Aditi Verma: The Special Entrepreneur

“I always loved cooking and would surprise my mom with dishes I picked up from YouTube videos.” The sentence in itself does not mean much. Who doesn’t pick up recipes from YouTube to try new dishes? But this one line is special because the girl, Aditi Verma is special.

Aditi Verma is no ordinary 22 years old. She is a successful entrepreneur who runs her own eatery in Bhoomi Mall, CBD Belapur. She greets all of her customers with an endearing smile handing them a menu that reads, “Working hard is the key to living a good life but you can’t work on an empty stomach.” There is just a small issue that she was born with Down Syndrome. But neither her nor her parents and brother ever let that come in the way of Aditi becoming a self reliant, successful entrepreneur.

Aditi’s Corner was gifted to her by her parents on New Year’s Day, 2016 and broke even within the third month itself! She is the owner of the cafe but you will also find her taking the orders, wiping tables, managing accounts and making a detailed inventory of all the items she sells. Her parents glow with pride watching their daughter work relentlessly with a never ending passion.

Her parents have always felt their daughter could do what any other ‘normal’ person could and therefore never differentiated between her and their son. Aditi’s story is one that can inspire millions because along with Down Syndrome she even had to undergo surgery to repair a hole in her heart at the age of 2. But she only came out stronger! Aditi won the ‘Best Student Award’ in 2010 and the ‘Best Actress Award’ in 2012. She has also very efficiently and meticulously helped her father with data entry in his logistics business in the mall. But she’s always had an inclination towards cooking which prompted her parents to help her start her own eatery.

What initially started as a small snacks corner that served tea, coffee, soup, soft drinks along with sandwiches, Maggi and a few egg dishes, is now a favorite spot to get home cooked lunches. Aditi’s corner has a different menu for lunch every day and also delivers lunches to the offices in the mall. The chocolates and cupcakes made by Aditi are a specialty that has become a big hit with the customers. A small snacks corner, meant to help a girl stand on her own feet, is now a crowd favorite with regulars asking for more. She has also hired Sardar Paramjit ‘Uncle,’ who takes care of cooking at the café and Ram, the delivery boy who distributes the lunch orders.  Aditi has also represented Maharashtra in the Self Advocate Forum of India in Bengaluru on 2016.

All in all, not letting her condition stop her from succeeding in life, Aditi’s story is an inspiration for many. Today, when the world discriminates against people with special needs Aditi Verma and her family hope her example inspires many others to overcome their disabilities and pursue their dreams.