The
omen Owning
VOL 03 ISSUE 03 2022
the Business
Arena
A STAUNCH WOMAN LEADER
Dhatri Dubey, Co-founder, EDURIFE and CEO Prose Global Education
Dr Arati
Suryawanshi
Amalgamating Values and Qualities towards Success
Editor’s Note FUTURE INDIA OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EMPRESSES
W
omen’s entrepreneurial spirit and enhancing aura transform India’s social and economic demographics. Their labor force participation is pulling out millions of families from the curse of poverty and leading to employment generation. It is an approval of their business mindset and leadership skills that the many modern industries, such as electronic manufacturing, see half of their employees being women. It is because of their proven track record of high-precision work and optimum productivity levels. Their positive attitude towards work and commendable enterprising skills further enhances their positions in the modern corporate arena. As per the IBEF report, India’s working-age women are presently around 432 million, while women-owned businesses are at a 13.5 to15.7 million mark. These enterprises give direct employment to about 22–27 million Indians.
Abhishek Joshi Deputy Editor
abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess.com
In addition, today, an increasing number of companies are being helmed by women. New-age Indian women are emerging as independent, having a solid impetus to start their businesses. According to the Boston Consulting Group’s study, startups established or co-established by women entrepreneurs create ten per cent more cumulative revenue across the next five years. In addition, these startups promote a more inclusive workplace culture and employ three times more women than men. Furthermore, women-led firms are projected to grow by 90% in the next five years. And half of India’s startup ecosystem is now empowered by women entrepreneurs, out of which fifty thousand are now recognized by the government. The year 2021 saw significant startups led by women transforming into unicorns. All these factors indicate a simple fact, the age of Indian entrepreneurial empresses has
come. Not only the present but the future also will witness their unprecedented and unstoppable march to the top. It is indeed heartening to see this. In the spirit of this occasion, to salute them and celebrate their tremendous success achieved by their constant battling the adversaries and defeating the social, economic, and traditional adversities, Insights Success’ brand-new edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena!’ has brought selected admirable stories for you. Flip through the pages to get mesmerized, enamored, delighted, enthralled, and enchanted. We guarantee you; that you will surely get the inspiration, and your belief in the future will be restored. Have a wonderful joy-read!
C O V E R S T O R Y
14
Dr Arati
O
Suryawanshi
Amalgamating Values and Qualities towards Success
Special Profile Dhatri Dubey
A Staunch Leadership Acumen
24
O
30
32
Abhilasha Rishi Bafna
Aditi Verma
Empowering Fate, Obscuring Crisis
An Empowered Woman, Empowering the tribe
36
40
TE T
Akta Sehgal
Anubhuti Jain Mishra
An Intellectual Wealth Mentor
Experiencing Natural Love and Care
44
48
Anupama Singh Kumar
Ashita Ladha
Comprehensive Exhilarating Morals of Life
Crafting Designs Imbibing and Reecting You
54
58
62
Chandni Bhardwaj
Dr Asha Biju
Dr Sundru Manjulata Devi
Endorsing You to Your Dream Work Vistas
Transforming Your Inner Core into Your Wow Factor
Exuding Extraordinary Leadership
66 Garima Rawat
74
Monica Bv Enticing Interiors and Beckoning Designs
A traverse between Talents and Firms
70 Kamalpreet Kaur The Green Energy Illuminator
78
Neeru Bhasin Embracing Artistry of the Eternal Simplicity
80 Neha Kasliwal With a Spark to do Things Differently
84
88
90
Nikita Jaggi
Nikita Shah
Nirmala Mundhra Newar
Bringing the Fun-n-Learn Childhood Back
The Charming Magician Casting an Arty Spell
An Entrepreneurial Spirit Inspiring Everybody
102 Poongkodi Jose An Enlightening Beacon for the Travelling Birds
106
92 Nitisha Sharma United We Cross the Boundaries of Language
94
Prachi Patwardhan Joshi
Nivetha Muralidharan
Simply Evolving HR Solutions
Amalgamating Innovative Ideas
110
98
Preeti Gupta
Payal Jain
An Ideal Combination of Honesty, Integrity, and Values
Empowering Innovations
112
116
118
Priti Kanth Lal
Rachana Upadhyay
Richa Dhall
Capturing the Festival of Life
Where there is Her Will, there is a Way
An Inspired Choice Ensuring Reliability
122
Ritu Singh
134
Exuding Innovations with Engaging Strategies
Shakkeela Manoj
126
Constellation of Your Starry Ideas, Desires, and Passion
136
Sherin Vineed OneDay Princess and the Ancient Craft of Chikankari
Sangeetha Patel Budding Innovations of the Softest Hygienic Cotton
130 Shailja Abhishek Singh Your Virtual Friend in Creativity
146
138
142
Shveta Rao
Sneha Chopra
Syeda Mohsin Taj
Staunch Leadership Acumen
Building Condence, Building Fitness
A woman uplifting women
150
158
Vani Mehta
Vishakha Jain
An Oracle Re-dening Business Success Mantra
Story of Innovation Driven by Passion
154
160
Virali Mehta
Yasmeen Delawala
The Best Way to Add Personality to Your Spaces
Flourishing Designs, Exuding Innovations
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Deputy Editor Abhishek Joshi Managing Editor Gaurav PR Wankhade
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The
omen Owning
the Business
Arena
Featuring
Company
Brief
Abhilasha Rishi Bafna, Founder
Soothsayer
Soothsayer brings to you a thoughtfully curated and practically possible Tarot Spells Workshop. Over fifty spells will be shared and taught through this workshop.
The-HER-Tribe
The-HER-Tribe aims to support a million women by the end of 2022, helping them with Personal and Professional Growth, Financial Literacy and Emotional Well-being. A community where Empowered women, empower more women.
Akta Sehgal Malhotra, Founder and Mentor
Manas Wealth
Manas Wealth is a distribution firm for financial products and provides services in Training and Business Consulting along with finance.
Anubhuti Jain Mishra, Founder and CEO
Anubhuti - An Experience
Anubhuti - An Experience is a natural skin and haircare brand offering the luxury of handmade goods at pocket-friendly prices. All its products are free of harmful chemicals and preservatives.
Anupama Singh Kumar, Founder, Counsellor, and Coach
Ashohini – Infinity Within
Through Ashohini – Infinity Within, Anupama Singh Kumar is spreading awareness about holistic energy healing methods.
Aashita Interior Design Studio
‘Ashita Interior Design Studio’ since Aug-2020 is in full-service interior designing, specializing in residential and commercial projects.
Chandni Bhardwaj, Founder and CEO
Vista – VISADO Minds
Vista - VISADO Minds is a trusted firm for the customer, who needs a work visa and growing part for the leadership buds who wants to start a business in the visa industry.
Dhatri Dubey, Founder and CEO
Prose Global Education
Prose Global Education provides a one stop solution to all your study abroad needs. It has a collaboration with 1500+ universities spanning over continents and seas.
Dr Aarti Suryavanshi, Founder
Mindful Heart Consultancy
The Mindful Heart Consultancy aims to reach a balance between the mind and heart. Only consultancy completely devoted to Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence.
Dr Asha Biju, Founder and CEO
Wow Factor MediCosmetic Skin and Laser Centre
Wow Factor provides a comprehensive service for both men and women that provides you with a range of treatments to achieve your cosmetic goals.
Dr Sundru Manjulata Devi, Founder and Managing Director
SVR BioScience Research Services
SVR Bio-science has established itself as a strong life science research services (Academic and Bioinformatics) agency with a national and international presence.
Massif Recruitments
Massif Recruitments is a leading provider of new-age and technology enabled recruitment solutions.
Aditi Verma, Founder
Ashita ladha, Founder and CEO
Garima Rawat, Founder and CEO
Company Name Kamalpreet Kaur, Founder and Owner
Management Ora Infini
Brief Ora Infini is one of the Leading and Renowned Manufacturers and Suppliers of LED lights across Uttrakhand, India.
Monica Bv, Co-founder
Lavenk Design Consultants
Lavenk Design Consultants design buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments, with regard to aesthetic effects.
Neeru Bhasin, Founder and CEO
The Atelier Design
The Atelier Design provides unique & creative designs.which enhance and bring out the best in the fashion world.
Lal Haveli
The Lal Haveli brand is predominantly an ecommerce-based company, offering a vast variety of products, ranging from home furnishings, handicrafts, artifacts and lamps to small furniture items.
Poppy Pundits
Poppy Pundits, being an experience creator focuses on creating and providing fun experiences which triggers the creativity of little ones, teach them life skills, encourages them to take up new hobbies and have more playtime outdoors
CAKéify
The brand CAKéify gives the best ingredients, exquisite cakes, healthy bakes, and customised dream cakes made with passion and love.
Neha Kasliwal, Co-founder and Owner
Nikita Jaggi, Founder Nikita Shah, Founder Nirmala Mundhra Newar, Founder and CEO
Floral bath & beauty products
Nitisha Sharma, Eduprenuer and Co-founder
crisscrosslingo
The team crisscrosslingo teaches languages like Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish through fun learning activities.
Newgen
Being the trusted technology partner to many businesses worldwide, Newgenmax is providing assuring and effective e-commerce and digital marketing solutions.
Payal Jain, Co-founder
Vigor E-bike
Vigor is Rajasthan First E-Moto Bike Startup Developed by top IT-Tech and Automotive Industry Professionals for the youth.
Poongkodi Jose, Founder
The Holiday Navigator
The Holiday Navigator offers Indian and International holiday packages for all pockets.
Prachi Patwardhan Joshi, Founder
Hripple Solutions
Hripple Solutions is dedicated to providing professional end-to-end HR Consulting Services and evolving Recruitment Solutions that enable our client organizations become more productive and profitable.
Preeti Gupta, Founder and Director
Resource Mapping Consultancy
Resource Mapping Consultants is one of the fastest growing Talent search house in India.
Marrygold Films
Marrygold Films in Patna is one of the leading businesses in the Wedding Photographers.
Nivetha Muralidharan, Founder
Priti Kanth Lal, Owner and Founder
Floral Bath & Beauty Products is a natural products brand that provides handmade, eco-friendly products in the lifecare segment.
Company Name
Management
Brief
Rachana Upadhyay, Founder
Manaswin Edu Con Pvt Ltd
Manaswin Edu-con Pvt. Ltd is an education and consulting company with two brands i.e. New NICT Computer Education and Manaswin Design Skool have a National recognition and reputation.
Richa Dhall Chadha, Founder
The DM Company
The DM Company is a full-service digital marketing consultancy with a bouquet of services to offer to Startups, Small and Medium Businesses.
Art Curries
Art Curries is a multimedia company that designs and develops your vision and shapes your dreams into reality.
Ritu Singh, Founder Sangeetha Patel, Founder and CEO
Flosee Enterprise
Flosee Enterprise is one of the leading Manufacturer of Cotton Ear Buds in Gandhinagar.
Red Palette Studio
Red Palette Studio is a place to come to time and time again to learn and adopt a new technique, money saving tip the best & latest painting tool or product.
Nakshatra Art
Nakshatra Art offers a wide range of paintings, sculptures and ceramic products.
Oneday Princess
Oneday Princess is an Online Chikankari Boutique based in Kochi.
Ve Do Hair Unisex Salon
Ve Do Hair Unisex Salon offers a full range of Hair, Makeup and Beauty Services.
Sneha Chopra, Founder
Fitpiq.com
The Fitpiq gives actual, biological answers to the most pressing health concerns and inquiries.
Syeda Mohsin Taj, Owner
S H Fashion Design Institute
S H Fashion Design institute is based in Bangalore and is one of the central businesses in the field of fashion designing.
Vani Mehta, Founder and ISO Consulting Director
Bizkey Consultancy
BizKey offers Consulting services like ISO Certification and ISO Implementation for any manufacturing, and service industry in all sectors.
F&C Fusion and Creations
F&C provides professional services in interior design of residences, commercial offices, restaurants -cafes, space planning and project management.
Mantthan Web Solutions
Mantthan is a professional website development agency dedicated to professional service, quality web design and development, and trustworthy results.
VIVIKA
VIVIKA excels in the textile and apparel industry in manufacturing ladies’ bottom wear with a vision to provide quality products that integrate value for money.
Shailja Abhishek Singh, Founder and CEO Shakkeela Manoj, Founder and CEO
Sherin Vineed, Founder and Owner
Shveta Rao, Owner
Virali Mehta, Founder and CEO
Vishakha Jain, Director
Yasmeen Sahil Delawala, CEO
C O S VT E O RR Y
Dr Arati Suryawanshi Founder
DrSuryawanshi Arati Arati is conducting training to enhance her patient’s emotional intelligence skills, in that main empathy
L
ife coaching comes in many different forms. However, simply put, life coaching aims to help people meet goals in their lives.
It can guide people towards new methods to help them solve problems they face in their personal lives or at work and set them on a path to achieving their ambitions. It can be delivered face-to-face, over the phone, in the small groups or even by email and any other social networking format as Zoom, Google meet and all Moreover, life coaches help you find the correct answers for you. Like a personal trainer for your life and career, a life coach will work with you to improve all areas in your life by helping you work out where you want to go and how you will get there. Life coaches seek to help people actualize their full potential and lead purposeful and meaningful lives. Life coaching can help people identify their life values and clarify what they want from life. It can help you to set effective goals to meet your ambitions, monitor progress on your journey of change, help you to stay focused and challenged, make sure you stick to your commitments and take you beyond your initial ambitions through continual reassessment and re-examination of your ideas, plans, and strategies.
Ultimately, it can help take you closer to the life you want to lead. So, if you wish to find a more satisfying career, need support dealing with tricky relationship issues, or get better with time management, life coaching can help you find solutions and help you achieve your goals. It can be suitable for anybody; However, it is essential to take the time to find the proper life coach and check their methods and style suit your needs. Ideally, they should offer a psychological approach if the work you do with them will be long-lasting, effective, and grounded in science. You can experience such life coaching under an excellent consultant, and trainer with a deep commitment to mindfulness, empathy, and joy, Dr Arati Suryawanshi. Arati also provides individual and group training programs, and programs to enhance Emotional Intelligence skills and life skills. And other tailor-made programs to people through Mindful Heart Consultancy.
Dr Arati provides newly enhanced diverse programs as per the requirements of their clients
Shedding light on the professional tenure in this industry, Dr Arati expressed, “We have been into training and development for many years, almost 20 to 25 years. Initially, we were into psychological therapies, and we used to conduct pieces of training on the same.” “Today, we conduct programs to enhance emotional intelligence skills and soft skills as well.” A Coherent Leadership: Dr Arati Suryawanshi is a Life Coach, Consultant, Researcher, and EQ Trainer with a deep commitment to mindfulness, empathy, and joy. Her current PhD research focuses on the “Impact of Teachers Emotional Intelligence on student’s performance.”
The women owing Buisness Arena
With 25 years of psychology and counselling background in her career, Dr Arati has created interventions for managers, corporates, educators, and families. She has earned her postgraduate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pune, and her Post-Graduate Diploma in H.R. from Narsee Monjee, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She holds a PhD from Dr D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune. Living with an Extraordinary Vision: Dr Arati’s goal is to “Inspire young minds to awaken meaning in life.” She pursues this aim by delivering programs for teachers, families, educational systems, and corporate executives. She provides newly enhanced diverse programs as per the requirements of their clients. Arati is conducting training to enhance their emotional intelligence skills, which will help them reach their goal, life purpose, and improve emotional vocabulary. In her research, she experienced that empathy is not a problem in India, but self-empathy is a big issue. So, to overcome this problem, she is constantly working on providing personalized sessions for her clients. Contribution towards Overcoming the Adversities of the Pandemic: With the Mindful Heart Consultancy team, Dr Arati took the initiative in this unprecedented time, MHC-COVID19ACTION. With this initiative, she created a devoted group of psychologists, psychotherapists, and doctors who can provide counselling and psychotherapy to all those requiring the treatments, including underprivileged individuals. Arati and her team helped almost 3500 frontline warriors as Doctors, Nurses, ward boys, Bank officials, and people
from the service industry and Insurance industry. Also, conducted special programs for COVID Warriors: Home Front. (People who were working for and from home.) After the pandemic, there are many cases who are suffering from--basically, there are ones who are suffering from depression and stress—the stress, as in they don't know how to shape their careers back again. Many of them don't know whether their companies will start again, or some of them don't know the future of their career—insecurities are on the rise. However, with precise expertise and knowledge, Dr Arati provides personalized therapies for such individuals.
Pearls of Wisdom: Sharing a piece of advice for those who are undergoing stress, Dr Arati said, “I would tell them that they should not stop.” She also shared that “They should take small steps every day, and they should not hesitate to go to the therapist or any person whom they feel like they can have faith in and who can help them to shape their career.” Moreover, people should come forward, especially the youth.
If they are interested, they should achieve their certifications in this niche. They can start their career. So essential vital qualification to have this particular certification is graduation, basically, in any field. And if they have their graduation in the fields like psychology or business management or biology or any of these kinds of subjects, then that's added advantage to them. But any person who wants to learn they are welcome.
With 25 years of psychology and counselling background in her career, Dr Arati has created interventions for managers, corporates, educators, and families
They can come to us as well. We have crash courses to give them an essential basic idea about coaching, emotional intelligence, and therapies. Interested people can learn it, and they can benefit from this. They can also identify the problems around the society around them and help them out, expressed Dr Arati Suryawanshi. Awards and Accolades: With the exceptional services and personalized counselling services, Dr Arati’s Mindful Heart Consultancy is shining in the industry with excellence awards like: Award of Grant from Six Seconds International and NGO, for her PhD. thesis Research which availed to use SEI Adult Assessments to the tune of $17000.
Samaj Bhushan Puraskar: “Akhil Bhartiya Khandeshi Vikas Mandal,” By Ramesh Patil, IAS. As Khandesh Kanya. Mental Health Sanjiwani Award: Felicitated by Padma Shree Sucheta Dalal, and by Dr Vandana and Sharad Dhaktode, Om Hospital Exhibiting Excellence: Dr Arati was associated with Educational Institutes as Trainer and Coach. From 2010 to 2013, she worked as a Psychology Lecturer and the Head of Department of the Psychology Dept. with SIES (South Indian Education Societies Arts, Science and Commerce college.) Sion. She has also worked as a Consultant, Coach, and Trainer at Universal High – Education group with a focus on Arati bringing Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Visionary mind development to teachers and classrooms with personalized training. The Mindful Heart Consultancy has collaborated with the TATA foundation, JSW foundation, Marico. Industries, Kalyani Brakes, Chetana Systems, Sap Consultants Pune, JNPT Engineers Mumbai, Sainik School Satara etc. to incorporate mindfulness training initiatives in work cultures.
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24 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
DhatriDubey A Staunch Leadership Acumen
L
eadership plays a crucial role in any organization’s successful transformation. Approaching a transformation with a precise mindset and specific leadership traits can foster better teamwork and inspire your workforce. Do you have the leadership skills that employers look for? Whether you are an office manager or a project leader, all good leaders require several soft skills to help them positively interact with employees or team members.
Exemplary Leadership Personality Dhatri has always been comfortable behind a podium, with a microphone, or behind a teacher’s table. She loves to reach out and communicate. This love helped her in discovering at an exceedingly early age that teaching can transform lives through an exchange of ideas and communication. She was lucky enough to pick up a job as an Entrepreneurship and English Facilitator which introduced her to impressionable and talented year 11th and 12th students.
What Makes an Effective Leader?
Dhatri’s interaction with the youth invoked in her the power to influence and guide students in their future endeavours.
Influential leaders have the ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace.
With a career spanning over eight years, she interacted with youth across continents; Dhatri wishes to continue her journey as an educational service provider—but more as an influencer and mentor.
Employers seek these skills in the candidates they hire for leadership roles. Strong leadership skills are also valuable for all job applicants and employees.
Dhatri is an Educationist, who holds the office of Head of Pedagogy Design and is the Co-founder of Edurife in Australia, she has recently founded another company in India under the name of Prose Global Education, which caters to students and professionals who wish to realise their study abroad and immigration dreams.
Also, Leaders need to inspire their workers to go the extra mile for their organizations; just paying a fair salary to employees is typically not enough inspiration (although it is important too). There are several ways to motivate your workers: you may build employee self-esteem through recognition and rewards or by giving employees new responsibilities to increase their investment in the company. This sheds light on the staunch leadership acumen of Dhatri Dubey.
