This Jaipur man used savings for his daughter's marriage and set up a business converting cow dung into paper - now earns in crores.

How many times have you seen someone being called 'crazy' for a startup idea? Probably a lot.

Our social circle's opinions shape our decisions. And we give in, almost succumbing to them.

Bhim Raj Sharma, however, is someone who battled against all odds, and all criticisms, and founded a startup that no one believed in. Today, he makes crores.

Bhim Raj Sharma comes from Jaipur. He founded Gaukriti in 2017.  It's a startup that utilizes cow dung to make paper. This paper is then sold across New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

In 2014, Bhim Raj had come across a business that used elephant dung to make paper sheets. That was when he thought that the same could be done by using cow dung.

When he shared this idea with his family and friends, they instantly rejected it. Some in his circle even called him a 'maniac' for thinking of something like this and actually believing that it would have potential in the future.

Bhim Raj didn't pay heed to all of this and carried forward. He asked for a loan from his friends, but since no one even entertained the idea, helping financially was out of the question.

Bhim then took the decision of using the savings for his daughter's marriage and setting up a unit.

In this unit, Bhim Raj started converting cow dung into paper. He decided to patent this and went ahead with the process. In 2017, he invested Rupees 30 lakhs and set up his company called Gaukriti.

In the beginning, the paper produced was not up to the mark at all. It was crumpled and couldn't be used in any way. This initial failure gave people another chance to jeer at Bhim. But nothing deterred him.

Employing a tunnel vision of sorts, Bhim Raj dedicated the next few months to conducting research and perfecting the process.

Eventually, the hard work bore fruits and Bhim Raj Sharma had come up with a special process that converts cow dung to great quality paper.

Today, Gaukriti's paper is made using three things:

• Cow dung
• Urine
• Cotton waste

Through Gaukriti, Bhim Raj Sharma sells more than 3,000 sheets of paper to a huge clientele that spans the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

A business that started out amidst intense criticism and mockery from society now earns Bhim Raj Sharma crores of rupees.

Gaukriti is an initiative that revolutionizes the paper industry in India. Gaukriti's vision is to increase farmers' income by purchasing cow dung from them at Rupees 10 per kg.

Additionally, giving employment to rural women in manufacturing the paper in the unit is another key objective.

Between growing concerns about climate change and deforestation, sustainability and environmental protection are topics that need to be immediately addressed by businesses and enterprises. 

Bhim Raj Sharma's Gaukriti doesn't stop at addressing the issue - it offers a solution and implements it every single day.

You can buy Gaukriti's paper by visiting its website.