could double her earnings overnight.
Heti is the secretary of the Jyoti Self-Help Group. Since 2018, she and five other women have been making pattal – those traditional leaf-plates used at weddings and community feasts. Made from the green leaves of the Tour tree, these plates are not just hygienic but also completely eco-friendly. They dissolve easily after use, leaving no waste behind.
For years, Heti made these plates by hand. She earned about ₹5,000 a month. It was something, but barely enough.
Then came 2023. With help from the Himachal Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission and the Mandi development block, her group got a plate-making machine. That’s when everything changed.
“Now I earn around ₹10,000 a month,” Heti says, her voice filled with quiet pride. “Of course, it depends on orders. But life feels different now.”
The difference in earnings is striking. Handmade plates sell for ₹200 per hundred. Machine-made ones? ₹400 per hundred. Small bowls (doone) handmade sell for ₹100 per hundred, while machine-made ones fetch ₹200.
But what’s really heartwarming is how these women have adapted to the times. They now receive orders directly on their phones. “Digital has made our work so much smoother,” Heti smiles. She doesn’t forget to thank Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for making it all possible.
Tripta Devi, the group’s president, shares more. Their group of six women received ₹40,000 as a revolving fund from the government. They use it for inter-loaning among members. “From making leaf-plates, we earn about ₹1 to 1.5 lakh a year. It’s enough to run our families properly,” she says.
“The government gave us the machine. We just put in the hard work,” Tripta adds, expressing special gratitude to the Chief Minister.
Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan sums it up simply: “Women’s self-reliance at the grassroots level is our priority. We’re taking all necessary steps in Mandi district to empower these self-help groups.”
For Heti Devi and her teammates, the journey from hand-stitched leaves to machine-made plates isn’t just about more money. It’s about dignity. Independence. And the quiet satisfaction of writing your own success story – one leaf-plate at a time.