She has worked across many continents and has developed a high student success ratio, training Russian, Chinese, Nepalese, Korean, Japanese and Indian students as an ELICOS trainer from IH Sydney. She has over the years mentored students and Budding Entrepreneurs in Entrepreneurship and is presently working as a "Start-Up Incubator" for many individuals and
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Enterprises. She has worked closely with many corporate houses to train and mentor employees through carefully designed corporate training modules. She leads her project #WelcomeToMyCubicle as a Sociopreneur. Dhatri’s aim in life is to ensure that the learners under her guidance excel in every field of work. She works towards delivering the best of her ability through imparting quality education/training and working towards the holistic development of learners. She is fond of breaking boundaries and working beyond her comfort zone. She has a result-oriented approach that makes her an asset to any organization she works for. She is fond of blending technology with learning. The pedagogies she adopts while teaching/training break the stereotype approach towards the teaching-learning process. She is an ardent learner who is open to innovative ideas. She is diligent and honest in combating challenging situations. Dhatri is presently working on a campaign #WelcomeToMyCubicle which aims at guiding people during the time of lockdown. This project is a series of video, podcast and interview sessions curated to help people cope with the virtual work environment. Ensuring Resonance While pursuing Cambridge CELTA from IH Sydney, Australia, Dhatri came across an enthusiastic set of people who envisioned the future of education as an amalgamation of Technology, Pedagogy and Psychology. This is how Edurife was born. With an impeccable record, Edurife continues to support research work in the field of Technology in Education. Prose Global Education was born out of sheer persuasion of her students, who were ardent to be guided about their college studies. Many of them seeked assistance and guidance regarding their IELTS and PTE mentoring, which fuelled the hidden entrepreneur in her to open up a space that could provide a one-stop solution to them. So, Prose Global Education looks after the Study Abroad Counselling, IELTS and PTE preparations as well as Networking and Communication support to professionals looking for a lucrative career abroad. Setbacks- A Part and Parcel on the Way to Success Prose Global Education began its operations the month
Dhatri gave birth to her child. The biggest challenge she faced was from society as she resumed work from home, just ten days post-delivery. There were people questioning her choice and judging her motherhood performance. However, Dhatri believed it was her refuge from Post Natal Depression and helped Dhatri be a happy mother to her son. Initially, she did fear losing business to competitors who were old players in the market. However, she gradually realised her new age ideas were workable, and the youth identified with the pedagogy she followed. Being at home for the first few months did restrict her from networking much, but in today's digital age, Dhatri was able to bond globally with a number of mentors, guides, students, and professionals. Shedding the limelight on Prose Global Education, Dhatri shared, we embrace each learner as a part of the institution. The engagement level we offer to our learners is far better than any institute in our arena. We do not put statistics and infographics; we engage learners by identifying their learning styles. The study plan for each learner is different and carefully curated, keeping the stress levels and performance enhancement standards in mind. We encompass a learner’s IQ and EQ level along with their cognitive abilities. Exhibiting Excellence IELTS Trainer 2019 - present Dhatri has been mentoring students and preparing them for their IELTS examination at The Princeton Academy, an American-based company with branches across the globe. She provides training for both Academic and General IELTS Senior Secondary Teacher 2013-2019 As the Senior Secondary Teacher at The Millennium School Lucknow, Dhatri has taught Entrepreneurship, Economics and English to the Senior Secondary Students furnishing excellent results in the CBSE board examination consistently. An accomplished professional with more than six years of experience in the teaching and training industry. Dhatri has recently been involved with research and
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mentoring in Entrepreneurial start-ups. She has been keenly involved in developing structural modules that foster better entrepreneurial skills in her learners. Exceptional Skillset Dhatri has strong knowledge in planning, implementing, and evaluating curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate students with expertise in teaching subjects like English and Entrepreneurship. She is well versed in developing an instructional plan based on the course outline and instructional aids. She also adopts an easy-to-understand and engaging style to convey complex topics to students, as well as teach and mentor them to achieve their objectives. Possess knowledge about the internal administrative tasks that are performed within the institutions. Delivering excellent curriculum management and achievement to students of varying backgrounds while motivating educational success Strong organisational and team working skills, with ability to work on own initiative/in teams for curriculum design, assessment of student’s work, and identifying learning needs of students. Effective communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills are acquired from interaction with students and staff from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cinch Uniqueness Dhatri often conducts the conventional Parent Teacher meetings and interactions, but she does realise that the youth today does not want to be dictated. So, she focuses on majorly the positives of her learners and enhances their performance through their strengths which are greatly appreciated by parents. As parents do not want to listen to problems, they seek solutions. So, the fact that Dhatri has their parents as stakeholders, and she deals with the grey areas of their child—helps her organization to become great solution providers. Inspiring Words of Wisdom As an experienced professional, Dhatri would like to advise the budding aspirants, “Anyone who aspires to start a venture or even picks up a job or switches career or pursues a course, to keep one thing in mind.”
your idea, do ample market research, evaluate the prototype, talk to people, and then take the leap of faith,” she expressed. Dhatri also stated, “You are blessed to be born in an era of opportunities where start-ups are a trend.” As for the students, she would like to quote the Alchemist, “It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting, so dream and work hard each second to make it your reality.” Embracing the Future Roadmap Sharing her opinions on envisioning the company’s operations eventually, Dhatri said, “We have heard enough about the new normal is becoming our lifestyle and business style now.” “Being a service provider in an Overseas Education Market, the travel restrictions did take a toll, but with the liberalisation of rules and new vaccination policies being introduced by host countries, the picture seems to be finding its colours back,” she concluded.
“You become your own cage most of the time. Believe in
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P
eople turn around to coping mechanisms for comfort and distraction during difficult times. For a long time, people have practiced dancing, painting, writing, cooking, and baking. But lately, many have turned to open sciences for a coping mechanism. That was when Abhilasha Rishi Bafna decided to offer tarot reading services professionally. It is such a generalized view for a larger audience that tarot card readers are women in flowing robes, leaning over a small table in a candlelit room, foretelling a catastrophe. But that's not true. Tarot readers do not necessarily tell you fortunes but rather aid you in coming in contact with one's higher self. Subsequently, to help people for this fortune, Abhilasha Rishi Bafna, Founder of Soothsayer, is delivering and offering tarot practices to many women and girls who have curiosity and interest in open sciences. For Bafna, the most significant driving force to start her venture is to understand how energy can help you manifest various opportunities and situations in life. A Mystic Journey As the name suggests, a soothsayer is a person who can bring out solutions or comprehend the ability to see the future. The company was founded six years ago with the sole agenda of creating awareness and educating willing individuals of the various ways of energy healing through tarot card reading, angel card reading, or numerology. Abhilasha's journey since the setting up of Soothsayer has
been fascinating. She has come across various individuals who think there are difficulties on the surface, but the solutions to those problems lie within them. Her role has always been to bridge up these solutions and the issues. That's the very reason why she chose to go with the name Soothsayer. People often think that what they are told or offered is the ultimate reality, but that is not true. She presents validity to everything she has to offer, and that's made her journey very interesting. Surmounting the Challenges The biggest challenge that Abhilasha faced in the local sciences was explaining to people the benefits and accuracy of tarot card reading and angel card reading. People were very skeptical about numerology or neurological analysis, so it was a challenge for her to understand the need to adopt such techniques. Abhilasha looked at this challenge more like an opportunity because you need to back it up with abundant information to convince people. She has invested her study years and the later years in reading. That has helped her gain enlightenment, and thus she can easily share whatever she has learned. Additionally, in recent times because of COVID situations, many people have started this business of tarot teaching. For a person to be able to teach tarot, it requires several years of practice. She has been learning it for the last 12 years and decided to start her business. But inexperienced people have begun to teach and charge exponential fees, which is not a good sign and a more significant challenge for the industry ahead.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Embracing the Uniqueness The USP of Soothsayer is that the remedies provided are straightforward. People can quickly adapt, vibrate, and engulf their lifestyle around it. She takes care that the clients are provided with the perfect remedy, and that's the company's uniqueness. Since the beginning of her career, she has taken care that the person sitting across her needs to hear the truth. Hence, she made a point to present facts the way they are instead of sugarcoating them. She believes in straightforward analysis, and that is what the clients appreciate about her as she presents a point of view that gives the client a broad perspective about the entire situation. Taro reading has the ability to understand a particular situation. Decks are best used as a tool for inner wisdom and guidance. Abhilasha exclaims how cards do not necessarily reveal what will happen but instead allow a person to understand a situation and determine the best course of action based on what is known from the cards. Futuristic Approach Bafna has always practiced the Tarot business online, even before the pandemic. But since the post-pandemic phase, she plans to conduct workshops and practice tarot in person. She plans on offering these workshops to a wide range of ages, from school-going girls to women running their households, which would further supplement their finances. Reaching out to a broader audience and spreading the knowledge through workshops will enlighten the industry's future.
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AditiVerma An Empowered Woman, Empowering the tribe
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veil of ignorance is a blessing in disguise until chaos erupts. The crisis strikes you unexpectedly, leaving you with only two choices - do something or lose everything. Both are difficult choices without any certainty of outcomes.
That is when you look for an anchor who would at least will not laugh at you and your situation, telling you that I told you so. And will empower you to not only face your situation but also to overcome it and be the inspiration for others.
Thus, it will create a network of empowered spirits, a tribe, which will further its reach, making the dream of women’s rights and empowerment a reality.
Aditi Verma, the Founder of The-HER-Tribe, is that anchor who has empowered hundreds of women to be independent in all spheres of their lives. Be it financial literacy, professional and personal ambitions, or simply living their life on their terms. Aditi will support you in all, in return just taking a promise from you that once empowered, you will empower others like you.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Aditi is an accomplished business leader and senior marketing professional with over 21 years of corporate experience in the new-age media, healthcare, and telecom sectors. She has been a part of the growth journey of brands like Dabur, Zee, and The Times of India in leadership positions. Her last corporate role was as a Chief Marketing Officer with a Global MNC headquartered in the US.
Tell us more about The-HER-Tribe, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in the industry it is catering. Vision: Impacting lives of one million women in the next two years, helping them take control of their lives through financial literacy and financial freedom.
In an interview with Insights Success for its edition, ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’, she spoke about her awe-inspiring journey on the path of women empowerment.
Objective: The-Her-Tribe is a social initiative By the Women, For the Women, with a vision to support women with financial literacy, emotional wellbeing, skill development, and overall wellness leading to ‘Dignity’ and ‘Women Empowerment’ in real terms.
Here are the highlights of that interview: Give us a brief overview of your professional journey at The-HER-Tribe. The pandemic changed millions of lives in different ways. TheHerTribe.org happened quite incidentally and situationally, with the second wave of COVID in April 2021. When two of my friends lost their spouses to this mayhem, while helping them sort out, I realized that they did not know their insurances or investments. With that, I initially just started motivating women around me for basic financial knowledge so that they are independent irrespective of being a working professional or homemaker. With time, looking at the vast need, I decided to take the leap of faith and quit my corporate job to start this platform for women. Having lived my life on my terms, I have always been vocal about women's rights and empowerment.
From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? The customer base or target audience for The-HER-Tribe is in every household. Professionally working women have different challenges while homemakers have different issues. But the core issues remain the same. The pandemic just highlighted the need in a big way when few women got unsettled due to the loss of a family member/spouse. Otherwise taken for granted, the need for financial literacy is now at least a known necessity, and more and more people realise it. It is a community where women have someone to lean on. Already more than two hundred women have been supported in some or other way. The idea is to inspire them so that they take control of their lives instead of depending on someone. The platform already has over twenty mentors and more joining it to help and support other women. What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time? Since The-Her-Tribe was launched during the second wave of COVID as an online community and service, the safety of employees was never a concern. Rather, the acceptance of digital services during this time boosted the launch and growth. What is your opinion on the necessity for your company to align its offerings with technologies like AI and ML? Though it is too early for us to comment, today AI and ML are like a basic necessity, and any and every business can increase the yield and productivity by making the best use of it. Currently, we are focusing on reaching out to new
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users and members. Once the growth is exponential, definitely, AI/ML would play a major role in re-marketing efforts and engagement on the platform. As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the industry you are catering? Believe in yourself and your idea. As long as there is a genuine need and you know your target audience, keep moving with full zeal and confidence. Results would come. Perseverance is the key. How do you envision further strengthening the TheHER-Tribe stronghold in 2022 and beyond? For 2022 and beyond, the clear focus is on reaching out to more audiences, practically every household, and inspiring women to be financially aware and free, have their source of income, active or passive, to have control of their life. Aiming at acquiring one million users from India is the goal for this year. And expanding to the global audience as well as is an additional aim.
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Akta Sehgal
An Intellectual Wealth Mentor
M
anas Ekam Vachas Ekam, Karman Ekam Mahatmanam" – said Mahatma Gandhi, which could be translated into English as 'Great happiness comes when what we think, what we say, and what we do are in a complete harmony.' And your intellect's most significant wealth is that eternal happiness of your mind. In generating this true wealth, all the professionals, entrepreneurs and companies need help.
Founded and led by Akta Sehgal, 'The Women Owning the Business Arena', Manas Wealth offers that same kind of intellectual support. By creating a single platform for choosing financial products based on your financial needs, enhancing your investment skills, supporting creative ideas, and efficiently executing them for you.
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We aim to conduct 100 Financial Awareness Sessions, advancing towards our mission of financial literacy
says that women have the prerequisite skills to be adequate investment managers. They are nurturers, think long term and are risk aware. They form their opinion by understanding the pros and cons and rarely would make frivolous decisions.
The Explorer of Manas Wealth Manas Means intellect in Sanskrit. True to its name, it has created financial awareness for the last five years. Till July 10th, 2021, it was known as Manas Management Advisors. Today, it has become synonymous with a brilliant wealth guide for corporates. Manas Wealth believes Small is Beautiful. It is a boutique firm that is into financial mentoring and distributing thirdparty financial products. Being an open architect gives it the freedom to be client-centric and focus on mentoring and client centricity. Manas was started in 2013; however, due to personal circumstances, it took off in 2015. It took over the assets of a private limited company, to which it was earlier consulting. It started its financial mentoring programs in 2016, with a dedicated focus on kids and women, to empower them to acquire the skills needed to be a part of the financial decision-making process and say no to financial infidelity. According to Akta, financial literacy in the adult population of India is at 24%. And that is why she has been on a mission to make women and kids financially literate, as she 36 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
They are organised, disciplined and goal oriented. Thus, she, along with Manas Wealth, is trying to demystify that notion of investment as a man's world. The firm deals with clients across the spectrum. Its mentoring approach first works on their decision-making skills and financial understanding and then help them execute the plan through which they have decided to achieve their financial goals. With her approach of small is beautiful, she has been reaching out to the clients at the grassroots level and many first-time investors, especially youth, to inculcate the habit of investments in them and focusing on the disciplined approach of investment at a young age. “It is our mentoring approach that makes us unique from the other players of the industry," Akta says. The Rise of The Phoenix COVID-19 impacted every industry, and Manas Wealth is no different. As per Akta, the industry is experienced in enjoying the roller coaster ride from time memorial; after all, who doesn't like excitement. Financial markets, especially equity, are forty-two plus years old, and with such a considerable track record, these ups and downs make it what it is today. She further says that having spent more than twenty years and has withstood the turbulence it has been through; they were equipped to deal with this. Indeed, where the other players too. A knee jerk reaction was seen at the onset of the pandemic; however, most seasoned players managed it well. She opines that discipline, patience, and being processoriented are vital to managing all volatilities one experiences in this industry, pandemic, or no pandemic. The industry saw a massive fall and, at the same time, never experienced a rising, too, and that's what makes it one of the most exciting industries to be in. She reveals that they all worked from home making sure that all the transactions were done online, and she guesses they were visionaries. In 2016, she was on her family way and was advised bed rest. Starting then, they tried to transit their clients to the digital medium. This effort back in 2016 paid off well in 2020 and 2021, and they could manage all their transactions, training and reporting online. Even while they contracted the virus, their work did not stop, and their clients were serviced due to these measures, which they had taken years back.
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It is our mentoring approach that makes us unique from the other players of the industry
Touching the Humane Chord Akta further says that theirs is a people's business, and one needs to be hands-on with client's portfolio and their behaviour. As more than the numbers, it is the human behaviour that needs to be studied, hence to her mind AI and ML are far-far away from them, and they would never let the human aspect go away and substitute it with AI and ML. Human interaction is key for them, which helps them in their mentoring process and client servicing. She also says that focusing on the client and being honest and truthful is the only advice to budding entrepreneurs who wish to enter this field. This business is about money matters for sure, but it's also about the personal equation one builds with the client. Empathy is a significant skill that needs to be honed in this business. Another skill that one needs to work upon is unlearning. Most businesses earn a profit, keeping in mind the bottom line and building one's business practices around that. In this business, the focus is the client and their achieving their goals. With this focus in mind, the client achieves their goals, and the firm also becomes profitable. A slight shift from a conventional thinking mindset will make one stand out from the rest. This industry has many big and small players. It is imperative to carve out one's niche and have a unique proposition that focuses on the end-user rather than the wealth manager's self. According to Akta, they aim to conduct 100 financial awareness sessions, advancing their financial literacy mission. Their social initiatives like Motherhood Club and Kiddo mentoring would make women financially confident and help kids acquire the skill of money management. This will make the future generation investment-ready and make the significant 50% of the population contribute to the economy, stock market, and self and continue the campaign – saying no to 'Financial Infidelity.' 38 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Anubhuti Jain Mishra
Experiencing Natural Love and Care
Anubhuti Jain Mishra, Founder & CEO, understood this from her personal experience. That is why when the Insights Success team approached her for its edition of 'The Women Owning the Business Arena', she said that Anubhuti - An Experience, her natural skin, and hair care company is one of the small solutions to that problem. She explains it further, "Our mission is to provide eco-friendly, skin-friendly, and budget-friendly products to the consumers. Today, our contribution may seem small compared to the problem, but we are working towards it every day. We wish to spread the message among people to live in harmony with nature by making a conscious decision to switch to a sustainable lifestyle. Anubhuti is also an effort to fulfill our responsibility towards nature in such a way that sustainability blends with everyone's lifestyle! Our tagline 'our love for you is natural' simply represents our brand and motto.” Excerpts of this thought-provoking interview are given below. Please give us a brief overview of your professional journey at Anubhuti. I am a Mechanical Engineer turned mom turned entrepreneur who has worked with brands like Reliance, Genpact, and Google. I decided to quit my job in 2019, after the birth of my son Yuvaan, who was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. His health condition, frequent hospital visits, and new mom pressure did not allow my body to recover post-delivery. As a result, my skin lost its glow, followed by hair fall, acne issues, body fat, and whatnot. I tried all the commercial skincare products available in the market, but nothing
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Our tagline 'our love for you is natural' simply represents our brand and motto
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he pandemic has brought the long-ignored problem of sustainability to the core. Today, we are left with only one choice. Either go back to nature or soon turn up into an expected-unexpected apocalypse.
worked for me. This was when I switched to natural alternatives for my skin, hair, and body.
I realised the power of nature when I started formulating the products for myself using all-natural ingredients, and to my surprise, they did wonders. This experience led to the foundation of Anubhuti – An Experience. This has been a learning experience in the true sense of the word. Professionally, I have gained experience that would have been impossible if I was employed at a cushy job. Anubhuti started as a one-woman army with setting up the workstation, searching vendors, formulating products, packing, shipping, designing, marketing, etc. I made many mistakes but kept making notes on each step not to repeat the same ones. My biggest challenge was taking care of my 1-year-old kid and my work. But it all became easy with the support of my husband and family. Today, I am proud to say that professionally Anubhuti is empowering women and working to better the earth. Tell us more about Anubhuti, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in the industry it is catering to. Ever thought where do our plastic toothbrushes, shampoo bottles, lotion bottles, loofahs, etc. end up, once discarded? These brushes, bottles et all end up in our landfills and remain in this form for hundreds of years. Every day 26000 tons of plastic waste is generated in India, only with our
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
daily skin and hair care necessities! Also, all the chemicals that go down the drain from our shampoos, face wash, and body wash end up in oceans, disrupting flora and fauna's lives. Anubhuti, as a brand, was started in 2020 to cater to every individual's skin and hair care needs with a twist of natural ingredients in eco-friendly packaging. Our homegrown brands provide 100% natural and sustainable alternatives for daily skin and hair care needs. Our products are made fresh and delivered directly to the consumers. Our journey started in October 2020, through Instagram and Facebook pages, followed by exhibitions. An initial investment of ₹ 2500 quickly turned the ship around, and we clocked ₹3Lacs in sales in the first six months of business. Over ten thousand Jars/bottles have been sold to date, and we boast of having built a customer base across India. For the first year till October 2021, our sales came only through social media platforms and exhibitions. After one year, we built and launched our e-commerce website . Our products will soon be available on various other Ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, etc. We have been able to stop 10650+ single-use plastic from ending up in landfills in the last year just by shifting to plastic-free packaging. Unlike other brands, we have replaced the plastic bottles/tubes with reusable and recyclable glass/aluminium bottles and jars. Replaced plastic toothbrushes and loofah with bamboo toothbrushes and organic loofahs. Also, all Anubhuti products are free of harmful chemicals and preservatives, so they help reduce the number of chemicals drained into oceans every day, which disrupts our water bodies. Anubhuti has a junior care range of five products for kids between three months to thirteen years, free of toxins. We added a junior care range in November 2021, aiming that all moms should be able to give their babies the love and care of nature that all the little ones deserve. From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? Pandemic was the reason why we started Anubhuti – An Experience as a sustainable brand. COVID taught us to live in harmony with nature, and it is through a healthy lifestyle that diseases, viruses, and bacteria can be reduced. Prevention of COVID-19 was only possible through proper
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hygiene and reduction of all sorts of chemicals in our daily needs. More and more consumers became aware of switching to natural options. They understood that what we apply to our bodies is equally important to what we put in our bodies. Chemical-based skin and hair care products took a backseat as customers shift in bigger numbers started affecting the market. The demand for natural alternatives increased, and today clean beauty stands for $30 billion industry. Today's is an aware and informed customer who recognizes their skin type, its specific needs, and research trends and ingredients that will work for them before making a purchase. In my perspective, COVID-19 has provided the required boost to natural D2C brands; this is the right time to invest and promote sustainable businesses. What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time? We started our business in October 2020, in the mid of the pandemic. Took extra preventive measures in formulating, packaging to shipping the products. All were performed under strict standards and as per COVID guidelines. Periodic RTPCR of the team and tests/checks for the hygiene of products were performed. All products were procured from tested and government-approved suppliers. Also, shipments procured were always sanitised and kept aside for days before adding formulations. Above measures and keeping our formulations natural kept us in the business even during the pandemic, or so to say, we grew during the times when other businesses were shutting down. What is your opinion on the necessity for Anubhuti to align its offerings with technologies like AI and ML? The pandemic has pushed forward our virtual presence, how we live, and the shop has completely changed. Technology is innovating as our lives shift onto digital platforms. During the pandemic, beauty brands like ours are finding new ways to keep consumers engaged and connected to their products. COVID-19 has rapidly accelerated AI's entry into the public beauty domain. Ongoing health and safety concerns have led to a need for shopping solutions that do not include physical product testing. The use of AI as in virtual try-on's has changed the game and made the experience more fulfilled for the end-user. The digital retail landscape has rich possibilities for highly personalised services that have not been possible with instore environments, opening a world of virtual opportunity.
is good at helping the consumer narrow down the products as per their requirement. AI is a gateway to automation, personalization, and better consumer understanding. As consumers grow more comfortable with at-home beauty tech during the pandemic, the industry will likely continue to turn its eyes to the more accessible, convenient, and hygienic future. As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the industry you are catering to? My suggestion would be to stop asking for advice. If you want to start something, get on the ground, and start digging. You learn only when you get your hands dirty. There should be a purpose of your business or a problem that you are solving for the consumer. Either one of these will help you create a reputation, build a brand, and accelerate the sale. How do you envision further strengthening Anubhuti's stronghold in 2022 and beyond? By 2025 beauty and personal care will be a $50 billion market in India. We are focussing on sustainability and infusion of natural products in daily skin and hair care use of Indian households. We plan to work on our marketing and make our product more and more visible to consumers across the country. We aim to grow our fight against single-use plastic over ten times and grow our database even bigger. Target more customers and educate them on the harmful chemicals and plastic brings to the environment. Business grows when you care for your community, which I firmly believe in. Women empowerment and strengthening our community has been a focus area. At Anubhuti, we aim to employ more and more women going forward and create a better work-life balance for them. We plan to contextualise government policies on women empowerment and fine-tune them to the Indian environment, benefiting the workforce that we hire. All the above sums up in three points, • Eliminating chemicals from our consumers' daily skin and hair care needs. • Working to reduce plastic wastage in landfills by creating awareness of switching to natural alternatives. • Empowering and employing more women to grow along with Anubhuti.
