Rajni Bector

Rajni Bector is the founder of the Cremica group and a director of Mrs Bectors Food Specialities, which grew from a small backyard business into a listed food company. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of trade and industry, from Punjab ^[1].

A home bakery

Bector was born in Karachi on 2 June 1940 and came to Delhi at Partition ^[2]. She married Dharamveer Bector at 17 and raised three children ^[2]. A keen cook and baker, she took a course at Punjab Agricultural University and began baking at home; her ice creams and cakes became popular with friends ^[2].

An ice cream unit

In 1978, as demand grew, she borrowed Rs 20,000 and opened an ice cream factory, working up to 18 hours a day in the early years ^[2]. Her businesses now have revenues of around Rs 1,000 crore and employ more than 5,000 people directly or indirectly ^[2]. She has trained and employed more than 1,500 women from rural backgrounds ^[2].

Service and honours

She was the first chairperson of the Lioness Club of North India, organising blood donation, eye and medical camps ^[2]. In 2005 the PHD Chamber named her businesswoman of the year, an award presented by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam ^[2]. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the State Bank of India in 2017, and the Punjab government gave her its best woman entrepreneur award in 2006 ^[2].