With Support from Annasaheb Patil Corporation, Mandar Shinde Expands Candle and Camphor Business

Sept 2025 : Maharashtra’s youth are energetic, capable, and progressive. With timely guidance and financial backing, they prove the lines of poet Kusumagraj: “Our aspirations are infinite, our hopes are endless, even the humble can reach the shore.” One such example is Mandar Sanjay Shinde, a beneficiary of the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation.

Mandar is just 24 years old. He holds a B.Tech in Mechanical and Electronics and was even selected for a job at Tata Company. However, his dream was to become a successful entrepreneur. True to the vision of the Corporation—that youth should become job creators rather than job seekers—Mandar received crucial support to fulfill his aspirations.

Mandar’s father worked in a private company and is now retired. But his uncle had started a candle and camphor business 25 years ago. Growing up watching the business flourish through hard work and determination, Mandar developed an entrepreneurial mindset from childhood. After completing his education, he decided to expand the family business rather than pursue employment. For this, he sought independent financial backing. That’s when he learned about the schemes of the Annasaheb Patil Corporation. Using its Interest Subsidy Scheme, his journey toward realizing his dream began—supported strongly by his family.

Speaking about this, Mandar shared: “My uncle Anil Shinde started the business 25 years ago under the names Mandira Camphor and Mandar Candles. At the time, financial limitations kept it small. After the Corporation was revived, my uncle took a loan of ₹10 lakh under the Interest Subsidy Scheme, which he repaid in regular installments. The scheme saved us more than ₹3 lakh in interest alone.”

Mandar followed in his uncle’s footsteps. Last year, he availed a loan of ₹15 lakh under the same scheme. With it, he purchased four advanced machines and built a new shed. Today, combining old and new, their unit has 14 machines for candle-making and 3 machines for camphor tablet production, employing 20–22 workers. Annually, they produce about 70 tons of candles and 10–15 tons of camphor, generating sales worth nearly ₹1.5 crore. Their customer base extends across Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts. Regular loan repayments ensure timely receipt of the interest subsidy. “Now, my focus is not just on running a business but on building a brand,” Mandar said.

Through entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and job creation, the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation has given Mandar Shinde’s business a new direction.