Consumers hunt for more personalised solutions for their skin and hair care needs. This requires more AI-powered platforms like Skin/hair analysis to evaluate consumers' skin and scalp and recommend the products accordingly. AI 42 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
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Ashitha
Ladha
Crafting Designs Imbibing and Reflecting You
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our home is your dream. Thus, be faithful to your taste because whatever you like is never out of style. The best spaces have something to say about the people who live and spend time within because they are designed around their vision; they personify their actual version. Similarly, serious is a word that should be entirely avoided regarding decorations. This is the time when you must feel your heart's innate joyful rhythm within as well as all around you. An interior designer who captures your aura and crafts your space, which inculcates and resonates with you, is your ultimate hope, and fortunately, you are in success. In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of 'The Women Owning the Business Arena,' Ashitha Ladha, Founder & CEO of Ashita Interior Design Studio, is drafting your picturesque vision with her eyes. Welcome to get mesmerized. Please describe Ashita IDS in detail. The firm has been well-known by 'Ashita Interior Design Studio' since Aug-2020. The First Word, 'Ashita' itself, depicts hope and success. So, with a lot of hopes and experience of three years in the field of residential and commercial projects, I have managed to start the firm at an incredibly early age. We are in full-service interior designing, specializing in residential and commercial projects. We continuously try our best to deliver quick refreshing outputs to meet our client needs. We always strive to convert dreams into reality by designing and designing well enough to exceed expectations. Tell us about your journey in the field of interior designing.
My journey starts with my interest, which was developed soon after completing my Senior Secondary. To further my interest, I completed my BSc in interior design at Dezyne E'cole college, Ajmer, and later joined as an intern and became an employee at a renowned architect firm of Mr. Sanjay Kothari in Jaipur. I played many roles in this field. First, I got the role of drafting technician, by which I learned the detail part of drawings. Second, I got the role of supervisor, by which I learned practical knowledge in this field, and then I got a position of designing, enabling myself to think in assorted styles. By the time I was in my job, I had started preparing myself for more opportunities and enhancing my skills. I have completed my MBA in HR from Symbiosis Distance Learning, Pune. In the latter half of 2019, the Infra-sector was already not performing well, and when the pandemic hit the sector most, I have lost my job. And during all this time, I was carrying a dream in mind to have my firm, so I started my own space in Beawar (Rajasthan). And at present, I am managing many projects in Beawar and Jaipur. In my journey, I carry away my experiences and a belief in myself that "Why I cannot, when everyone can.” I love to travel and explore things and have my primary interest in learning more innovative things, and, in my field, I always do projects with dedication by maintaining healthy relationships with clients. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the interior design niche?
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
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My most significant inspirational source is this lively world around us and my curiosity to do something new. I always believe in myself. I love to share my experiences and challenging work in a reality that suits my clients' personalities. In the pandemic, we all were doing work from home. I decided to start my firm and lead as an interior designer. Designs that inspire me are the details' part, classical style, contemporary style, gothic style, bohemia style, which inspires me. And I also used these styles in my designs with abstracts and subtracted. I always mix two styles in my designs, it looks more attractive and elegant, and clients love the same. Being a creative person, I always want to learn more things, visit unfamiliar places, and explore more. My mission is to bring happiness to my client by assisting residential and commercial clients in creating timeless spaces. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the interior design niche? In this world, I think women can do everything just like anyone else. And I believe that every woman should be independent in their perspective. I also do the same things. I explore myself and my skills. And how should I do something better in my life every day? So, I searched a lot. I noticed things in myself and kept asking who I am and how I want to be. I always think that a person should know herself innately, rather than looking only at all the exterior aspects with outer perspectives. When I started my company, I promised myself that I would never forget to allow youngsters and not let them suffer from difficulties I have faced personally in my field. If we have every experience in the field and manage the projects, we can do anything easily with proper skill sets. I felt personally that this is a practical field, I should have all the knowledge regarding this field, like overseeing the drawings, the craftsmen, and labors on the site. When I got my first project from Beawar, I had just initially started my firm. I ultimately invested myself in the design. I worked extremely hard so that the client's trust in me should not break. And I keep proving myself. So that people will realize that giving opportunities to youngsters like me
is good. Because in modern India, youngsters can think out of the box and more creatively. That is what I found out when I was working on my first project and now when I am leading in the key role as an interior designer. The field experience taught me a lot. And I learned much more on the job practically than I would have learned otherwise. Again, I strongly think that people should give more opportunities to youngsters to get more knowledge, creativity, enthusiasm, energy to do the work and new skills to design. Because this field is very vast, creativity in designing will not help you. What are the USPs that highlight Ashita's uniqueness in interior designing? As I'm an innovative, customer-driven interior designer, I make everything possible to reflect the same in my work. I always design my style in a minimalist way, as less is more in a contemporary style and a classic style, with unique color-combination, textures, fabrics, quotes, and lights. I believe that the design must reflect our personality, and I always focus on that aspect. The materials I mainly use in my designs are glass, wood, and PU paint finish which ultimately looks very refreshing. I always put one as a highlight wall in my designs, and it is a thumb rule. My main USP is the detailing part, which is so delicate and accurate that a worker can easily understand and helps to direct them effortlessly. I coordinate architectural details designs, specify custom construction elements, and create and implement the complete interior concepts. What professional values and qualities do you think your client's value in you and your studio the most? Great designs begin with a comprehensive understanding of clients' needs and expectations, whether personal spaces or commercial properties. Developing client relationships based on respect, trust, and confidence has been the key to my success as a designer. Skilled at creating beautiful designs under various budgets, styles, timeframes, and requirements, I guide my clients through every phase of the design process. I remain committed to cultivating valued relationships and helping clients reach the best version of their overall vision.
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These are the values and the qualities of my firm, which makes us more trustworthy for the clients, and I respect their time, as I always try to make the drawing and complete the projects on time. How is the adoption of modern technology enhancing the designing procedures in your field? Today in this era, technology is very much advanced. We have much software to describe our designs easily and with these clients get a better understanding. Such as 3D renders, in which we can create a look and design, and even customizations are possible at once as per the client's need. This enables accessible communication with clients and craftsmen too. With the help of 3D renders, we can imagine an actual design without bearing much cost of developing it in real. To support the above statement with an example of my own, in my initial days of working on a project, my clients were astonished looking at the 3D Renders of the whole project. They were delighted by looking at those renders for the first time, which made them see what their dream would look like in reality, without wasting any penny at the start of the project. So, I can say that with the help of modern technology, we can balance the time and the cost-effectively.
Being a professional interior designer, I always follow the elements and principles of design. But I also think that in this field we can design freely. If allowed the freedom to create, we can get innovative ideas to believe and follow, ultimately improving the result. What is your opinion on 'Benefits of AR and VR in Interior Designing'? This is a game-changing thing. Using AR and VR in interior designing takes us to another experience level. The whole project gets live virtually. This can eliminate the considerable cost of purchasing the site and building things on it. This can help in experiencing the entire working project right in front of our eyes, without even purchasing the raw material to build. As the professional world changes rapidly, people are adopting various techs to make work more accessible and more manageable. This helps open the door for thinking about what we have never considered. So, infinite possibilities arise out of this. Soon many advanced gadgets will be easily accessible to all. Another thing I would like to focus on: Being a woman, I faced many difficulties, which taught me things. Starting a firm at an incredibly early age is a challenge. I do not know where I will lead with this, but I keep believing in myself and want to establish my name in interior designing, and for me, my priority is the goodwill and the trust of my clients.
As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the interior design niche? Interior designing is an area where creativity works with thinking out of the box. Despite saying this, I would say that it is also a decorative field. And if you are designing the spaces so that effective multipurpose utilization of spaces can be done, that will surely help you.
And I also want to repeat to the clients and to the people that do not be afraid to give the opportunity to youngsters. We have as much knowledge as an experienced one. We work with enthusiasm and full of energy and have more creative ideas.
Thinking beyond the design and keeping a client's desires in mind, one can lead towards satisfaction.
At last, do not fear to think or to dream big. You will not achieve the things you want ain your life until you dream.
I believe it is a fascinating and enjoyable field. We interact with many people daily, which helps us understand their vision.
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Our vision is noticeably clear – we do not work for money. We work to build a healthy and trustworthy visa environment
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Chandni Bhardwaj, Founder & CEO
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Chandni Endorsing You to Your Dream Work Vistas
Bhardwaj
M
illions of people wish to migrate overseas, mostly in search of better livelihood, job/career prospects, or to chase and fulfil their dreams. Currently, eighteen million people live outside India in various countries.
And if you are among one of the former, you surely need the best visa processing firm from India to go, settle, and live your dream life overseas. Championed by Chandni Bhardwaj, Founder & CEO, VISTA – VISADO MINDS, is one of the finest and fastest emerging visa processing firms in Pune, Maharashtra. From the last four years, Chandni has helped thousands of aspirants to process their visas and land into their dream destination. In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of 'The Women Owning the Business Arena,' Chandni is detailing her genuine and trustworthy process for those searching for real visa processors amidst the many fraudsters crowding this space. Below are the highlights of that interview. Please give us a brief overview of your professional journey. Vista – VISADO Minds. The journey to Vista was not easy, as I belong to a political service family. My doing business was not supported at all. I was only allowed to join some services in which I was utterly uninterested. After graduation, I moved to Punjab to travel in 2015, but life had different plans. I started doing the job as a Telecaller in 2016 in a visa company, which steadily led me to be a manager of a visa company in Punjab. There I met every kind of person and just observed them.
Being in the visa field, I realised that people were being cheated. Many people used to take loans and apply for visas for their children, but companies had nothing to do with the visa or anything. They just wanted to make money off the gullible. I am not saying that one should not make money but earn it in a manner that no one is at a loss. So, witnessing this for a year, I started to gain knowledge of this field, and then I was all set to begin my Vista VISADO Minds. But things are never easy as they seem, as when I launched the firm in 2019, I first had to face my family, who were totally against my business. They never wanted me in the business field. The next hurdle was that the business market was tough for a newcomer like me. Yet, I stood still for my firm, and as months passed, I was gifted with really hardworking and incredibly supportive employees. They kept collaborating with me seamlessly to stand this firm on its own, and as it is said that challenging work always pays off, we managed to hold the market with the arduous work of my colleagues and the trust of our customers. Tell us more about Vista VISADO Minds, its vision, and the critical aspects of its stronghold in the industry it is catering to. Vista VISADO Minds is for everyone. It is a trusted firm for the customer who needs a work visa and growing part for the leadership buds who wants to start a business in the visa industry. Vista VISADO Minds' vision is evident – we do not work for money. We work to build a healthy and trustworthy visa environment.
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From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on your industry? COVID-19 was not only damaging to our industry, but it smashed every industry to the core. Yes, our sector was affected seriously. Flights were cancelled. Visa processing was put on hold. Moreover, visas were rejected, due to which the immigration industry was highly impacted. Most of the firms were disbanded. A leader is never down, no matter what. Whatever the circumstances, they always have a place to stand. So, whether the circumstances were good or bad, we would only think that everyone should try and stand again. Things will take time. It is difficult but not impossible. Mentioning leadership, I would be glad to talk about my mentors, Mr Karan Bindra and Mr Amandeep Singh, who were with me and helped me stand firm in the pandemic situation. They are the true leaders who made me believe that time changes. If it is worst today, it will be the best tomorrow. You do not have to leave your path. Believe in God, and everything will fall in its place. What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time? Due to the sudden announcement of lockdown, everyone was shocked. Because for some, they were the sole earning members of their family. So, it was a huge loss for everyone. But our company was blessed with beautiful teammates who stood with us in that pandemic time and supported us well. We kept paying them. We also provided medical support to them during that time. As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the industry you are catering to? First of all, we would like to congratulate you and wish you luck to start. But since we are aware of the situations now, we would suggest that "be prepared for any scenario. Today, the market is more competitive as compared to earlier." So, they must be ready for everything and never lose hope in what they believe they are doing. Starting something is
extremely easy but holding onto it and running it shows how greatly or poorly you can manage things and run the business. How do you envision further strengthening Vista VISADO Minds' stronghold in 2022 and beyond? Vista VISADO Minds' strength is their customer's trust in them. We are coming up with new international projects and more opportunities to expand the business widely with youngsters. In the coming time, it will be one of the most reliable firms for people who want to grow and a pillar for budding business opportunists.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Dr Asha Biju Transforming Your Inner Core into Your Wow Factor
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he mission of Wow Factor MediCosmetic Skin & Laser Centre, Founded by its CEO, Dr Asha Biju and her husband Dr Biju Moses, is to carefully and empathetically listen to the client’s needs and provide a thoughtful, understanding and result oriented consultation. Wow Factor offers comprehensive services for both men and women with a range of effective treatments to achieve your cosmetic goals. Established in 2009, as Dr Asha’s Cosmetology and Aesthetic Laser Centre, it has been rebranded as Wow Factor MediCosmetic Skin and Laser Centre in 2014. In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena,’ Dr Asha talks about her company, Wow Factor, its range of treatments, and her assurance of constantly maintaining the highest standards in all the services she and her team of professionals provide. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the aesthetic industry? I’ve always been interested in pursuing a career in cosmetic surgery and related fields. While working in various multispeciality hospitals as a junior Surgeon, I felt restricted as my medical decisions were interfered with and did not like
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Wow Factor’s treatments are customized or framed from our customers’ perspectives
that my principles and decision making had to be compromised several times. In 2009, I took a risk and made a career transition. I trained in various aspects of aesthetic medicine by attending multiple courses all across the globe. Fortunately, my husband was very supportive as he was extremely confident of my abilities. Also, the freedom and excitement of having your own aesthetic centre were definitely lucrative. We wanted to start a centre where our employees could work in a comfortable environment and be free to showcase their skills and talents to the best of their abilities. Please describe Wow Factor in detail. Wow Factor is a skin, laser, and aesthetic medical centre, located in the heart of Trivandrum in Kerala known as God’s Own Country, where our experienced and welltrained doctors provide aesthetic dermatology procedures, laser treatments, minimally invasive procedures and medical treatment for skin, hair, and nails for both adults and children. We have a professional and trained team that is sensitive to your concerns and provides thorough care for diagnosing, managing, and treating your skin and cosmetic concerns. Tell us about Wow Factor’s journey. We are glad to be a part of the aesthetic medical industry which is arguably one of the fastest-growing industries in the world today, mainly driven by the increased acceptance of safer, more effective non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures. Consumers of all age groups are really interested in looking their best with minimal downtime. They do a lot of research online, talk with their peers on social media, and then walk into your office knowing you and your expertise in advance, as well as the kinds of services you offer. This is a great development that is
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changing the face of the aesthetic medical industry. They trust you right off the bat without even meeting you. Thanks in part to the internet, television, and social media influencers. There is also a concern about consumers seeking help from various sham products and non-scientific methods. Fortunately, a growing scientific community is focused on educating the public about evidence-based anti-ageing medicine so that consumers are well informed and aware of genuine, scientifically proven therapies. We are proud to be a part of this scientific community. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the respective industry? I can classify the initial challenges into two groups: professional and business. On the professional side, I had to face a lot of opposition from dermatologists who felt that it was their domain to practice aesthetic medicine. But if you look into doctors practising this field, I’m sure you would have noticed that the most successful ones are those with the right skills and passion in their work. I’m extremely satisfied that today most of these challenges have been silenced with our excellent work based on scientific principles though such problems spring up once in a while. On the business front, the high cost of acquiring FDA approved machines are one of the biggest challenges, but this has been addressed to a certain extent by the flexible payment options from distributors since the demand has increased now. The rapid growth in the medical and healthcare sectors demands the availability of the latest equipment and tools in order to be updated. Investment in the infrastructure is also very important. Other than these, the other challenges include having an adequate supervised practice before treating your patients, expensive training and certifying courses, understanding the rules and regulations, start-up costs, competition, making profits, etc. What are the USPs that highlight Wow Factor’s uniqueness? Our treatments are customised or framed from our customers’ perspectives. We advise them on how best to achieve their goals using scientifically proven and approved methods. We make sure that each person gets personalised care and always remember something about them from the
previous conversation or visit during the next visit to make them feel like they are in safe hands, recognised and comfortable. Our team is also regularly trained and updated to get new skills and advance their career by keeping up with the latest trends in the industry. We encourage our patients to share their thoughts about their experiences with our doctors and the rest of the team. This kind of feedback can be invaluable to strengthen and grow the practice as it is difficult to see our weaknesses otherwise. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and the Wow factor the most? Integrity, trust, accountability, honesty, commitment to our customers, passion towards our work, continuous learning/improvement, no compromise on quality, excellent teamwork, humility, leadership, and simplicity. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? First, have a vision; you need to know your passion and be ready to pursue it at any cost. Identify your expectations from it and turn your dream into a reality. Be thoroughly educated about your industry. Face your fears boldly, take risks, learn from mistakes, believe in yourself, and never give up. How do you envision Wow Factor’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? We have to adapt to the new reality and reassess opportunities. The aesthetic medical industry is ever evolving, and new trends are seen almost daily. Before the pandemic, people were more focused on applying products to their skin without much research. But now, consumers are trying to be well-versed about the ingredient/product before using any of it. This is probably because we spent more time inside our homes during the pandemic, taking better care of ourselves than ever before. Being constantly on social media have also influenced people to learn more about the basics of skin and how to take care of it. This has shifted focus from concealing flaws with makeup to correcting the flaws. So, we have to update ourselves, keeping the consumers need in mind while trying to bring in new treatments.
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Dr Manjulata Sundru Devi Exuding Extraordinary Leadership
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omen are gradually making a massive impact in numerous industries like administration, entrepreneurship, and healthcare with their staunch leadership acumen. Many female leaders are now resolved to shatter the traditional boundaries with their requisite skills and talents. Every organization needs a leader, irrespective of its size and functions. A leaderless company is just a 'disarrangement of people and machines.' What signifies leadership? Leadership is not gender specific. It is a set of leadership qualities, characteristics or cultivated in person or persons who develop themselves into great leaders with a mass following. Leaders can be either men or women. However, women leaders are more transformational. They function as a role model for their subordinates. They inspire their team and improve their team's performance. They care a lot about their personal development. Women leaders emphasize teamwork and authentic communication as the key to success. For most women leaders, leadership accomplishes organizational goals and transforms their followers into better people. Ambition becomes a reality for those who have passion and determination to excel and the ability to push themselves to their limits. Dr Sundru Manjulata Devi, Founder, and Managing Director, commenced SVR Bioscience Research Services, which became successful and had a national and international client base singing praise for SVR.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
The Journey of a Start With changing priorities, Dr Devi and her family moved to a remote location near Kharagpur, West Bengal, owing to her husband's change in the job location. Though she initially contemplated moving to a new location, she envisioned this change as a fantastic opportunity. She reestablished what she set out to do in her career with grit and determination, and SVR Bioscience Research Services was born out of this vision. Her knowledge and experience of genomics, microbiology, biotechnology, cancer and cell biology, immunology, and bioinformatics made SVR a competent and contemporary subject expert in that industry, even at the nascent stage. While adhering to its core competence in quality and implementing new ideas, Dr Devi's primary focus was on a customer-centered approach to problem-solving and accomplishing projects within a reasonable time frame. As a result, SVR Bioscience has been awarded several international and national projects. Dr Devi did not fathom that science projects could be carried out from home, without laboratory facilities, with the help of only a computer and her subject expertise. "What you need to have computer-based science based knowledge, "she remarks.
