From Delhi job to homegrown events: Ballia entrepreneur builds steady venture

When Ankit, a resident of Ballia district, returned from Delhi, it was not part of a long-term business plan but a family necessity. A BTech graduate who had been working in the IT sector for a US-based company, he moved back after his father’s health began to decline. Staying away was no longer practical, and the decision to return home meant reassessing his career entirely.

In Ballia, he began looking for options that would allow him to remain close to his family while building a stable livelihood. It was during this period that he attended a seminar organised by the District Industries Centre (DIC). A friend had informed him about a camp being held locally, suggesting it might open up new possibilities. At the seminar, he learnt about government-backed support for new and existing entrepreneurs, including access to interest-free loans.

“I thought, with this  kind of facility in my hometown, why should I go back outside for a job?” he recalls.

Building a small-scale event service

Ankit started a home decoration and event planning service in Ballia under the name Home Decor Planner. The business provides planning and decoration services for small gatherings, including birthday parties, haldi, and mehendi functions, corporate events, and office celebrations. Currentlyt, the focus is on gatherings of around 20 to 50 people, with theme-based decorations and complete event handling offered as part of the service.

He applied under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA) Yojana after understanding the provisions at the DIC seminar. The process, he says, was smoother than he expected. With assistance from DIC officials and coordination with Union Bank, his application moved quickly, and he secured a loan of approximately Rs 4.5 lakh, contributing the required 10%margin himself.

The interest-free nature of the loan and subsidy support allowed him to begin operations on a manageable scale. “I only had to provide the required documents; the rest of the process was handled smoothly,” he says.

Growing steadily within the district

The business currently employs three to four people on a regular basis. As orders increase, additional workers are hired on demand. Ankit has also encouraged others around him to explore the CM YUVA Yojana. A former customer who runs a beauty parlour has since applied for support, and one of his own staff members has started an independent setup.

While he acknowledges that starting at a larger scale might have accelerated growth, he believes the gradual approach has helped him stabilise operations. Being based in Ballia allows him to manage both family responsibilities and business commitments without compromise.

For Ankit, the shift from an IT job in Delhi to a service business in Ballia was shaped by circumstance rather than ambition. Yet over time, what began as a necessary adjustment has become a source of steady work, local employment, and a practical balance between livelihood and home.