Starting from 50 paisa to Rs. 2 lakh per day, from travelling in cycle rickshaw to owning a car, from just 2 people to 200 employees now working for her, Patricia has battled against all the odds and faced all the challenges. Slowly she has flourished and established herself as a successful entrepreneur.

After years of battling an abusive and an addict husband, she decided to work. To support her two children, she started making pickles, jams and squashes. Soon, she set up a handcart at Chennai’s famous Marina Beach and started selling fritters, cutlets, samosas, fresh juice, coffee and tea. On her first day, she could only sell one cup of coffee for fifty paise. That was a start of a rewarding journey.

By the late 80s, she had branched out into running canteens for offices. In 1998, she became director of the Sangeetha Group’s Nelson Manickam Road restaurant. In 2006, Patricia founded Sandheepha, which runs a standalone restaurant and caters to the food courts for various big corporates.

Patricia’s business is dedicated to her daughter Pradheepha Sandra who died in a car crash in 2004, in what she describes as the biggest tragedy of her life. Today, she operates an ambulance service from Acharapakkam, the spot where Pradheepha died.

Patricia Narayan’s Achievements
2016: Won the Indian Express Devi Awards
2010: Won the FICCI Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award