Dr Devi has trustworthy clients from London, Singapore, Australia, Korea, America, Saudi Arabia, and India. There is an overwhelming foreign and national market for manuscript writing, publication and journal support, and data processing for scientific data, and SVR is one of the top professional services companies catering to this market. A Benchmark of Values and Extraordinary Vision SVR Bioscience's primary goal is to understand client dynamics and cater to their requirements with cost-effective solutions tailored to their specifications. "Innovation" is the actual application of ideas that involve introducing new concepts, services, and improvements while accomplishing unique proposals. Entrepreneurship is a vehicle for personal development, self-confidence, strength, conviction, and passion. It is always challenging to start a new company or brand from scratch. With constant encouragement and a solid educational background, Dr Devi's parents and husband have always been a significant source of motivation. To turn challenges into economic opportunities, the concept of innovation should be ingrained in the company's genetic code. For example, SVR Bioscience carefully supervises the implementation of the suggested solution under welldefined methodologies, using extensive scientific expertise.
Ambition becomes a reality for those who have passion and determination to excel and the ability to push themselves to their limits
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SVR Bioscience has a team of highly skilled, dynamic, experienced freelance content writers, professionals, and technical specialists well-versed in today's scientific communication system. This breadth of expertise has allowed Dr Devi to take on a broad range of projects, each with a different budget, complexity, and intensity. She takes on assignments that need analytical thinking, can handle many tasks at once, and designs proposals with much relevance. Every project from inception to conclusion includes her contribution and expertise. Owing to her experience in bioinformatics and metagenomics analysis, Dr Devi herself handles some major projects. SVR Bioscience aims to provide its clients worldwide with relevant, authentic, and plagiarism-free work. This adds value to the business and develops a strong bond of trust. Its purpose is to help clients achieve their academic objectives by providing them with the finest services and solutions possible. Dealing with international clients is more challenging, as SVR's approach may sometimes differ from theirs.
the confidence and raised the bar for SVR's quality standards. A Piece of Wisdom As a piece of advice for the budding aspirants, Dr Sundru says, "The most important factor in determining success is your ability to think positively, make decisions, and gain knowledge." "It is always important to have faith in your talents, capabilities, and convictions. Many people will try to pull you down with their feelings of inadequacy and criticism, but ignoring them will help you rise to great heights," she adds. "It is important to see technology as an opportunity, especially in today's world, providing several possibilities. Sailing through tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic is not an easy task. Challenge yourself and keep moving forward," – Dr Sundru Manjulata Devi. Embracing the Emerging Technology
However, most of the clients are delighted and value the performance of SVR. Dr Devi's prior expertise in molecular biology, bioinformatics, genomics, and probiotics has allowed her to carry out several projects. Her previous publications in international journals helped gain foreign clients' trust and resulted in business growth. Overcoming the Adversities of the Pandemic Numerous companies have experienced substantial setbacks due to the global impact of COVID-19. SVR Bioscience worked remotely before the pandemic and virtually executed its duties and commitments. Therefore, the current pandemic has had negligible effects and instead resulted in increased academic assignments. The pandemic has broadened SVR's horizons furthermore with several virtual sessions.
Understanding the avalanche of information that is being caused daily, the current scientific researchers have turned their focus to artificial intelligence (AI). There is much interest in the scientific community for machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) because of their potential use in various sectors. One of the main sections of the service delivery was bioinformatics, a field of analysis that includes both artificial intelligence and machine learning. The study of biological sequences and molecular structures is the most basic application in this discipline. In contrast, the modelling of biological systems is more advanced and uses many AI tools. Besides human DNA, the analysis of a vast amount of health-related data has allowed investigators to understand the genomes, proteins, enzymatic pathways, and metabolites of other organisms better.
To ensure that all assigned freelance colleagues were actively working on their assignments and deadlines were met, SVR Bioscience implemented remote work procedures before the pandemic. To begin with, its work mode was often remote and did not get affected due to the pandemic.
Due to the improvement in bioinformatics in these other areas, scientists have been able to identify cancer-related mutations, infectious disorders, and uncommon diseases that had been difficult to identify using traditional methods.
During the second pandemic wave, SVR had declined some agreements due to health difficulties. Some clients helped the company by extending their deadlines, which boosted
The scientific community already has powerful resources at its disposal to better understand the origins of tumors, such as publicly available big data. A successful AI strategy
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matched with SVR Bioscience's business objectives is helping the company survive and be competent in the digital age.
Technological Research Institute (CFRI), Mysuru (Mysore), she developed a wide range of skills, including planning, execution, decision-making, and implementation.
The future roadmap for SVR
Today, Dr Devi works in her own space and is happy that her current working model allows her to spend the required time with her three-year-old daughter, giving her a good work-life fit. She encourages women to seek this work-life balance without having to forego their talent, skills and experience by continuing to take up projects/work that works well for them.
The picture and visualization of any drug or protein molecule have improved in several aspects. In this context, the goal is to generate a picture that has a greater effect on the journal. This is possible by learning more about AI and ML, which will help SVR to expand its services accurately and reliably. As a result, Dr Devi believes that the organization will become a worldwide service provider in the next five years. While she improvises and develops, SVR encourages its subordinates to do the same. She plans to learn from and hire several experienced professionals, especially women, to broaden the SVR's services, which will aid in bettering and acquiring several in-house and international opportunities. The current era has seen a rise in women's participation in business activities, helping to convert small businesses into large corporations. Dr Devi intends to establish SVR Bioscience as a freelance workplace with not only diverse scientific backgrounds but also with strong gender inclusion and participation. This will help talented professionals, especially women, pursue their dreams while also catering to changing priorities in their lives. Exhibiting Excellence Dr Sundru Manjulata Devi is a Scientist and pursued her Ph.D. in Biotechnology (2013) from the University of Mysuru (Mysore) and is the recipient of the "Young Scientist Award," conferred by the Science and Engineering Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, during 2014–17. Because of her professional experience with the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, and CSIR-Central Food
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Garima
Rawat
A traverse between Talents and Firms
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n a rapidly evolving economy where there are several new firms forcing their head up to survive and thrive, there is always a need for the best in class recruiter who knows the talent requirement just right and can magically provide a perfect match every time. But to be honest, it is never magic, it is the power of a highly skilled recruitment setup that can deliver such precision always. Today, corporates are on a hunt to find suitable talent, which is proved to be a time-consuming and hefty process. Offering and delivering to these needs of organizations and providing them with candidates who have skills and potential, Massif Recruitments is one name that is bridging the hiring and enrolment gap. With the profound leadership of CEO and Founder, Garima Rawat, the company is re-writing the meaning of recruitment services, delivering top talents, quickly and efficiently. Under Garima’s leadership, Massif Recruitments has become a truly new age recruitment service provider, sourcing premium workforce to organizations with very specific technical staff requirements. She and her team are known for a swift and efficient recruitment process with results that make you believe in their skills without sayingthey work magic. Here is Garima Rawat, taking your palate on a soothing journey, while you sit back, relax, lower your inhibitions, and indulge in the excerpts of this inducing interview.
Garima, what was your inspiration behind venturing into the recruitments niche? It had been a long journey working for Resourcing/Recruitment for various organizations in India and the UK. I always knew that I have what it takes to lead a team and build my own business however, being a wife, mother and daughter somehow felt like responsibility enough not to seriously think about establishing myself as a businesswoman. But as they say, there is no power as the “Women Power”, I finally decided that it was time for me to trust in my skills and do something that gave me immense pleasure and satisfaction. In 2020 with the support of my life partner and my sister (my girl power) I went on to establish Massif Recruitments and today I am so glad that I did. Please tell us about Massif Recruitment in detail. Massif Recruitments Pvt Ltd was established in 2020 with a clear goal in mind to help clients do business without worrying about the pressures of resource management. We are an IT staffing company and cater to suitable client requirements across PAN India, the United Kingdom, and Europe. I started Massif solely in India and we are now growing in the UK and Europe as well. The goal is to strengthen partnerships based on loyalty and trust with global organizations. Our services include (but are not restricted to) contract staffing, contract-to-hire staffing and direct staffing. We serve a wide spectrum of industries and which include artificial intelligence, IT, Automation, Aerospace, Healthcare, Telecom, Finance and more. For more details you may visit our website www.massifrecruitments.com.
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Massif completely believes in balancing work and personal life as a policy. We have a wonderful hard-working team onboard which believes in the ideology of the company and provides utmost proficiency in catering to our clients. To keep this zeel thriving we follow some strict rules that draw a thick line between our work and family time. This has helped us build a very close-knitted team of professionals who know their work like the back of their heads and have helped stand Massif where it is today in a short period of time. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the recruitments space? Having a decade of experience in the industry, my goals were very clear in regard to starting a business. I didn’t put my hands out on a lot of sales, rather we focused on providing highly focused services to our prestigious clients which became the sole reason for achieving a breakthrough in the first 4 months of our establishment. From the very first day, we have made it a point to give point attention to probing candidates on the quality/ skills asked and making sure that the resources we forward have not only the skills but the understanding of the position they are offered to fill. The only difficulty I felt was not being with my team physically during the pandemic, as we resorted to working remotely for safety reasons. Therefore, all the appreciation, feedback, and get-together were technically supported. What are the USPs that highlight Massif Recruitment’s uniqueness in the recruitment niche? Massif Recruitments is established as an organization for the people, with the people, and by the people. I strongly feel the recruitment niche is particularly under massive pressure nowadays with the technical advancements in every industry. It is becoming difficult by the hours to stay up-to-date with the technology updates and matching resources with the very specific requirements of organizations take a lot more time, effort and understanding than it used to.
To cater to this growing challenge our policies as an employee-friendly organization have always been different from the lot. At Massif Recruitments, we don’t believe in building pressure on our colleagues to rush into project closure, in fact, we do not have any defined targets. We believe our employees are the biggest asset of our organization and giving them space to breathe is the greatest employee benefit we can give. This in turn has helped us build a winning team that knows its responsibilities and have the skills to match the client
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requirements with a smile on their face every time. We have achieved success in providing resources that have helped our clients flourish and this is the reason we have a good return customer ratio as well. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? There are several qualities our clients value in us, some of them being efficiency, quick turnaround time, high-quality resource pool, unmistakable understanding of how this industry works, positivity while taking feedback, impromptu, unpretentiousness and more. However, the most important value that we feel our clients appreciate is the trust that we have built with them over a very short period of time. We truly believe in our tagline “The Designated Recruiter” for one and all. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the consultancy niche? It’s a vast but exciting industry that provides a lot of learning in various aspects. However, to enter this space we need to have strong determination to deliver every time. It’s important for us to understand how the industry functions and what it demands from us as recruiters. We need to understand the whole cycle starting from how are we helping clients, how are they helping their customers, and the impact on the economy. Certainly, it is a full-packed task. However, with every achievement, you feel more motivated. So, my advice is to always be open to the opportunities to learn from and understand your client's requirements because that is the only way to help them. How is modern technology impacting the recruitments niche? Technology has taken off a lot from our plates. The automation tools can source candidates from the market, share information with them and help advertise the roles. In fact, the best thing is getting quick updates in regard to your application through sophisticated software. However, it will always lack the human touch and this is where we fit in the best. To work technology to our benefit also required a human supermind as well as emotions to some extent.
How do you envision your company’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of recruitments niche, post-pandemic? I believe we all have adapted very well to various situations due to the pandemic. Our team has worked extremely hard and there’s has been no issues whatsoever. We have always believed in uplifting the women in society as we truly believe in their potential, and that is where this phase actually helped us. The mothers in our teams have been able to look after their kids at a time when they were out of help on many grounds without sacrificing their professional side. Even with no-masks times coming back, Massif Recruitments plans to keep the work patterns flexible. When we work together for a common goal, it doesn’t matter where you are working, the only thing matters is that zeel of providing the best service once and always. Massif Recruitments’ foundation is strong because of its employees and clients and with the growing time, we will expand to support our growing clientele and would love to be known as an employee-friendly organization delivering the best in industry services.
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Kamalpreet Kaur The Green Energy Illuminator ″
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’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." - Thomas A. Edison A group of fifty women from the Dhakrani village, Uttarakhand, were exposed to a training session on electronics just prior to the first COVID-19 lockdown. Though the women underwent a month's training session, the lessons were difficult for them to grasp because they never stepped out of the confines of their homes, forget learning all the intricacies of any electrical work. But today, they are leading the training sessions themselves. Not only that, but after the restrictions eased, they also made their first sales of LED bulbs, Rs 80/bulb, at an exhibition in Dehradun. Afterward, they continued by setting up their stalls at local-block-level markets. But soon, they found out that the demand for bulbs was much higher during the festive season. Last year, that is, in 2021, they earned their biggest ever profits by selling out thousand LED bulbs. They all say that they could achieve this feat of becoming electrical entrepreneurs because of only one person, Kamalpreet Kaur (42), a Dehradun-based self-made industrialist and an inspiration for many. Also, she is the Founder & Owner of ORA INFINI, a green energy products manufacturing company.
The Women Owning the Business Arena
bulbs but energy savers. With this thought, she applied for PMEGP loan and was granted Rs20 lakh to start her venture.
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If one feels that they have a great idea, are persistent, determined, and resourceful, then selfemployment is the best op on for them
Initially, she was very happy and confident about her brand, 'ORA INFINI', and started the production of LED Lights. But when she approached the market, she realized that her competition was not with the local brands but already established big brands. And she realized how difficult it was for a new brand like hers to enter the market and establish itself. The only thing she believed was - 'Perseverance is Success' and did not compromise on the quality and the services. Gradually, the market accepted the new product, and it became a brand - 'ORA – Lights for India by women of India.' Envisioning to be a Premier Renewable Energy Provider According to Kamalpreet Kaur, as a self-employed person, one has the freedom to make decisions that shape the present and future for oneself and their family. One's destiny is in their own hands. They can work for their passion and not only for money.
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She was very clear in her vision to make a brand, not just sell a product. And since then, she has been working on it without compromising the price, quality, and service.
Inculcating Thomas A. Edison's words in spirit, she is illuminating the green energy's sustainable path for over hundreds of rural and semi-urban women - from remote areas like Doiwala, Kalsi, Raipur, Sahaspu, and Vikasnagar blocks, to break into this traditionally male-dominated domain. On the Mission to Save Our Blue Planet Along with her husband and a technical team of ORA INFINI, Kamlpreet Kaur conducts free training sessions on the need for the women of rural and semi-urban areas of Dehradun.
She believes that when you own your business, you get to shape the dreams of yourself and others. You are always building and making life better. Enlightening the Pandemic's Darkness Kamalpreet Kaur says that although COVID-19 is the worst possible thing to happen for the lighting industry and all the industries, it is nothing but a temporary setback. As things become normal, eventually, every company will get back on its feet and take care of the operations in full swing.
The MSME start-up promotes green renewable energy through products like LED bulbs, solar-powered lighting equipment, and hybrid electric bicycles.
According to her, the supply chain was one of the first industries to witness the repercussions of the pandemic. With travel bans in place and logistics suspensions, the import of lighting supplies has become quite challenging. To top it off, lighting production outlets have also almost come to a halt as their workforce cannot resume their duties due to quarantine. The lead times have also doubled.
Her professional journey is a story of transformation from a homemaker to an entrepreneur. For her, LEDs are not just
But as a lighting retrofit company, they are also operating under the safety guidelines of the CDC to ensure their
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Modern lighting control systems incorporate an array of sensors-motion and thermal sensors. These help the user optimize electricity cost and can also benefit from controlling the different lights output at different situations.
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When you own your business, you get to shape the dreams of yourself and others
Luminary's advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts Kamalpreet Kaur feels that one can enter any field, but to move successfully into any venture, one should have a clear vision of what and how to achieve. She further says that the lighting industry is a very competitive market, and one has to face new challenges and changes daily. To cope with the big players, one has to be very creative and fast to adapt and execute the changes. Today, light has numerous applications than only illuminating. These include night lighting, art lighting, and outdoor lighting. If someone wants to survive in this demanding market, then they need to continuously work and innovate new ideas and concepts.
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If one feels that they have a great idea, are persistent, determined, and resourceful, then self-employment is the best option for them.
employees' and clients' safety while taking care of the community's lighting needs at the same time. Struggles with the lighting workforce utility suspension have led small lighting businesses to lay off their workforce, at least until normalcy. While companies do not want to part ways with their skilled and experienced workforce, they cannot also be emptying their funds when there are no returns. Like others, even they had taken a 20% pay reduction in exchange for an equally reduced workload. Aligning with AI and ML Speaking about ORA INFINI's alignment with newer technologies like AI and ML, Kamalpreet Kaur says that AI and ML support all steps of the lighting industry, from design to commissioning and end-user experience. By observing and measuring the indoor environment, an AI-based lighting system can optimize and tune light parameters accordingly.
Illuminating the Future The energy-efficient products give the ability to do more with less energy. This is the concept she remembers and started her venture. She began with lights as a small part of energy efficiency, and gradually, they are exploring other products. In 2021, ORA INFINI introduced energy-efficient fans, and soon they will be launching electric bicycles, a fuel saver, and many more plans for the future. Perspective on Gender Equality Kamalpreet Kaur says that she chose the segment of energy-efficient products without thinking about is it a male or female dominating sector. "As a woman entrepreneur, I just want to say that we don't need any special treatment, just treat us equally. Strength and weakness are not gender-based. It varies from individual to individual. We don't feel happy to hear 'Good women leaders', rather I would love to hear 'Good leader'," she adds. Ultimately, she says that a gender-equal work environment, where all employees feel respected and valued, creates an overall more positive workplace and results in more creative and greater innovations.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Monica BV Enticing Interiors and Beckoning Designs
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he interior design industry has a whole range of specialized fields and niches that go beyond simple design tasks of enhancing the quality and functionality of interior spaces. As the industry keeps evolving, interior designers redefine their roles. As a professional Architect and an interior designer, you must possess spatial sensitivity and know about the
functionality and artistic aesthetics. You will find these qualities among the remarkably successful architect and interior designer, Monica Bv Monica is creating a difference with her enticing and beckoning interior designs. She is the Co-founder of a renowned Architecture and interior designing firm magnificently known as Lavenk Design Consultants. Monica and her partner Mr Rahul established this firm in 2019. Lavenk Design Consultants provide end-to-end services in architecture and interior designing. With an exceptional skillset and precise knowledge, the design process of 'Lavenk Design Consultants' includes 'living' in the story, extensively researching the narrative, and paying careful attention to the settings and background descriptions. In an exclusive interview with Insights Success, Monica Bv, Co-founder, sheds light on her professional tenure highlighting the uniqueness of Lavenk Design Consultants in the interior designing niche. Monica, please tell us about your journey in the interior designing space. 74 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Lavenk Design Consultants was founded in 2019. I commenced this firm with Rahul. We offer complete architecture and interior design services. Highlighting our legacy, we are into interior designing, personalized décor with mesmerizing and eye-catchy elements of interior designing. First, we provided consultancy services. After that, we went through the process of execution. We initiated by conceptualizing, then learning about the psychology of the clients about what they want. We also appreciate input from family members. Designing depends on the thought process of the people. As a result, we don't just create random designs just to execute them. Everyone's psychology is different; as a good outcome, we design and then provide them with a walk-through of the entire house before we begin working on each project. I believe that this is the primary thing to do. Going on to the next step, we want our clients to walk through the entire house and check that they get precisely good results during the process.
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The design process of 'Lavenk Design Consultants' includes 'living' in the story, extensively researching the narrative, and paying careful attention to the settings and background descriptions
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What were the initial challenges you surmounted while venturing into the interior designing industry? Initially, it was just about the execution. We did not face any difficulty in the design industry because we have been doing it for a long time. When studying architecture, I worked on a design project that required meticulous implementation. As a result, we had no issues during the design phase. Our Firm dealt with vendors in the execution phase, then interacted with labourers and got the job done on schedule. We avoid delays in delivering our services because once we commit to a client, we guarantee that we'll provide it on time, no matter what. What are the USPs that highlight your uniqueness in the field of interior designing? 75 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
First and foremost, we comprehend our clients' mentality because each room must be made according to them—we consider the opinions of all family members to whom we are providing our services.
So, these are the things that have matured so much in the design process that we no longer need to go on-site and second-guess. Technology is enabling reliability in the planning stages.
Furthermore, we provide walkthroughs for all projects ensuring no additional charges, as it covers all the aspects of the project—even if we're doing only the interiors.
If we come to the execution phase, we have all these modular fittings, which provides us finishing with a better output. And people can even remove it and change the design however they want in the later stage.
