From milking cows to corporate talks in Bengaluru

Until Jan 12 this year, few had heard about Dinka, a nondescript village with just over 500 households in the historic Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district. This was until one woman’s relentless hard work and perseverance was recognised. Mangalamma was awarded the best dairy farmer from Karnataka at the Southern Dairy Summit. She earned Rs 30 lakh last year from selling cow milk.
The recognition thrust the 47-year-old into the spotlight, something which caught her off-guard. The past two months have been life changing for the mother of two. Until the award ceremony, Mangalamma hadn’t stepped foot into Bengaluru. “Work takes up all my time and the opportunity to visit Bengaluru hasn't risen,” she told us in a candid conversation.
But since then, she has made five trips to the city, each time growing in confidence about being among people and realising what she assumed was just a simple woman’s life, is a stirring tale of determination and empowerment.
Such has been the reach of Mangalamma’s story that she was recently the guest of honour at an IT company’s Women’s Day and Ugadi celebration.
“Initially when Poornima madam (vice president & global head, HR at smartShift) came to my village and invited me, I was hesitant. I’m not educated, what will I talk to highly educated people about? I didn’t even know if they understood Kannada, the only language I speak. But my family and the elders in the village made me understand that by talking about what I do, I can inspire people,” Mangalamma, who was accompanied by her daughter Divya, an engineering graduate, said.

While Mangalamma is still shy about public speaking, the pride in her voice when she speaks about her life is unmistakable.
“I’ve lived all my life in Dinka. About 18 years ago, when my husband’s family split, our share comprised two acres of largely barren land and a buffalo. With two children to take care of, we decided to take a loan and buy a cow for Rs 12,000. Our focus was on our children’s education, so we started to add more cows, and we now have 30 cows and two buffaloes,” she told the employees who had gathered to listen to her.
The lack of formal education, she said, did not deter her husband Madhavappa or her from learning about scientific methods of dairy farming.
“Initially, people were very sceptical and thought we were aiming beyond our resources. But it was important for us to show that nothing is impossible. I am happy that a lot more people have taken up dairy farming and reached out to us for advice,” she added.
With time, Mangalamma has become a huge inspiration for women in her village and the surrounding areas, who until then were content being homemakers.
While Mangalamma is enjoying the attention, she hasn’t given up her daily grind.
“I can’t afford to not wake up at four am and start prepping for the milking process that begins at six am,” she said.
With celebrities being the choice for events like Women's Day, Mangalamma was a unique choice. Vyom Gupta, president & COO of smartShift Technologies, said they wanted to do something different this year. "Mangalamma is an inspiring woman. Her achievement is a testament to her hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, and perseverance," he pointed out.

While IT professionals took a break from their daily grind to hear Mangalamma and interact with her, she said, “People don’t work hard enough and don’t realise the power of combining hard work with working smartly.”
Well, that was some life lessons for corporate professionals from a woman, who walks the talk.