Today, Udhyam Vyapaar reported a noteworthy accomplishment: as of September 2025, its intervention, The Istri Project, has allowed Istri vendors throughout India to achieve a cumulative income uplift of Rs 100 crore. By assisting street-side ironing merchants in switching from coal to LPG-based iron boxes at discounted prices, the Istri Project revolutionises the long-standing ironing sector. This innovation allows ironing vendors to enhance output by up to two hours per day and cut gasoline expenditures by almost half. They may serve more clients and make more money as a result. They can transition to a cleaner fuel by switching from coal to LPG, which lessens the impact on the environment and their health.

Udhyam Vyapaar has expanded “The Istri Project” from one city to five over the past four years, allowing more than 8,000 ironing vendors to convert to LPG iron boxes. The initiative has eliminated almost 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and increased the average income of ironing merchants by 25%. According to Krishnan Ranganathan, co-founder of the Udhyam Learning Foundation, “At Udhyam, we think that nano-entrepreneurs are an important part of India’s economic fabric and that, with the correct support, they can improve the lives of a large portion of the population.” For the thousands of ironing merchants who embraced change, as well as for us, reaching the Rs 100 crore milestone with The Istri Project is a proud event. Additionally, it shows how local livelihood solutions can have a national impact while simultaneously enhancing environmental, health, and financial results.

“This milestone belongs to the thousands of ironing vendors who trusted us, made the transition from coal to LPG, and reimagined what their businesses could achieve,” says Cyril Joseph, Program Head, The Istri Project, Udhyam Vyapaar. The Istri Project began with the straightforward goal of assisting vendors in increasing their productivity and reducing their fuel expenses. It has now developed into a movement that has a quantifiable effect on both the environment and their means of subsistence. Udhyam Vyapaar is now motivated to further scale this up and empower ironing sellers throughout the country after reaching this Rs 100 crore milestone. In order to achieve its goal of making India coal-iron box-free over the next ten years, Udhyam is urging like-minded partners from the government, CSRs, philanthropic organisations, and social impact groups to work together.