On the brighter side, the most important thing we follow is we stick to our schedules. We make it happen. How is the adoption of modern technology enhancing the designing procedures? I've divided modern technology into two distinct techniques. The first is the design phase, and the second is the implementation phase. Initially, we used to go to the site and tell clients, "You'll find the wardrobe here. You'll find the TV unit there." And we did rough sketches or AutoCAD drawings for the same. Now it's time for the 3D technologies that are revolutionizing the industry. We can have the visuals at our fingertips. As a result, the client has the entire notion that the designing process will be completed in any space with a phenomenal outcome. Moreover, we do not take measurements on-site if it's a commercial building or any other large-scale structure with a floor area of more than 4,000 square feet—the process begins with a virtual scan of the building. To get everything on the computer, the residence or any commercial space is practically scanned. Then, we can export it to relevant software and show clients/team exactly what's going on, such as where the structural elements are.
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What would you like to advise the budding aspirants who are willing to enter the field of interior designing? My advice is post-pandemic what we are experiencing with the freshers is that they lack the skillset of practicality. Before the internships used to be both onsite and office work, the minimal thing we are expecting from freshers; nowadays, is a speck of fairy dust. What I suggest is it is always better to go on-site, do the market survey, comprehend the fundamentals of the industry. Client satisfaction is more important in any business because the client is the one who will be using the house or the commercial space for that matter. It should not be like the client is complaining about the space during the usage period. They should get the best mesmerizing experience in the living or working space. If you are designing, there should be a story the house talks about you and your client's family. So, whatever you do; make sure you create a masterpiece.
Neeru Bhasin Embracing Artistry of the Eternal Simplicity
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implicity is the classic Indian definition of beauty, some people say. Simple Indian beauty attires such as lehnga, sharara, garara, plazzo’s, and churidars from formals to semi-formals and smart casuals, have been the timeless fashion trends amidst the changing definitions. But the traditional art of impeccable hand craftsmanship is waning because of the onslaught of in-bulk producing factories across the country. Thus, machination in the name of innovation and complex styles in the name of excellence is the current norm. The Atelier Design by Neeru Bhasin, Founder & CEO, is on the quest to break that average and redefine innovation and excellence in the quintessential Indian style. At the same time, it has also embarked on the journey of preserving and reinventing conventional art of immaculate handmade artistry. Neeru is further blending this craftsmanship with various fabrics to honour and enhance that classic Indian beauty. In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’ Neeru Bhasin is telling us how she at The Atelier Design is providing unique and creative designs, which brings out the best in the fashion world. Her brand story has just commenced, and she humbly invites you to become a part of this journey of timeless Indian fashion. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the women's clothing industry? I have always been very artistic in nature. Initially, I used to paint, but then my interest expanded to clothing. I used to always get compliments on the kinds of clothes I wore, especially my choice with Indian clothing; friends would often ask me to design clothes for them, so I decided to make this into a business.
Please describe The Atelier Design in detail. I started this firm about seven years ago, once I was done with all my household responsibilities of kids. Initially, it was all offline with me doing exhibitions and supplying to multiple retailers. But now I have also opened my ecommerce online store, namely www.theatelierdesign.com. Through this, I hope to reach a younger and wider audience. We deal mainly in Indian formal and semi-formal wear for women. We are now slowly moving to western wear also. My collection hinges on modernity and is timeless at the same time, pieces that translate easily from day to night with aesthetic that please. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the clothing space? One of the major challenges was of course buildaing a niche for myself. I am extremely picky about the quality of the cloth used. We do not compromise on craftsmanship or fit. If we promise a handcrafted piece of clothing with Gota, Tilla, or Zardosi embroidery, we make sure that the customer gets value for money. Unlike many people out there who try to pass off machine embroidery as hand embroidery, we make no compromises on the same. Another major challenge was finding people who still practice these dying arts of hand embroidery. Since the market for these crafts is dying, I find such artisans harder to trace as the younger generation does not want to do the work their forefathers did. What are the USPs that highlight The Atelier Design’s uniqueness? One of the main USPs of my brand is the handiwork that goes into making each piece. Each product that is made by us is made with precision, love and care. It is my belief that everything we wear reflects on us as a person. If we don’t take care to deliver a quality product to the customer, we are
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
What you wear is a reflection of yourself, as long as you have the courage to wear it
inadvertently disrespecting the very people promoting our product. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and The Atelier Design the most? We deliver what the client wants- to look different. People want quality products and how they want them. We customise a lot of our products for our customers. Learning their requirements and also offering advice as to which colour, cut, fabric and embroidery will go best for the occasion required, whether office wear or a wedding, give us the leverage to deliver exactly what they want. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? Don’t cut corners on quality. People know a good product when they see it. While it is important to be able to market a product, no amount of marketing can help if the product itself cannot hold its ground. A good product will have a person return for your product while a mediocre product will not. The cost of customer acquisition now is very high and should not be increased if it can be avoided. How do you envision The Atelier Design’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? I expect that the retail sector will come back in full swing. Considering the pandemic, everyone is now moving out and want to look their best. While online shopping will of course continue, the personalization that takes place in a physical brick and mortar store is unparalleled.
ECommerce has increasingly become a vital component of business strategy and a solid catalyst for economic development in the emerging global economy. The continued expansion of eCommerce could lead to downward pressure on inflation through increased competition, cost savings, and changes in sellers’ pricing behaviour. From start-ups to small and medium-sized businesses right through to huge brands, there are a large number of companies that can benefit from their own online store, where they can sell their own products/services. At the same time, the speedy influx of new technology in the retail experience has driven consumers of all ages to expect a convenient and connected experience that seamlessly aligns with their everyday lives. You may ask yourself why eCommerce is getting attention around the world? Keeping the facts in mind, eCommerce allows you to put your products for sale anywhere in the world. They will not have the explicit need to travel to where you are to see what you have to offer.
If you are running a physical store, it will be limited by the geographical area you can service but owning an eCommerce website will allow you to increase your outreach. It will offer your products and services to customers worldwide, regardless of the distance and time zone. This is where Lal Haveli shines out in the eCommerce space offers a wide variety of products ranging from home furnishings, handicrafts, artifacts, lamps, and small furniture items. Apart from India, the company provides its services to customers globally. Established in Jaipur, Rajasthan by Neha Kasliwal, Co-founder and Owner, the company aims to provide more employment for rural artisans, manufacture eco-friendly products and promote Rajasthani artwork around the globe. In an interview with Insights Success, Neha Kasliwal sheds light on Lal Haveli's journey highlighting its USPs in the eCommerce Niche.
From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? COVID-19 definitely had a negative impact on us and also on business. The sales had come down drastically during the lockdown times. Even when we didn’t have many sales, I still helped my employees with whatever salary I could afford. But yes, it was not as bad as it was for offline shops. We still had a few orders. During the pandemic, what efforts did you take to sustain operations and ensure safety? Of your team at the same time? During the lockdown, we had completely shut operations. I was still helping my employees in the best way possible for me. We had a minimum number of workers on board during a partial lockdown. We followed all the safety COVID protocols.
Neha, please tell us about your professional journey at Lal Haveli. My company 'Lal Haveli' was launched in 2012. I started the eCommerce business when online shopping was not a household habit. Today almost 90% of my personal shopping is online. We started with Amazon and Alibaba. I remember people used to be quite amazed when I used to tell them that I export to the US and other countries through e-commerce marketplaces. Tell us more about your company/firm/business, its vision, and the critical aspects of its Stronghold in the industry it is catering to. Brand ‘Lal Haveli’ is predominantly an e-commerce-based company. It offers various products ranging from home furnishings, handicrafts, artifacts, lamps to small furniture items. Apart from India, Lal Haveli provides its services to customers globally. My vision is to provide more employment to rural artisans, manufacture eco-friendly products and promote Rajasthani artwork around the globe. Much of it is already achieved. This year I aim to expand the business by tapping even more digital marketplaces.
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What is your opinion on the necessity for your company to align its offerings with Technologies like AI and ML? AI and ML are going to influence all the business ideas of the future. I love interpreting data and also a requirement in my business. It helps me to predict future sales and thus helps in planning for the same. As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the industry you are catering To? I would say that this industry is forever evolving. Each day there is some new addition. It's extremely challenging and competitive.
My advice would be to work smart along with work hard. It is essential to keep yourself informed about new govt rules & regulations and to follow the ethical way of working. How do you envision further strengthening your company/firm/business Stronghold in 2022 and beyond? I aim at expanding my market reach this year by enrolling on various other digital marketplaces and also by expanding my product line. From the perspective of a business executive, how important is gender equality? I firmly believe in Gender Equality. It is a human right. Societies that value women and men equal are much more advanced, safer, and healthier.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Nikita Jaggi Bringing the Fun-n-Learn Childhood Back
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hat is life?
The definition in Oxford Languages goes like this: ‘the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.’ Is life so bookish and boring that you understand the meaning of words connected together to form paragraph after paragraph about a simple word, life, and a simple question, what is life? Yet you cannot grasp and comprehend the simplicity of the concept. And again, the question remains, what is life? Okay, okay! The simple answer is ‘life is fun’. And you might feel like being kiddish. But that is life. At least for the children and all the children in us. Don’t you think? No. Come on! But at Poppy Pundits, the Founder and a mom, Nikita Jaggi, feels that life is fun. And that you should always take out time to have a little bit of fun.
with thirteen years of experience handling brand marketing and activation, mall marketing and people management. In the past, she has collaborated with international brands such as ESPN, Disney, Nokia, LG, Sony, etc. Nikita had also worked with celebrities for mega-scale events such as ‘3 Idiots/ Rocket Singh’ etc., where she managed the entire event. She had worked on such properties, which have entered Limca Book of Records and won silver for Promotional and Marketing Awards Asia (PMAA). Her specialities include marketing, campaign planning and corporate communication. If you meet Nikita looking, she will ask you questions like, “Are you worried that your kids would have cartoon characters and not real people as friends? Do you worry that your team is is getting bogged down in the day to day and has forgotten how to have fun?” And if your answer to any of these questions is yes, then she says with a smile, “Fear not! The Poppy Pundits are here to provide fun and valuable experiences for you.
Nikita is an experienced professional
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Life as a Series of Fun-Learning Experiences Poppy Pundits is an experience creator. They create unique and fun experiences for your child or your team in a safe environment, ensuring that they are motivated to spend a fruitful and relaxed time away from screens. They focus their activities around experiential themes such as celebrations, nature, sports, creativity, food and much more. Each activity is well researched to cover both fun and learning for kids of all ages as well as in corporate settings. When the current generation of working professionals were children, they had hobbies of all kinds. They were creative and passionate about it, observes Nikita. Since its inception in 2016, Poppy Pundits has curated 75+ unique activities for 15000+ corporate residents and 2000 families across five cities. These experiences are curated to suit gatherings such as family days, corporate day out, or even CSR driven activities. Each experience is designed personally by Nikita with an aim to trigger
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Poppy Pundits is an experience creator for teams and children.
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Nikita Jaggi, Founder 85 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
creativity in the minds of the participants, teach a life skill and create a wholesome experience. Cherishing Memories for a Lifetime They want to be a preferred choice for any experience activity in corporate and kids’ space. They have done activities that give an overall experience and make an ordinary event very memorable. When they plan, they give ideas that can be executed and accepted. To share an example, a client from the food industry wanted their target audience to taste their packaged snacks. Nikita created an experience that was very simple but engaging incentivising more people to try the product. They asked the customers to doodle their favourite snack and gave them various kinds of stationery along with some inspiration. The audience considered it as some me time and doodled and went along. It had a high impact of the product. Breaking the Pandemic Mood The nature of this industry is that it has a high dependency on human relationships, connections and sharing knowledge and skills. Face to face events have always created more impact than virtual ones. However, this took a backseat during the pandemic. Going forward, employee mental health will be given a lot of importance. Companies would want their employees to take a frequent break from work and come back to be more productive. On the personal front, celebrations will have more importance than before. Bringing Back the Life’s Festival As per Nikita, to combat the ongoing
pandemic, Poppy Pundits had to embrace forward-thinking, new business models and skills development. The current pandemic forced them to change how they continue to provide value to their audience and clients. This led them in some new directions. It was a perfect opportunity to innovate. They conducted online workshops and online ticketed shows to entertain the families while being indoors. They made DIY kits for team and family get together. Many Poppy Pundits' clients wisely chose to stay indoors and celebrate this festive season. They created experiences like gifting a craft class, choreography lessons, a cookie making course, a photo shoot and a juggling session which families, friends and teams gifted to each other. They kept engaging in activities with each individual kit to avoid touching by all. They also kept a small support staff who would do multitasking. A Note of Caution As an established industry leader, her advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into her industry is: Identify your core strengths and build businesses around that. Follow your instinct every step of the way. There will be hurdles; find a solution and move on. Use your prior experience to make things happen. Things will take time to work out but keep moving forward. The market keeps evolving, new trends come in - adapt to the new changes. Fun-Intended Future In conclusion, Nikita says that adapting to new changes and encouraging collaborations is Poppy Pundits' way forward. The online model helped
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them become aware of the immense talent across the country. Thus, they now have more options to offer to their clients. And they will keep their clients such fun-filled and joyful experiences forever. Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
The Women Owning the Business Arena
Nikita Shah The Charming Magician Casting an Arty Spell
This deeper awareness and keener engagement keeps them forever in a zone open to moments of inspiration. After all, what is an inspiration but a fleeting yet powerful and uplifting but momentary phenomenon? At the same time, passion sustains our energy and enthusiasm for the things that are meaningful to us. That is the magic of love. Leaders who love passion become magicians of a kind. And then they keep inspiring others by casting artistic and powerful charms over their followers, who gets inspired continuously to become compassionate leaders themselves. Mrs Nikita Shah, the Founder of Cakeify Studio, is that charming magician of a leader who is passionately in love with her art of arching cake tech.
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I believe in designing each of the Cakeify creations into magic with love
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ollo May, a great psychologist, and author on creativity give succinct insights on inspiration and passion. He says that passionate leaders encourage others to be more engaged and develop a deeper awareness of issues.
In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’, she cast such a magical spell on us that we were awed. The excerpts below will grace you with that same wonder, we promise. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the respective industry? I am being very real here. It was more than inspiration. You can call it the passion for creating art. It had always been there, and it will be there forever. It is eternal to being who I am, and now it is eternal to Cakeify. Please describe Cakeify. Cakeify was commenced in 2016. Its tagline ‘unwrap a smile’ is our motive to make a dream customised cakes and bakes as per requirement without compromising the taste. We are awarded the top 25 bakers in our city. Tell us about Cakeify’s journey so far. Before being the founder of Cakeify - I was an architect who later turned into a cake artist. I believe in designing each creation into magic with love. The journey is really beautiful, as every day with amazing feedback and reviews makes our day unique, inspiring us to do better each time. Soon, we will be celebrating six years of our journey. 88 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
We started our journey as a home baker and got a break winning several competitions offline as well as online. There was no turning back. Now we own our studio, where we conduct sessions and design our cakes and tutor at our online platform. It all seems like a miracle. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the respective industry? Initially, we had faced challenges like costing, transportation of tier cakes. Coming to the food industry, wherein each lane you will find cake shops and home bakers in alternate apartments, was a perilous experience. But when one has an extraordinary skill, things go fluent with your passion, perseverance, and patience. Mouth publicity worked very well that helped us to settle down eventually. What are the USPs that highlight Cakeify’s uniqueness? Our USP highlights our brand by giving the best ingredients, exquisite cakes, healthy bakes, and customised dream cakes made with passion and love. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? They look at our details, creativity, dedication, being very precise and having wonderful skills to design their dream cake with ultimate taste. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? Nothing is easy in any profession, but if you focus on your skills and master them with hard work, sincerity, and dedication, it will help create a different place among the crowd. How do you envision Cakeify’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, postpandemic? Truly for the home-based food industry, the pandemic was a boon. We served so many peoples with all precautions. We will see our company as a top home baker in India soon. We want to empower lots of women through this profession.
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Nirmala Mundhra Newar An Entrepreneurial Spirit Inspiring Everybody
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uilding a business is hard. However, every entrepreneur must start somewhere. There wasn’t, and there will be no magic or shortcut to making a good company. Though, there is no bias in the industry either. It does not matter when you start or where you start your journey. If you are good, you will succeed. Gone are the days when women would end up their entire life within the house’s four walls. Like other fields, women are making success stories in entrepreneurship. There are many examples of women's success that inspire others and give them guidance for becoming successful entrepreneurs. “And I wish to be one of an inspiration for others,” says Nirmala Mundhra Newar, Founder & CEO of Floral Bath & Beauty Products, a small start-up that has eventually taken a massive leap in India and abroad as well. The Leap of Belief Nirmala Mundhra Newar started her entrepreneurial journey on 19th august 2019 by launching her dream project of Floral Bath & Beauty Products (FB&BP). Though she began her brand's journey alone, luckily, she developed a group of ten women who were homemakers just like her.
And as a great team, they shaped their dreams. Their journey was challenging, but they knew the results would be worth it. According to Nirmala, to start any new venture from home, the key is to have a sound family support system. And to date, her experience of being a mother, a teacher, a jewellery designer, and now as an entrepreneur of natural products brand ‘FB&BP' is worth it. And it will be more fruitful as a floral family grows by leaps and bounds. Nirmala’s vision is to reach global clients. Her main aim is to create awareness about the benefits of natural products with her brand. Because of the natural ingredients she uses, with purity she makes, and the positivity she adds to her products and products’ budget-friendliness, she is sure that the brand will reach global customers. Flooring the Challenges From a business leadership perspective, she has explored the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses first-hand. There were mass layoffs, and the entire industry was moving towards closure. Many small companies were financially fragile. Despite that, she says that her ambition has been sustained and is recovering steadily.
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Talking about her efforts during the pandemic to sustain operations and to ensure the safety of her team at the same time, she says that they as a team maintained a complete hygiene policy. And she made sure that different cabins were provided to all of the team members working in the same unit. Since most of the products are handmade, she made many positive changes in her operating procedures to keep the products pure and safe. She made all the possible changes to keep her team safe and secure while working on the production floor. Tech-Set-Flow At the production plant, things are arranged to form a line or are in their proper positions using artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a more significant concept to create intelligent machines that can simulate human thinking capability and behaviour. In contrast, machine learning is an application or subset of AI that allows devices to learn from data without being programmed explicitly. Nirmala uses AI and ML traits to produce quality products in quantity at her operational facility. As an established industry leader, her advice to budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the
The Women Owning the Business Arena
industry is to become self-dependent. According to her, before starting into herbal or any business, one should know products and their applications. One must recognise and ensure that the products are safe and effective. One should always have a good idea to focus on a select few when developing their product line for the market, rather than offering a vast range to select from. Her visions and plans for her FB&BP brand are getting organised, keeping detailed records, analysing her competition, understanding the risks and rewards, being creative, staying focused, preparing to make sacrifices, providing excellent service, and consistent. Perspectives on Gender Equality As per Nirmala, our country has seen many decades of gender inequality. And now, seeing gender equality in every field is a visual delight and gives immense pleasure to the heart and the soul. She believes that it should be irrespective of your gender whatever you do. Growth and success are not bound by gender. When you work, you work for society as a whole. And it is so encouraging to see your peers motivating you as an individual rather than seeing you as a male or female counterpart in a business. It is equally important to get such positive vibes from society.
Thus, it is the need of the hour that business person should be respected for his/her work, and not because of the gender
The response should not be based on the gender of the owner or entrepreneur. An entrepreneur gives their full attention to society, working for the betterment of everyone. Thus, it is the need of the hour that business people should be respected for their work, not because of gender.
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ny language is a supreme achievement of a uniquely human collective genius, as divine and endless a mystery as a living organism.”
― Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language Points to be noted here, my ladies and lords are any and every language is a uniquely human collective genius, and we as living organisms are born with this mysterious, eternal, and marvellous gift of learning any and every language to get connected and communicate with, and thus, understood by fellow human beings.
the same. She is equally supported in this feeling by Meghna Shah, the Co-founder, and Qualified French & Mandarin Trainer. Meghna, from Mumbai, is an M. Com graduate and DIM in HR. Meghna has a passion for teaching and networking, with twenty years of teaching experience at Nirma University and GNLU. Furthermore, at Crisscross Lingo, Nitisha and Meghna believe that living a fast-paced life involves changes, new ways of doing things and the constant adoption of communication skills. To achieve this, language is a must.
Yet some homo sapiens use this gift to spread miscommunication, discord, hatred, and the worst crime of division, hostility and enmity based on languages. How unwise of them? Alas! Anyway, according to Ethnologue – the best authority on languages – officially, there are over seven thousand languages in the entire world. Again, after including many unrecognised languages in all the countries in the world, the unofficial number might be ten times the official number. Because as per the Indian Census report, 2018, there are over 19,500 dialects or languages spoken as mother tongues in India alone. The point here is the difference in languages is the most incredible human legacy that truly defines the human heritage of wisdom. Simply, it is the inherited distinction that makes us homo sapiens. Nitisha Sharma, the Co-founder of Crisscross Lingo and a qualified Mandarin and Spanish Language Trainer, feels 92 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
enabling you with one of the best translation services. They have been consistent in providing cutting-edge translation work, no matter where you are located in the world. You can access their services with one click. They are a popular translation destination with proficiency in almost all world languages. They also provide certified language courses for all age groups. Scientific Language Learning Crisscross Lingo is a multilingual academy offering multiple international and Indian languages. Their specialisation is in early childhood language education. They provide age-appropriate learning to tiny tots with a scientific approach. Their team consists of highly professional language trainers and early childhood educators who ensure quality teaching as well as pampering at the same time. They are a pioneer and numero uno. Crossing the Pandemic Barrier In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena,’ Nitisha further said, “We teach languages like Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish through fun learning activities and not-in rot learning. Our Prime focus is building confidence as it is paramount to learning anything new. We believe that there is no age bar in learning a new language.” Bridging the Communication Gap Nitisha Sharma herself has a passion for teaching and technology. Hailing from Indore, MP, she is an Electrical Engineer with seven years of professional engineering experience. She has also got attached with PDPU University and worked with renowned Schools of Ahmedabad. Her aim is of creating Crisscross Lingo, a global brand with a positive approach. At Crisscross, she conducts offline and online classes for various age groups. She says they have a strong team of proficient women working together to unite people by bridging the communication gap.
COVID-19 pandemic impacted them, and many students who wanted to go abroad for studying could not go, and vice versa affected their company. But they completely shifted online did many experiments for suitable and compatible platforms to ensure quality education for their learners. Their simple mantra is learning should not stop, no matter what. As an established industry leader, Nitisha’s advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the educational sector is that they must work hard. As there is no alternative to hard work. And love what you are doing and do what you love. Entering into Tomorrow In terms of envisioning further strengthening Crisscross Lingo’s stronghold in 2022 and beyond, Nitisha says that they will look forward to expanding their expert team to benefit society with their multilingual pedagogy network.
Another vertical is that they provide language translation and interpretation to all industry leaders in the country to provide a kit-based language learning approach to preschoolers, which serves the world globally with translation work that meets competency and is at par with the world standards. They are your partners in work, 93 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
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he trend of e-commerce has increased rapidly in recent years with the development of accessibility of internet usage. Easy access to the internet has driven consumers to shop online for books, airline tickets/reservations, clothing/shoes, videos/games, electronic products etc. We live in a world increasingly driven by online selling. Its presence in almost all walks of life from booking train tickets to ordering dinner. Why is e-commerce important for any business? For entrepreneurs, e-commerce is the golden opportunity to make their business powerful and successful. With the new emerging technologies and increasing awareness about digitalization, business leaders must invest in e-commerce development to survive in today’s competitive market. This is where the Newgenmax ecommerce agency comes into the picture.
Established by an exemplary leader Nivetha Muralidharan, the Founder of Newgenmax is guiding many aspiring entrepreneurs to scale and expand their business from offline to online with a success rate touching greater heights. Nivetha also oversees an academy known as Nivetha E-Academy. The academy has multiple mentors, and they help people commence their journey in the world of entrepreneurship. In an interview with Insights Success, Nivetha sheds light on her journey highlighting the USPs, values, and fundamentals of Newgenmax in the ecommerce niche. Nivetha, what was your inspiration behind venturing into the industry? My career was initiated as an ecommerce seller. I was working in Cognizant Technology Solutions, and I always had a dream of entering the
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business world. Initially, I didn't quit my job. I worked as well as started selling on E-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart etc. At some point in my life, life hit me hard in every possible situation. I didn't get much profit from my e-commerce business. I had an accident, and it was the same time when I was about to get married. I was going through a lot of financial and mental problems over the same time. However, I started my entrepreneur journey as a freelancer and then scale it into my agency in 2017. Since 2013, I used to sell products offline and online as well. Just like things begin with a spark, I started as a freelancer. Slowly, I developed an agency Newgenmax in 2017 and started providing services to a greater extent. In Newgenmax Digital Solutions, we provide multiple services to our clients
in the E-commerce industry. We are currently helping many online sellers to scale their businesses and services. For new online sellers, we are ensuring a steady shift of their business from offline to online. Apart from this, I oversee operations in my academy known as Nivetha EAcademy, where we guide people to initialize their e-commerce business. We have multiple mentors to help people commence their journey in the world of entrepreneurship. Nivetha Eacademy is an exclusive benchmark to learn and comprehend skills in the ecommerce business. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the industry? The journey from selling products to building an agency was definitely challenging. I was selling my products;
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Newgen wants to develop the trust factor with its clients through remarkable actions and quality services
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Nivetha Muralidharan
Founder
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
however, I was not able to scale up the operations beyond one point. That’s the reason I decided to initiate my own agency. A shift from being a freelancer to an agency was hard for me because once I started working at an agency, I was concerned about new employees and their salaries. I always believe that paying my freelancers or Team members on time is one of the very important factors because eventually, money is crucial.
There was a time when I got very few clients, and it was not a great deal from a financial perspective. While scaling the operations of my agency, I was not able to hire employees with a minimum payment. When I experienced a steady shift in the business, with financial stability, I decided to hire employees. Hiring was one of the major challenges that I faced during my process. Though I was not well exposed to hiring protocols, I started hiring people remotely, and it was a huge success.
What were the USPs that highlight your brand or company’s uniqueness so in the industry? People call us transparent. We don’t blindly provide projections without understanding the fundamentals. Sometimes, reality can do wonders, and from a business perspective, we assure our clients about our working methodology because we believe in transparency. Another USP is that we don’t stick on to one particular platform. We never stick to the same business plan and strategy. We update ourselves from time to time. We ensure providing end-to-end solutions unlike other agencies in India. Their work will be on Facebook ads. When they’re focusing on Facebook ads, we try to connect people by fulfilling their requirements like you have a business. I always follow professional values and qualities. I expect the same from my team members and my clients to follow as this thing is a crucial factor for any business. We, the Newgenmax Digital Solutions aims to develop the trust factor with its clients through remarkable actions and quality services. There are times when we work even on Sunday. I won’t say no to my work. But still, it is again a reality check. It doesn’t mean that everyone will be available 24/7. I always respect my team members, my family, and my clients. Keeping everyone happy is the not choice we make, it is our duty and responsibility. As an experienced professional, what would you advise the budding aspirants?
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Start hustling. Many people fail because they cannot or don’t want to get started. Every time you try something, there will be a chance of failure. I have failed a lot of times in my journey, and I used to call my journey a roller coaster ride. There were many ups and downs, but I tried to overcome the failure with my efforts towards success. People think they will immediately start making money after entering the business world. Just make sure that it will be a roller coaster ride. So, it will be a great start to face lots of unplanned things. Face it as a leader and, you will get succeed. How do you envision your company’s operations eventually concerning the challenging scenario of your initial post-pandemic? Post-COVID, my remote team got even stronger. Currently, we don’t face any issues in remote operations. Maybe down the line, we will again restart our offline office. We believe that we will be soon expanding. I support remote working because you can work and take care of your family also. My team members are women who are with their own responsibilities for their children and with a remote working model, they are maintaining the worklife balance. Many women in India are getting married and post-marriage they were not able to continue a job. It’s all because they have to take care of their baby, they have to travel etc. But now, this pandemic situation has helped many women to work from home and take care of their families. 97 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
Payal Jain
Empowering Innovations
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omen entrepreneurs are a significant part of the global expedition for sustained economic development and social progress in this dynamic world. Women-owned businesses are emerging at an incredible speed in almost all countries. This can be credited to the growing industrialization, urbanization, social legislation, higher education, and awareness. Women entrepreneurs are fast becoming a force to reckon with in the business world. They are involved in business not only for survival but also to satisfy their inner urge of creativity with new innovations. Educated women are contributing to a great extent to the social transformation. In the future, more women will be seen venturing into the business world, and succeeding to greater heights.
business of bicycles that will help the youth stay fit and healthy. The Commencement Payal's innovative ideas led her to venture into the business of E-bikes and cycles. Vigor E-Bike has been designed with some specific features that are best for the present and future youth. Its vision is to provide a perfect vehicle that will help the youth to stay fit and healthy, and it will also help in reducing pollution altogether. It has 20-inch-thick wheels, which will help you get the best control over Indian roads surface. Vigor E-Bike needs to be charged for once to travel for 30 Kms.
Indian women have come a long way and are becoming increasingly visible and successful in all spheres and have shifted from household to a peak level of professional activities. Many women entrepreneurs have had their success stories with their innovations and creative ideas that are revolutionizing diverse industries. Shedding light on one such personality, we bring you the success story of Payal Jain, Co-founder, Vigor E-Bikes. Payal had some family connection with sports as her beloved husband is a state-level cycle champion. So, they thought of commencing a business. They had an idea of starting a business related to the sports field. That is when Payal and her husband decided to start the
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Payal Jain, Co-founder, Vigor E-Bike
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Vigor's vision is to provide a perfect vehicle which will help the youth to stay fit and healthy, and it will also help in reducing the pollution altogether
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If you want to use Vigor as a cycle, you can start paddling, and whenever you get tired, you can turn it into an E-Bike and ride it like a scooter, which is one of the best things Vigor has. Shedding the spotlight on her venture, Payal said, "I would like to tell you that Vigor was the company which was established when COVID-19 started." "As most of the people were in their houses due to lockdown and most people like to stay fit, it was the perfect time to launch our E-Bike," she mentioned. "Bikes have proved to be the most likely thing to stay fit, and everybody in this world loves to ride a bike, so we launched our Vigor with a twist by making it an E-Bike," she added. With Crisis, Comes Opportunity Payal and her husband were about to launch the E-Bike when COVID-19 turned the whole market upside down. When COVID started spreading widely, the people were left without jobs, and that's when Payal and her husband thought of starting Vigor.
During this period, team Vigor gathered information like how and from where they could get the parts for their EBikes. The team also used that time to study the market of E-Bike and its future. Some of the marketing strategies created by Vigor's marketing team. Adding to this, Payal expressed, "We have many plans for 2022 and upcoming years.” Pearls of Wisdom Sharing her opinion on "How emerging technologies are enabling innovations, Payal said, "We are planning to include AI and ML in Vigor E-Bike, like voice recognition unlock system, AI-integrated maps for direction, ML's User-based location suggestion system, and many more.” As an industry professional and adept leader, Payal also shared some advice for budding entrepreneurs. She said, "I would like to suggest to the youth that if you want to start a business and have to become a successful entrepreneur, you have to be patient and have to stay calm." "You must work hard to achieve milestones, and to achieve them you must work efficiently and effectively," she added.
The specialty of Vigor is that all the parts and whole model are made in India. When they commenced Vigor, success came like part and parcel. They have got many prebookings for Vigor, and according to the strategies, the company is moving forward. When the pandemic started, Vigor shifted its office to work from home as employees are the most important part of any company. Without employees, it is not possible to run any company. So, the most important thing was to make its employees safe.
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Poongkodi An Enlightening Beacon for the Travelling Birds
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ife is the journey of experiences. Perceived through the eyes of the beholder, it changes its colours. And to experience life in each of its colours, we all love to go out on our journeys. We call those days holidays, and the journey a travelling voyage. We always crave happy memories, not unhappy nightmares. But who will become the trustworthy guiding pilot of our leisurely tours? Or who will be The Holiday Navigator? Meet Poongkodi Jose, a shining star and the Founder of The Holiday Navigator. Before establishing the perfect travel planning company five years ago, Poongkodi had worked extensively in executive positions in tours and travel companies. Thus, she knows the in-and-out of the tourism industry and travelling sector. In its journey to find out ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’, Poongkodi Jose became Insights Success’ beacon of hope and navigated us about her past expeditions, and
Jose
upcoming plans for The Holiday Navigator.
available for my kid and family whenever needed.
Highlights of the flights are given below, for your delight.
I am the first-generation entrepreneur from my family. It wasn’t easy! Although, I knew the industry and work, but had to understand and learn how to run it as a business. I started from scratch, handling very few enquiries in the beginning, and ensuring my clients had the best of experiences on their tour. The majority of our clientele is repeat and references. And today I am proud of whatever I have built-in terms of a brand or business.
Please give us an overview of your professional journey with The Holiday Navigator. The idea of The Holiday Navigator started in 2017 with a lot of love and passion for my work. I enjoy planning and arranging holidays. The travel part is fun but organizing everything is lot more challenging. We need to ensure all the aspects of the holiday from flights, visa, insurance, accommodation, transfers, and vehicle services are pre booked and arranged. It demands a lot of time to be available for the clients and ensure everything goes seamless. But when your client has successfully completed their vacation and enjoyed it, it definitely feels good. With the support of my parents and my husband, I planned to start my own travel company that can allow me to plan my work at the same time be
The journey has been truly unique, the learning is continuous, and every day is a challenge. I officially started when my daughter was born, and today my company is as old as my kid herself. Tell us more about The Holiday Navigator, its vision, and the critical aspects of its stronghold in the industry it is catering to. The Holiday Navigator is all about creating perfect holidays. The vision is to create a brand that is the first choice for any travel planner. We want to cater
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
to guests with all types of budgets from economy to luxury with a quality service. Quality is something we never compromise with. We only commit to what we can offer and strive to offer more than what is committed. I dream to build a successful brand that organises a Women-Only tour. I have been in the industry for close to a decade and women-only tours are not regular. Now the times are changing, there are a lot of women who are ok to travel alone or be a part of a womenonly group to allow themselves a little break from their busy and regular lives. I want to offer these women a safe and well-organized holiday.
We only commit what we can offer and strive to offer more than what is committed
We choose our vendors carefully who are genuine and have been in the business for a long time and hence provide the best services. We go out of the way to ensure that our guest has a great vacation. It is all the little things and helps you offer that enhances the overall travel experience. For example, when one of our guests on an international trip fell sick (before covid) we got the medicines delivered to their room, they got well and were able to continue the trip. We remind the guests of simple things that they might overlook because of travel anxiety, like, carrying a change of cloth if they have a beach visit. A little help with how to be prepared for a trip helps, making the vacation so much more comfortable. This has helped us build a great bond with our customers. This is our stronghold. As a part of the service industry, we believe that, when we offer something more than what others provide, we can sustain and also reach out to more clients.
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From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? COVID-19 has been brutal to the entire world. Travel and tourism is the worsthit industry due to the pandemic. Initially, it all felt very depressing that the industry I chose would take so long to revive our future in the business. But as things came back to normal with lockdown removed and travel restrictions taken off, we saw a sudden surge in the number of travellers. The good thing was even though very few were ready to travel; they were all confirmed clients. We saw around 80 to 90% conversion rate in comparison to 20 to 25% or sometimes even less before COVID. I have just learnt to go with the flow and to hang in there and try. As the saying goes – This too shall pass. What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time? Initially, I was able to accommodate the team with half salary and when travel stopped completely, we all were just at home hoping and praying for things to get better. I made use of this time to learn video editing and poster designing which now comes very handy when I have to promote holiday packages on social media. The whole world suddenly seemed to just come right in front of our systems. I have attended numerous zoom calls and webinars and kept myself updated with the industry news. As and how the travel resumed, we were able to manage with a smaller team all working from the safety of their home.
What is your opinion on the necessity for your company to align its offerings with technologies like AI and ML? I agree that automation is very much possible in travel and tourism industry. We can create a platform where the guests can book the tickets and reserve a room themselves. But there is also a risk of errors with AI or not getting the right type of search results. This would lead to customer dissatisfaction.
As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the industry you are catering to? Travel and tourism is one of the leading industries. There is definitely a drop because of COVID; nevertheless, there is no doubt that it will come back more substantial. So as an industry, it is an excellent choice to learn and grow.
It is more suitable for a bigger company where there is a separate team, and they are better equipped to check and ensure everything.
I firmly believe that one needs to be passionate or love their work only then go a long way. There will be a lot of challenges and situations when you will question yourself; your passion and love for your work will help you succeed and carry on. Always be open to learning new things, the industry is vast, and every day is a learning.
We are a small and growing company, each and every client and their experience with us is essential. We do not hesitate to go the extra mile to ensure everything is good. Right now, I prefer to provide my personal attention to each client and their travel needs.
I am the firstgeneration entrepreneur from my family, but today I am proud of whatever I have been able to build in terms of a brand or business
Gathering as much knowledge as possible and a good network with industry colleagues who can help and guide whenever needed is essential. Commit only to what you can offer and strive to offer more than what you have committed. This will always help you, especially in a service industry such as travel and tourism. How do you envision further strengthening The Holiday Navigator stronghold in 2022 and beyond? We see 2022 as a new ray of hope. It has been so far so good. It looks like the pandemic is becoming endemic. Many countries are opening up. The majority of people are also ready to travel after taking their vaccinations. After a break of two years from travel, we are expecting a boon in travellers. We are also setting up a bigger team with experienced and knowledgeable individuals and planning various packages and offers.
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Priti
Kanth Lal Capturing the Festival of Life
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edding and motherhood are the two biggest festivals in people’s lives. One where you get a companion for a lifetime and the second where you create a life. Thus, when Romus and Jaya, from Patna, Bihar, decided to outsource their wedding photography to Marrygold films, little did they expect besides the usual stock and hold pictures like all the other wedding photographers. “But One look at the final pictures of my wedding, I knew I had made the best decision in booking Marrygold Films and their team for my wedding,” said Jaya, the happy bride. Right from the Mehndi Ceremony to the actual event, everything was carried out in a timely, professional manner. They captured every emotion, every second beautifully, and the highlight video was truly amazing, says Jaya. “Once we had everything finalised, our photographs were one of the few things we didn’t have to worry about. At any moment, their team was ready for the best photo and covered each moment beautifully,” divulged both Jaya and Romus. Priti Kanth Lal, the Founder of Marrygold Films, with her team, is very innovative and very accommodating. The team is always on the lookout for some very natural and candid shots in addition to the typical wedding photographs. While Romus found them always around him whenever he required them to click something on his wedding day, he
was amazed at how much more they had covered when he saw the photos after his wedding. They covered the event with a smile that egged him and his bride to keep smiling without being pushy. They are modern and do not really force the passé and typical Indian wedding poses. Romus also loved the short teaser video they made – the best scenes, very beautifully captured. He loved the customised deliverables as well. Romus says that he will strongly recommend them to anyone who wants to create and preserve a lifetime of memories. Great job! In his gratitude, Romus says that his words cannot even explain the respect and appreciation for Priti and her team and their work. “A dream does not become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work,” said Priti Kanth Lal Founder and Owner of The Pink Lillies. Capturing the Essence of Motherhood Photography has been her passion all her life. After her Graduation and an M.B.A in insurance, she had a very plush job, but the artist in her had a strong urge to create something. She did not know how she would go about it, but the urge found an outlet through her photography, a childhood hobby. She still has the first memories of a Yashica point and shoot camera, which she would keep carrying and clicking pictures at the drop of a hat. So, she decided to take photography more seriously, got a photography degree, and, to cut a long story short, started her own company by the
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A dream does not become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work
name of Marrygold Films. And got into wedding photography and films, and it is based out of Patna. Thus began her journey as a professional photographer. The idea of The Pink Lillies came as a natural progression. Most of her clients whose wedding she would shoot – like Romus and Jaya – would approach her for a maternity or a newborn shoot.
Or, in the words of Raj Tilak and Puja, another of Marrygold Films and The Pink Lillies satisfied clients, at both of the firms, one will get truly professional photography and value for money. Priti and her team understand the moment’s importance and capture them with full zeal. Loved their work ethics and dedication. They create beautiful candid moments, says the happy client.
Doing those shoots made Priti realise the beauty and importance of capturing those emotions of a mother to be or those cute expressions of a newborn child. It's magical to be able to capture those life-changing moments for someone so that they can look at the pictures and cherish them for their lifetime. The Newborn Magic That is how The Pink Lillies came into existence, and it is fully dedicated to doing only newborn and maternity shoots in Patna. Priti is personally involved in all the aspects of the shoot – from creating backdrops, stitching props, designing clothes, styling, and every other detail. When the team of Insights Success asked Priti why someone should invest in professional newborn kids and baby photoshoots, she said that newborn babies are the cutest and most precious. You really would not want to miss those curled up, sleepy shots of those little bundle of joys. Of course, anyone would get the images themselves from their mobile or DSLR. Well, they certainly can go over Pinterest, look up some shots and try to get them. But most of the time, they would be disappointed with the results. According to Priti, a professional newborn photographer brings certain expertise and is well-versed in posing and handling the baby during the shoot. Hence, the clients will get some super shots and would not mind paying them professionals if one looks at the amount of time and energy, they put in at The Pink Lillies just to get that perfect shot.
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Richa
Dhall
An Inspired Choice Ensuring Reliability
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hy is digital marketing important for any business?
The answer to this question can be found just by looking around you. How many electronic devices can you see? The chances are that you are reading this on a laptop or mobile, and there are probably a few other devices that can connect to the internet within easy reach. Think of how you consume information yourself and even share information with colleagues, friends, and family. Being online and connected has transformed the way we buy things and how we find out about developments and innovations that happen globally. Being readily online, at almost any time—is one of the reasons digital marketing has transformed how businesses promote and market their products and services. Digital marketing ensures reliability compared with traditional marketing – measurability, affordability, speed, and engagement. Digital marketing has opened up the arena of marketing to smaller and medium-sized firms worldwide, putting them onto a level
playing field with more giant corporates through its affordability. Moreover, Digital marketing brings a dynamic edge to promoting yourself in a fast-paced world. As the web evolves, your business must adapt to meet those changes. The best way to adjust is by adopting a digital marketing campaign. A solid online marketing campaign will help your company obtain more valuable leads and sales, plus increase conversions. This is where The DM Company excels in the limelight with impeccable digital marketing services enabling your business's robust growth and efficient success rate. The DM Company, organized by an exemplary leadership of Richa Dhall, Founder—offers a complete marketing package and works on moral ethics with professionalism and trustworthy services with a personalized focus for its clients. The Commencement The DM Company came into existence in April 2018, and like any other digital marketing company, Richa started with a plan to aim for projects from the big
fishes in the business. With several years of experience to back Richa, she started this consultancy as a One-Women setup, taking care of customer servicing, digital marketing planning, execution, analysis, reporting, SEO, blog writing, visual designing, online reputation management, and whatnot. The business was building and with a personalized focus on the projects, she was getting business through word-ofmouth. But soon, the tides turned, and business started floating through tough waters as COVID 19 struck the world, and she went out of business for the first few months of the lockdown as everybody was struggling to survive that time. Richa worked closely and successfully with many businesses that had to shut down due to sudden unforeseen situations. However, she gradually started getting business as she always believed in making healthy business relationships, not just business connections. 2019 was challenging for every business. By the mid of 2019, the Digital Marketing niche experienced a Boom, and everyone suddenly wanted
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The DM Company is an exhaustive Digital Marketing Consultation that helps startups, small businesses, and established brands to achieve reach and leads in the line of product/service
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to hire people who could help with digital marketing. Still, most people contacting Richa asked to cut rates or work on a commission basis.
fundamentals of the marketing world and never stops from upgrading its skills to stay ahead of the race. A Spark to do Things Richa has always been fascinated with the fantastic marketing work done by companies and individuals since she remembers.
The businesses were out of money and started collaborating with individuals who could not afford much spending on paid marketing. This is where Richa realized her niche.
In school days, Richa used to collect paper pamphlets of any company that she thought looked good and had an entire file for it. TV ads, newspaper ads and banners used to be her favorite thing to look at in her free time.
Since then, she has been working with small to well-established businesses and has been getting results for her clients through organic as well as paid modes of marketing. Today the company is a team of six working on small-scale to large-scale projects, and they are providing the best and most trustworthy services. Ensuring Reliability The DM Company is an exhaustive Digital Marketing Consultation that helps startups, small businesses, and established brands to achieve reach and leads in the line of product/service. The company is a complete solution destination for businesses and organizations to efficiently execute the design, marketing, content, and development. The DM Company believes in sturdy growth when it comes to business and oversees it as a two-way road to knowledge sharing. The company and its team believe in its knowledge—comprehending the
Richa believes that this is where she wanted to venture into the marketing space. She is an MSc IT/ BCA Graduate with a master’s degree in MBA Marketing, making it the perfect job for Richa. Surmounting the Adversities Being a woman in any business is a challenge in itself. Only when people work with you do they trust your judgements and give you the respect you deserve. Richa’s challenges took a huge step up with COVID 19 pandemic. Making people trust someone became a lot more challenging. Sharing the USPs of The DM Company, Richa Expressed, “I believe our USP is to be able to adapt to the client’s requirements and deliver results every time.”
“We have not kept any minimum budgets for taking up work because we believe that each product and service has a potential buyer; the only thing is to figure out how to reach them without spending too much (not always easy, though),” she added. Each business is different, and digital marketing is not the same for anyone. But the feedback Richa received from her new, as well as returning clients, had a few points that the company banks on: • Trustworthy • Honest • Fresh designs • Personalized focus • Highly Professional Exploring the Pearls of Wisdom As an advice for the budding aspirants, Richa shared, “It takes time for good things to come through; all you need is trust in your skills/ knowledge and some patience.” The pandemic has reminded us that life is ever-changing and so are businesses. Learn to ride the wave and build lasting business relationships because trust is the hardest to earn and the easiest to lose. With this thought in mind, Richa envisions her organization working with some eminent brands with new products and services so that she and her team can get a chance to explore new ways of marketing and exploring new audience segments.
The DM Company Identify Your Essence 120 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Ritu Singh Exuding Innovations with Engaging Strategies
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hat makes your business stand out from the crowd?
The answer to this question is a good marketing agency that can organise an engaging marketing campaign for your brand, or organization. The role of any good marketing agency is to build cohesive and influential brands, bring organizations closer to their customers and audience, and help drive sales through awareness. While many agencies promise to do this, your business can prove its worth and stand out in a vast field of competitors by possessing the ten traits outlined below. After all, organizations have a lot of marketing agencies to choose from when it comes to finding a company to represent and build their brand. However, an agency that ensures highlighting values meanwhile working on moral ethics and ensuring customer satisfaction—creating a solution where everyone benefits in business for the clients will always excel in the limelight of success. This is where Art Curries comes into the picture. Established by an adept leader, Ritu Singh, Art Curries is providing its innovative services to all sizes of businesses. The company works on the principle that small scale enterprises need more
122 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
In an interview with Insights Success, Ritu Singh, Founder, shared her journey highlighting the USPs of Art Curries in the niche. Ritu, what was your inspiration behind venturing into the respective industry? My journey as an entrepreneur is borne out of my desire to be self-dependent at a very young age. The urge to do something the way I always wanted to do drove me further on the road to entrepreneurship, and finally, in the year 2008, I took the plunge. Since childhood, I have been passionate about art and aesthetics and felt that I could make a better world for myself and others through art. I believe it has been the creative artist in me that always guided me to take charge of my dreams, and the best of me as a professional has come out through my enterprise. Please describe your company/firm/ in detail. The inception of Art Curries served as the print and digital creative house, creating a successful benchmark. Incorporated in 2008, it has profusely helped companies, individuals, and institutions. When I started my enterprise, I started it from scratch. So, I know the fundamental challenges one faces in establishing a start-up. Though, Art Curries helps all sizes of businesses however we believe that
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Art Curries is complimented for its creative and innovative ideas
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handholding as they lack resources and are pushing against many odds. Art Curries provide a wide range of services like; Corporate Identity, Brand Communication, Web Solutions, Digital Marketing, Photography, Content Development, Consultancy etc., that would help them to navigate their businesses to the right stakeholders.
small scale enterprises need more handholding as they lack resources and are pushing against many odds. We help them with a wide range of services like; Corporate Identity, Brand Communication, Web Solutions, Digital Marketing, Photography, Content Development, Consultancy etc., that would help them to navigate their businesses to the right stakeholders. On the brighter side, 12+ years of experience in the field of branding communication have trained us to take big size clients and provide them boutique solutions for their creative needs. It is vital to stay updated and accessible on social media platforms in today's world. We support brands to be visible and remain visible on these platforms. Tell us about your company’s journey in the industry you are catering to. As a founder of Art Curries, my strength lies in blending traditional art with new-age digital solutions to explore new avenues supporting every brand finding visibility. However, marketing was a significant issue. In my journey, I realized that clients were focused on show-offs rather than better working skills. I started with the aim of providing quality services with detailed artwork and one of the best customer services.
Over time, it made the clients comfortable while discussing their ideas, and it made my job easy too. My clientele grew, and now it includes some of the best NGOs, educational institutions, and corporates such as Breakthrough, IIT Jammu and Naturals etc. We built our reputation in the field through word of mouth. I believe this is our achievement where the work delivered spoke for itself. It boosted my confidence, and I thought of getting an office space of my own and hiring 1-2 employees. Honestly, this in itself was a considerable risk. With the help of a few friends who believed in me and my work, I managed to get an office space at an affordable price and, after ten days, hired four employees. Those were the biggest risky experiments I did, and thanks to all of them who made it a success. In just two years, I could see my enterprise grow from pillar to pillar. The journey from being self-dependent to taking responsibility to pay my staff’s salaries was the yardstick I measured the success of Art Curries. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the respective industry? As you may know, whenever the recession hits the market, many businesses' first response is to refrain from spending on marketing or branding. In 2008, when I started the company in May, the recession hit globally. The Indian market was one of the safest, yet managing the clients, and the payments was burdensome. The clients relied on stable service providers with testimonials, portfolios, references,
office space, accessibility of employees etc. I did not have any of those to convince the clients initially. Since I began the enterprise independently, I did not have any financial backup or support to take this enterprise forward. However, perseverance is the key to making an enterprise stable and prosperous. In two years, market conditions improved, and our qualitative work held on building the reputation of Art Curries. We sailed through the challenging waves. What are the USPs that highlight your brand/company’s uniqueness? • Centralised hub: All the services are available under one roof • Affordable packages for Start-ups • Easy Payment options such as EMIs even after delivery of services What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? I take great pride in our enterprise, always thinking of art that would bring in business to our clients. Our clients have complimented Art Curries for creative and innovative ideas. We have been rewarded with feedback such as impeccable professionalism quick turnaround time. Our main objective is to offer value for money, customer-focused business solutions through skilful trendy and aesthetic upmarket quality work. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advice the budding aspirants? Take risks. Survive through odds. Learning never ends. Dreams are to be accomplished, and for that, you just need determination, patience, and consistency. That’s it.
How do you envision your company’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? The pandemic period worldwide brought us together to work on sustainable and purposeful ideas. Looking at the uncertain situations, it is highly likely that offices may not reopen soon. As the world has moved to operate from “work from home,” Art Curries too has been active on a similar trend. We have faced extreme challenges in terms of physical and mental health and finances that are putting pressure
like never before. But, as an entrepreneur, I saw this option as a convenient option where health is protected, people sitting at home in their comfort zone and working with ease of mind. There is some level of monetary and commute time savings. The project execution is happening online with ease right now. Post pandemic as well, we will do what is in the interest of Art Curries and the clients. We prefer to use the similar trend of operating from home while serving the best creative ideas for our clients.
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126 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
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n a world with immense competition, the list of top hundred innovators of all time is now being driven by innovative women.
cotton swabs made every day…are equally soft! The reason she reveals is that microbiology testings are conducted for every batch. Therefore, purity is guaranteed, always!
At times, women have been enabling innovations in many industries, highlighting their moral ethics, masterclass working principles, exceptionally good ideas, and adept organizational skills. Moreover, this list can go on and on.
Also, to ensure purity, they heat all the cotton buds through a tunnel which is maintained at eighty degrees.
Sangeetha Patel is one such personality who precisely comprehends newfangled ideas with an avant-garde mindset. She is the Founder and CEO of Flosee Enterprise. Established in 2020 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, ‘Flosee Enterprise’ is a proprietorship-based firm, fully and independently managed by women. In the span of fewer than two years, it has emerged as the foremost manufacturer of cotton buds, cotton swabs, and cotton balls. Under the exemplary leadership of Sangeetha, Flosee’s products are in high demand due to state-of-the-art quality with affordable prices. Furthermore, Sangeetha and her team of women Agritechnopreneurs ensure to deliver these products to their clients timely. Through this, they have gained a huge clients base in the market. Sangeetha has already invested in sophisticated and fully automatic imported machinery.
Sustainability is their Responsibility · Flosee’s Vision – As the leading manufacturer of cosmetic cotton products in India and exporting primarily to North America, Flosee is dedicated to service, quality, and responsible manufacturing. Its commitment to waste reduction has allowed it to remain the only major manufacturer of organic cotton. · Flosee’s Mission – Flosee’s mission is to manufacture and market high-quality products that support and satisfy its customers’ and consumers’ needs. Productively promoting innovative products that adhere to its primary business principles is its promise. · Flosee’s Values – Sangeetha said their products are made with care and delivered to everyone for a healthy, hygienic experience. While progressing towards attaining economic growth as an organisation, they keep a check on their social responsibility.
Better Care and Better Understanding “We live by quality!” said Sangeetha when the Insights Success team approached her for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena.’ She is very proud that Flosee Enterprise is the Indian leader in hygiene cotton – exporting products to more than twelve countries. It is also India’s largest manufacturer of cotton buds. And cream tops the cake with a nomination of ‘Leaders for Tomorrow 2020’ from ET NOW. According to Sangeetha, her simple mantra is that a cotton bud should feel nothing but… cotton. At Flosee, they use the softest possible fibre of pharmacopoeia grade cotton. And cotton IP, made up of comber, is used…which gives the most soothing feel. She further claims that Flosee has a state-of-the-art microprocessor-controlled glue system, which no other company has, not even Johnson & Johnson (J&J). She suggests comparing a J&J bud with their buds to experience why they are so fussy that all their eight million 127 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
She further said that their core values are, · Care – Flosee aims to deliver the best products to its customers, ensuring that they are harmless for the customer and the touch delivers an experience they would want to stick to. Its quality checks make sure that its brand lives up to all the expectations. · Contribution – Not measuring their success just by their monetary gains, they make sure that their corporate social responsibility is an integral part of their decisions as well as their actions. Their values are an essential part of their action plan, which is reflected in their guiding principles.
· Consistency – They believe in carrying out sustainable development and creating a lasting impact on their customers as well as their partners in measurable ways. With their rock-solid values and supporting team, they aim to hold themselves to high ethical standards and respect the country’s laws. Sangeetha concludes by saying that her team is her asset and strength. She and her team believe in customer satisfaction. And they further believe in continuous improvement.
128 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
ShailjaAbhishek Singh
Your Virtual Friend in Creativity
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o you love art and creativity? Or appreciate the creative souls of those who can. Or love creating an environment of inspiration in your home and enjoying every minute of it. But may or may not have a large space for a studio, does not matter. Anything can be a creative space.
Here are the highlights of that interview to make you feel at ease and unintimidated.
Then welcome to the Red Palette Studios. The Founder & CEO, Shailja Abhishek Singh, wants you to consider it as your virtual place of creativity. Here she will share with you all, what she has learned through the years as a beginner and a professional artist and if you like, you can share your tips as well.
What was your inspiration behind venturing into the creative industry? At a very young age, I was inspired by my youngest maternal aunt, who was a very talented artist and painter back then. I used to try drawing like her. My parents too had a flair for drawing so after watching me put effort to draw and paint my mom took me to an art hobby school. Where I learnt the basics of drawing. After that, it was a self-learning journey before I again went to a hobby school and learnt the basics of oil painting.
Red Palette Studio will provide you with many artist hacks and techniques to save you time and money, for studio painters as well as Plein air painters.
After quitting my corporate job in 2018, I started my venture of Manpower but right after lockdown, it didn’t pick up.
Insights Success’ team met her for our edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’, and in the interview, she showed us the possibilities where anyone can hop on their creative journey at her virtual studio platform, where she will be their virtual friend in creativity.
This is when my very close friend started drawing and inspired me also to do the same and join the social media platform for this. Ever since then there is no looking back.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Please describe Red Palette Studio in detail. Red Palette Studio is not just a name but something that clearly tells about me as my work. Red is my favourite colour and represents my passion for my work. Palette is a tool that can be used for both art and craftwork to paint and help create. Studio - a place where new and creative things are made with lots of love and emotions. Red Palette Studio is a place where you get variety, we don’t stop at one thing but try to offer a lot of variety for the customer ranging from paintings to home utility goods and gifting ideas for all kinds of occasions. We also try to make other women learn and earn for themselves and make a niche in society by offering workshop facilities as well. Give us a brief overview of your professional journey. The official journey started in 2019 when I was introduced to many new arts, crafts, and traditional art forms. I learnt many new art forms and about new products daily. I started learning and experimenting with art forms and craft products more and started gifting the initial products free to my well-known people – who later helped me grow.
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What are the USPs that highlight Red Palette Studio’s uniqueness? People prefer and love the fusion work that I do, wherein I mix different painting styles and try to create something new using crafting tools to give them an extra edge. Customers have also admired me using scrap products to convert into something beautiful and being eco-friendly in many ways. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and Red Palette Studio the most? Timely delivery and pocket-friendly products are a go. Anything that will not burden my customer and yet get the product of their dream with a touch of their emotions is of much value for us and the customers as well.
This is when I started working in a more professional and pocket-friendly way using scrap to develop something new and unique for my customers. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into this space? Starting after so many years was tough in many ways. I had to unlearn and learn a lot about a lot of art forms – which I never heard of before, and new products – which I had never used. The biggest challenge was to understand which product people will like – it is an everyday challenge – and how to sell it all through social media. The new applications like Instagram helped me learn a lot through its society and methods to sell the products. Some of my Instagram friends also helped me a lot in teaching and guiding me through the journey.
As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? My message for budding aspirants is that they must always • Keep Learning – learn every day, learn from everywhere and everybody, you learn new things from the most unexpected sources. • Take Challenges – take every day small challenges for yourself, a little positive pressure helps you think and grow beyond your imagination. • Ask Questions – never fail to ask questions from people who inspire you, asking questions helps you acknowledge your presence in society and make a place among them as well as learn and learn. • Register yourself for Workshops – workshops help you learn new tools and techniques in the respective field, you learn a lot from these groups and make some real friends who inspire and help you grow. How do you envision Red Palette Studio’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? E-commerce and handmade goods are good to go in future, also using eco-friendly products will be the talk of the town. Converting scrap to beautiful pieces for customers is a real deal that will grow in future owing to the current situation of pollution and garbage. I look forward to making a niche by converting scrap to lovely products and using fusion to give an extra edge to my products.
132 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
Shakkeela Manoj Constellation of Your Starry Ideas, Desires, and Passion
ind is a universe in itself. But it is a scattered one, with billions of neurons competing passionately to convince you with their ideas, desires, and thoughts.
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inspiring me, which eventually reflected in my teaching style. I want people to be aware of these art forms, and who better to start it with than kids. Thus, my journey ends up in Nakshatra Arts, and we all together keep learning.
Art is the focal point that brings unity in that diversity and provides a platform to the mind to introspect and concentrate. So that all those scattered and conflicting ideas, desires, thoughts, and passions will flow in a holistic vision.
Please describe Nakshatra Arts in detail. Nakshatra arts started in the year 2014 in Chennai. We provided freehand drawing classes and Kerala traditional mural painting classes initially. Here in Nakshatra Arts, we provide freelance painting works, specifically the traditional ones, and we are always enthusiastic about experimenting with the combination of classic and contemporary arts. Post pandemic, all our classes became online, and we teach both kids and adults different traditional art forms of our country. Not only just art but its history too. I am an art therapy practitioner too, so art therapy sessions are also going on.
The vision of a constellation. One constellation to pull them out of their conflict and find them. One constellation to bring them all together and bind them. Shakkeela Manoj is that constellation. She is the Founder & CEO of Nakshatra Arts, where stars get born out of the black hole of anonymity. In an interview with Insights Success for its special edition of 'The Women Owning the Business Arena', she speaks about her passion, compassion, mission, and vision to transform the field of creativity and painting.
Tell us about Nakshatra Art's journey so far. I started my art journey in 2012, and it eventually ended up in Nakshatra arts in 2014. And here we are in 2022, with
Drawn below are the highlights. What was your inspiration behind venturing into this creative industry? I started my journey in art during one of the worst phases of my life. I accidentally stumbled into this field and realised what magic this world of colours could do to you and your soul. First, I got introduced to Kerala's traditional mural painting years ago. I was awestruck, and from then, I started learning about the traditional art forms of our country. We have such a rich heritage and culture which reflects in our traditional arts too. I started exploring, and they kept 134 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
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We create unique Paintings which we never recreate, and all our classes are online and open to all ages
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more than 100 students learning from us from different parts of the world. My journey of teaching started with a friend's kid. My friend insisted I make her son sit and draw for at least half an hour as he was a hyperactive kid. Once again there, I realised the power of art. My first ever student later spent hours creating masterpieces. I felt I was good with conveying art methods to kids, and thus my journey started. Realising the magic art can bring in kids am trying to make it worthwhile for them in the best way. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the respective industry? My journey with art started along side of the worst phase of my life during which I had to battle with depressions from failed infertility treatments, the mental and physical traumas that caused etc. To focus and pursue a career was my first challenge. Even when the art is appreciated, choosing art as a career is not recieved open heartly from with in the family; especially when you are an academically excellent person. You receive criticism, you try out other jobs to please others; but ultimately you realise the happiness, the content, the satisfaction, the remuneration you gets from doing a job that you love is worthy than any other 9 to 6 job. What are the USPs that highlight Nakshatra Art's uniqueness? The paintings I create are original in their conceptualization and execution and hence we don't entertain recreating the same work again. Also all the classes are online and open to all ages.
What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? Like I mentioned in the previous question, being original and authentic in my creation is one. This is achieved by doing a proper subject study and research before sketching of a painting. Also I believe my sincerity, hardwork and easeness with children has added value to being an art teacher. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? Never worry about the result; whatever you do, make sure it makes you happy and do it with all your heart. How do you envision your company's operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? It was challenging to teach art online, but now I feel it is one of the most productive ways as my students' art is their creation. To do it, you need a lot of patience, that is all. And I know with that same patience, perseverance, and passion, Nakshatra Art will expand its scope further.
135 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
The Women Owning the Business Arena
Sherin
Vineed
OneDay Princess and the Ancient Craft of Chikankari
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ince ancient times, the craft of Chikankari – which literally means embroidery – is one of the most popular arts of handcrafted embroidery in India. But somewhere down the line, this timeless artistry of fabric embellishment got forgotten in the ever-changing stream of times. While she was working as a Business Analyst with Tata Motors, Sherin began forgetting her love for this art form. Not until she got married and was relocated to Kochi post-marriage from Mumbai that she remember her love affair with Chikankari.
about the same as expensive handwork created on celebrity outfits only, and few on occasion wore sarees only. According to a few others, the work is done on only ‘white kurtas’. One or two shops in the city that sold the outfits were costly. So Sherin thought long about popularising this ancient art form anew. Crazy for Chikankari She began hunting for freelancing artists in Chikankari via social media, selected a few, shared the requirements, and got the designs and outfits for launching a handcrafted budget-friendly Chikankari fashion boutique in the city of Kochi.
Thus, being a renewed passionate lover, when she began searching for a place in Kochi where she could get casual handcrafted Chikankari outfits, she was disappointed. And out of curiosity, Sherin started checking for the popularity of handcrafted outfits in the city.
The year was 2016, and the Founder and Owner, Sherin Vineed, launched OneDay Princess with the aim to redefine the ancient craft of Chikankari. In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’, Sherin shared her fascinating story.
But came to know that the demand was very less because the majority were not familiar with the work. Few heard
“Initially, the response was very less, but the demand started increasing by 2017. In 2018, I launched a category
called ‘Crazy Whites’ and conducted an exhibition and sale of only ‘White Outfits’ with handcrafted Chikankari, which was the first of the kind that happened in the city,” said Sherin recollecting. But she was rock-solid in her vision of reviving the ancient craft of Chikankari. Thus, she worked hard to become a bridge between the artists who are facing issues in selling the final product at a deserving cost and the art lover who can buy the same in their budget. Princess Conquering the Pandemic Monster The pandemic lockdowns made Sherin get closer to the clients’ expectations as an artist. And she began gathering their requirements in detail and sharing her knowledge about Chikankari with all the art lovers. Rather than considering it as just embroidery, she could explain the details of work forms, culture involved and the history of the art. She could change the concept of considering an outfit with Chikankari work as a ‘piece of artwork’ than just any dress!
136 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Sherin Vineed Founder and Owner
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Sherin Vineed launched OneDay Princess, with the aim to redefine the ancient craft of Chikankari
Her Secret of Success Sherin’s unique advice to the aspirants who are wishing to venture into her field of business is that before starting any business, one should keep these questions in mind, Ÿ Why am I starting the business? Ÿ What am I going to achieve? Ÿ How am I going to start? And keep asking the questions to the self and, if possible, write them down daily and answer them, without turning back and reading from yesterday’s answer. Continue this exercise for a month and then read all the answers. If
the answers are the same for twentyone days, go ahead with the plan. Otherwise, continue the exercise till you achieve the same answers. If one can’t get all the answers on each day similar to each other, that means the business plan is not their own and not worth following. In her future vision, Sherin said, she is now planning to launch home decors with handcrafted Chikankari. She will also be conducting workshops on the same first in her city and then after looking at the response across India.
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137 | March 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Staunch Leadership Acumen
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omen empowerment has been more sought than ever in recent years, with people becoming increasingly woke. Most women are challenging culture and society to break free from stereotypes. They are breaking through the social barriers and transforming the way the business world operates today.
Women can work at home while thriving at their work. They are becoming an exceptional example of how to strike a work-life balance. As a result, women are gradually making a massive impact in entrepreneurship. Everywhere we look, we see a woman in the pursuit of her entrepreneurial dream. Women have always been involved in small, normally home-based businesses but today’s scenario is different. We are more visible, we are more ambitious, and we can experience women talking about building businesses, and not just earning an income. Shveta Rao a woman entrepreneur, has re-defined women entrepreneurship with her confident, and a creative personality. Shveta is a soft skill trainer for 15 years who loves transforming lives. Today, she is a proud owner of Ve Do Hair unisex salon (VDH) that is transforming people’s looks. She created new opportunities for others through initiating, establishing, and running the enterprise by keeping pace with her personal, and work life. Shveta grew up to be influenced by the fashion industry. Shveta’s modelling career kick started at the age of 16 which later led to a professional career as a hotelier. A Breath-taking Journey Being a single mom alongside solopreneur has been challenging for Shveta as one is expected to play both these roles exceptionally.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
VDH’s motive is to provide an exceptional customer service experience, to enhance beauty, and confidence for its clients with innovative practices. VDH believes in helping its clients to express their individual styles as an outstanding salon service while making its customers feel among friends. Overcoming the Adverse Effects of the Pandemic The Salon industry without question faced a major downfall during the pandemic as it thrives on personal services, and it is unfeasible to undertake them without physical proximity. Furthermore, at times such as the pandemic people naturally tend to limit their spending to essential items and steer clear of additional expenses like salon services, even after the lockdown is lifted customers are agitated to resume their routine salon visits.
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You should be willing to take up risks and navigate uncharted waters, you might experience downfalls but that only helps in learning and unlearning
The COVID-19 has certainly impacted the beauty industry immensely. The safety of its customers and the team was primary to VDH. The salon implemented measures as stated by WHO to ensure maximum welfare. Sanitizers were placed in the entrance. Customers without a face mask were not and still are not entertained. Moreover, the salon operated only on appointment basis to avoid potential crowd. Routine sanitizing of the salon is ensured. Single use kits are strictly used on its customers. Keeping in mind the current pandemic situation the entire industry has seen a major decline therefore Team VDH is moving forward and supporting each another to go Vocal for Local. VDH is looking to expand its business and create outlets soon. VDH is also looking forward to transforming its services into something innovative such as mobile salons. An Excellent Piece of Advice The beauty Industry is crawling with crazy-inspiring
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Being a salon owner, the job is not limited to offering beauty services to its customers but also maintaining a good image of the salon to create a constant in flow of customersboth of which requires you to stay updated on the types of trends in the beauty industry.
entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship in Shveta’s opinion involves tremendous risk taking and putting faith in oneself whatever might be the industry you are trying to crack. As an advice for the young entrepreneurs, Shveta says, “You should be willing to take up risks and navigate uncharted waters, you might experience downfalls but that only helps in learning and unlearning.” “Don’t expect overnight results it is a continuous process of consistent work,” she adds. Industry Evolving with the Emerging Technology Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning has solidly become a very dominant factor in boosting the growth of any business in today’s world. Comprehending consumer’s behaviors, wants, and needs enables VDH to improve its personalized services which in turn leads to the growth of its business. Everyone witnessed how everything was pushed to the online and digital platform during the pandemic which clearly implies AI is altering the operations of companies and is becoming a part of the ‘New normal.’ In Shveta’s opinion, “The business world is dynamic in nature and adapting to this changing environment works best for the growth of many businesses. Like it is said consumers run the market, understanding consumer psychology is very important and this is where AI and ML comes into picture.”
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Sneha Building Confidence, Building Fitness
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Chopra
eople work out for many reasons: weight control, muscle building, health, stress relief and plain old vanity. Working out at home can be effective, save you money, and offer numerous advantages altogether in your personal spaces. If we talk about today’s lifestyle and how we spend our time, we must get engaged in a fitness program to ensure a healthy lifestyle for the future. Health is important to all of us, especially for our children and young people who are the base of our society and the next leaders of our country. Why cannot we alter our lifestyle to enjoy being fit if fitness is so necessary? Today’s young generation loves to join a nearby fitness center to embrace the freshness they receive from exercise. Moreover, online fitness services help you to achieve your health fitness goals. Many athletes boost their performance through online sessions focused on personal and physical development.
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Fitpiq is now helping people worldwide in getting healthy and Fit in the easiest and doable manner
This is where Fitpiq shines out with its excellent coaching and mentoring services towards personal, mental, and physical development. Under the leadership of Sneha Chopra, Founder, Fitpiq focuses on Scientific and proven methods to help deliver results and empower people to achieve their nutrition and fitness goals. In an interview with Insights Success, Sneha Chopra shares her journey, highlighting the USPs of Fitpiq in the health and fitness industry. Sneha, what was your inspiration behind venturing into the respective industry? I am deeply enthusiastic about helping people to achieve great health. This passion originated from my struggle to be a fit kid in school. In school, I made a scrapbook out of newspaper articles that would mention any form of diet or exercise that can help achieve impressive results. After my struggle of trying multiple different things, I finally opted to understand and dive deep into the concepts of how our body functions concerning movement and nutrition. When my team and I counsel people, we find the same struggles I faced in my initial days. However, in their case, I make sure the time taken to get their desired results is not long and can be fulfilled in the best possible time and way. Please tell us about Fitpiq in detail. Fitpiq (Pronounced as Fit-Pick) is a new-age start-up working in health and fitness niche. We are on a mission to help a billion people achieve excellent health, get fit and learn at home. Fitpiq’s mission is to empower people to achieve their nutrition and fitness goals.
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What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the health and fitness industry? Back in 2005, few people knew how to combat lifestylerelated disorders. Whether it is diabetes, hypothyroid, PCOD, Hypertension or obesity, most lifestyle conditions come with an increased weight gain and make you feel lazy, low on energy, sluggish and tired all the time. For most people, the solution was to visit a doctor to find the appropriate solution; however, everything would get managed/treated using medicine as the mainstay. No one focused on improving lifestyle conditions using lifestyle management.
We at Fitpiq provide actual, biological answers to the most pressing health concerns and inquiries. We are great believers in women in business and women at work; hence we are 100% women run, women operated company. However, we do not just help women in achieving their desired goals. We cater to both men and women. Tell us about Fitpiq’s journey in the health and fitness industry. As a founder, as I have earlier mentioned, my struggle made me start the idea of launching Fitpiq. My journey started back in 2005 when I did my first certification in Fitness with Reebok; then, there was no looking back. In the curiosity to learn more about our simple yet complex human body, I completed almost 15+ International/National certifications. With nearly 15+ years of experience in the Wellness and Healthcare industry, Fitpiq was finally born. Today, Fitpiq is helping people worldwide get healthy and Fit in the most accessible and most possible manner. At Fitpiq, we meet people where they are on their healthy lifestyle, offering a comprehensive and accurate picture of healthy living that is broad without being trivial, deep without being clinical. We promote healthy behaviours for minds and bodies even when our bodies do not comply.
In the initial days, it was not easy to convince people about the benefits of improving diet and lifestyle as an alternate treatment method instead of medications. But now, people are more aware and understand the need to stay healthy and fit to improve their health parameters without depending on drugs. What are the USPs that highlight Fitpiq’s uniqueness? As a brand, Fitpiq focuses on Scientific and proven methods to help deliver results. Methods like calorie deficit diet, Portion control, Intermittent fasting, HIIT workouts, Optimal workouts and therapeutic yoga are our key USPs in assisting people in getting results. We also help people improve their biomedical markers USP with conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension, PCOD, IBD/IBS, and Obesity. At Fitpiq, we believe in customisation and education. We are educating people with the proper knowledge of nutrition and exercise physiology. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? In today’s internet era, everyone knows everything. With information overload, it is straightforward for people to get lost and not know the proper methods or ways to start this is where coaching and mentoring come into play. I feel the three essential aspects towards lifestyle management or to lose weight is to have a goal (essentially your tangible target), a checkpoint system or timely monitoring (so that you feel answerable) and most importantly, a source of motivation (a mentor). When all three blends in together, your success is bound to happen.
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I always say, “A good coach can train you well, but a great coach will make this process and the journey enjoyable and beautiful for you.” Fitpiq implements three core values in its coaching system setting the right goal, creating timely monitoring, and delivering the best mentorship. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the health and fitness industry? As an entrepreneur, the one piece of advice I would like to give to fellow entrepreneurs is not to fear failure. The same is true for any reader who wishes to reduce weight and get healthy. Failures are part of success; there is no fun in attaining that success until you do not fail once or twice. How do you envision Fitpiq’s operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of the health and fitness industry, post-pandemic? Fitpiq has been lucky in that case. For our team, since most businesses are going 100% online. There is a much larger need for people to think of alternate solutions to working out at home or efficiently following diet plans from the comfort of their homes. Hence, we can expand and grow our business to the next level.
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Syeda
Mohsin Taj A woman uplifting women
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
W
omen empowerment is a process of giving women the ability to live a respected life in society. It involves decision-making, education, economic upliftment, and many more. Syeda Mohsin Taj is one such ambitious woman who, with her innovative skills, initiated and established S H Fashion Design Institute.
Syeda Mohsin Taj’s decade of rigorous hard work has helped women from the vulnerable section gain employment and thus enhanced the process of uplifting them. She has travelled around the country, giving sewing and tailoring training to women in remote areas. Taj has taken up big challenges and, with innovative and ever learning abilities, overcame the hurdles quite efficiently. She is a blessing to the rural fashion industry and has made the workplace accessible to many women. Let’s see what Syeda Mohsin Taj has to say about the fashion industry, her institute, and the journey so far. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the respective industry? I worked for Usha International Ltd as a sewing school inspector for eight years. For that job, I had to travel all over Karnataka to appoint schools for Usha Company, including Army, Navy, and Air force training centres. I conducted teachers’ training programs along with Usha courses. And I issued certificates to candidates after completion of their course. I had to resign, so I thought of starting my skill training institute after that. Please give a brief description of your institute.
Canara Bank training and MSME training to provide a steady hand to women in this business. Can you describe SH Fashion Designs Institutes’ journey so far? I started the institute in January 2012. The journey from being an employee to an entrepreneur has been very challenging on various fronts. Initially, I faced a lot of financial crunches; hence I had to opt for taking loans. Even after the loan was granted, I had to take financial assistance from external sources. To clear the loan and expand the business, I travelled to Dodbalapur to conduct training sessions for women in Mahila Samaj. Formerly known as Alhamudullia, which is now SHFDI, will complete a decade of a journey in the upcoming year. Besides this, my journey has always been about travelling. I have travelled to remote villages like Raichur, Dharwad, Bellary, Kolar, Gulbarga and have conducted residential training programs as well. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the respective industry? A venture is nothing without challenges. To achieve something, you must face hurdles and make your way through them. My biggest challenge has always been financial difficulties. From applying for loans to clearing them, I have had to do various parallel things. I had to take up travelling and contract training from MSMEs and NGOs. These parallel training sessions helped me get contracts and clear my loans.
S H Fashion Design institute is based in Bangalore and is one of the central businesses in the field of fashion designing. It is widely famous as a fashion design institute that provides several courses in the fashion arena. Some of the distinct courses are embroidery classes, hobby classes, and more. There are various diploma courses conducted that vary from six months to one year. Apart from the diploma, there are crash courses like fabric painting, machine embroidery, computerised machine embroidery, tailoring, and many more.
“ We must be very creative and keep experimenting as the market requires new things regularly ”
Additionally, we conduct government-sponsored training programs for underprivileged women to train them and make them self-reliant. Besides this, we also conduct
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What professional values and strengths do you think your clients value in you and SH Fashion the most? I have done my professional training from different institutes, because of which I am a Certified Trainer now. One of my biggest strengths is that I can conduct skill training within a short notice period at any given time. Further, my talent lies in practising an innovative way of thinking that has always been beneficial to the client and the company. Therefore, I am thinking of starting business counselling for women. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants? The field of designing is not looked at as something which will give you stable earnings and a promising future job. But that is not the case; it is so fast expanding and growing that it generates huge revenues. I would like to tell the budding aspirants to select and opt for professions they enjoy doing instead of looking around for what their relatives and parents believe in.
How do you envision S H Fashion Design institute operations eventually, concerning the changing scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? Talking about the pandemic, it has been the protocol of the entire world. It did not spare any industry, nor was there any escape from it. From the beginning, we have faced many challenges; the lockdown was one among them. I am glad that close to two years have passed, and finally, we are out of it currently. In the post-pandemic era, bringing the company back on the wheels was a major challenge. For doing the same, we had to be innovative as we all know that there is no end to innovative ideas. We must be very creative and keep experimenting as the market requires new things regularly. Besides innovation comes learning. The pandemic gave me the time and space required to learn new things and explore my creativity. It also gave me an opportunity to create new patterns of teaching that are easy to understand for the public.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Vani
Mehta
An Oracle Re-de ning Business Success Mantra
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In an interview with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena,’ Ms Mehta highlights all the key pointers of being triumphant in any ambitious endeavour.
One of the significant aspects of business smartness is acquiring authentic global standard certifications. But to acquire them, a business must improve upon its leadership, management strategy, service quality, workforce training and development, and so forth.
What was your inspiration behind venturing into the field of consultancy? My family is the first source of my inspiration. Next, my mentor and Guru, Mr Gaurang Gupta, owner at Gumpro Chem Kalol Pvt. Ltd has recognised my managerial qualities and encourage and supported me in becoming an entrepreneur.
he new-age business mantra is ‘survival of the smartest.’ Achieving smartness is the key to the success of any organisation. Smartness comes from constantly acquiring knowledge and implementing it practically into your actions and decision-making.
It is much to do sooner than later as the market's trends keep changing with each passing moment. In such a scenario, any business needs the wisest consultant who will guide it in the right direction. Magicked by an oracle Ms Vani Mehta, Founder, and ISO Consulting Director, at Bizkey Consultancy, is becoming that wizard for many of its clients with appropriate business’ success formula. Having more than 12 years of experience in the industry, Ms Vani Mehta is helping companies get intelligent business solutions. Her process is simple. She assists and facilitates organizations in obtaining certification in the most effective, economical, time-bound, and easy-toimplement manner.
Also, during the five years tenure at my previous company, I had worked hard, learned everything, and developed new skills. It was the foundation of my becoming a full-fledged consultant, and I always be grateful and thankful to my previous Organizations as well as Colleagues/Customers/Guardians/CED Gujarat to make my journey extremely easy and beautiful! Please tell us about Bizkey Consultancy in detail. “BizKey” is actively involved in the training, consultancy, and implementation of ISO standards like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, food safety standards (ISO 22000, HACCP, GMP.FSSC, BRC, SQF), and laboratory standards (ISO /IEC 17025).
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We have successfully executed over 100+ projects with a 100% success rate. We focus on risk management and customer satisfaction which directly boosts your revenues and reduces operational costs. Our state-of-the-art implementation methodology and certification process will give you the ultimate competitive advantage. We also provide the services such as FSSAI Central licensing, welding inspection training, third-party inspection (TPI), SEDEX, SA8000, APEDA licensing, trademark, GPCB, and import-export license. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the consultancy space? I have started my company during the COVID-19 period, so I did not get many projects. But with our professionalism, enthusiasm, and innovative team, we kept providing our consultancy, certification, training, and implementation
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Bizkey Consultancy is dedicated to serving Consulting services for getting successful ISO certi cation for MSME enterprises/Companies globally
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These are just a few of our successful implementations and certifications in India over the years. You will acquire many other tools and techniques in our quality management system training, whether in leadership, employee engagement, documentation, continual improvement, or internal auditing.
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services which helped the firms we were serving become more productive and profitable. Gradually, we began getting referrals from those of our satisfied clients. And that is how we overcame the initial sluggishness and became a trusted brand name for our clients. What are the USPs that highlight Bizkey Consultancy’s uniqueness? Whatever business you are in, or whatever the size of your business, at Bizkey, you will be treated equally. We propose effective communication and mutual understanding to build a long-lasting relationship and, most importantly, enjoy our client’s success. We always provide on-time solutions, either online or offline. I believe that is our USP. We are entirely a customer-centric company. What professional values and qualities do you think your clients' value in you and Bizkey Consultancy the most? Since Bizkey is an ISO management consultancy Service provider based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, we are dedicated to serving companies and individuals to find the various ISO certification’s Consulting services for their firms. Our platform, Quality of service, and customer satisfaction we provide are getting acknowledged, resulting in the trust we are building with our expanding clientele.
Our services range from gap analysis, internal audit, preassessment, document review, supplier survey, assist in third party audit and continuous improvement to companies to make management system easy and organizational goals achievable. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the consultancy niche? Keep learning and growing; always keep faith in yourself. Success will be yours when you choose to take responsibility for making it. So, that is the key to your success, and that is why it is also our firm’s tagline. How is modern technology impacting the consultancy niche? During the COVID pandemic, we have adopted technology to connect with our customers all over the globe via online mode. We also made more people aware of the services/ISO standards we provide through social media. Digital marketing was also quite helpful to us in developing our business further. How do you envision Bizkey’s operations eventually? We plan to explore new countries and continents concerning the ever-changing scenario of consultancy niche post-pandemic. We also plan to spread awareness about the importance of ISO standards amongst the common people. We will add new scope to our services soon.
Ms Vani Mehta Founder
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Success will be yours when you take responsibility for achieving it
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
A
ny place you spend your time directly affects your being. The place and its interior affect what you think, how you feel, what you do, how you interact with people, how motivated you are, and a million other aspects of your daily life. As you live in that space, the space lives in you too. The aesthetics, moods, persona of that space, pieces of art, and accessories of your lifestyle are the reflection of your authentic taste. In crafting such a space, you need a genuinely passionate professional. That means an interior designer who has the creativity, skills, and knowledge required to articulate a beautiful and functional space for you. Virali Mehta, Founder & CEO of Fusion and Creations, is one such interior designer who will transform any space into your personal space. As she says, “My interior designs will aim to translate the client's ideas and the professional holistic vision in a renovated space fusing aesthetics,
comfort, and practicality, creating a space which will reflect client’s personality.” She spoke with Insights Success for its edition of ‘The Women Owning the Business Arena’. She added that starting your own business in this industry can be tricky. Yet she chose this field and profession because it is her genuine passion. Fusion and Creations is a leading contemporary interior design firm in Gandhidham since 2019. Before starting this firm, she worked at two different places for professional experience. According to Virali, everyone has their taste in this field, so her team had to research people’s tastes. Initially, it was challenging to get projects due to the market competition. However, the firm has completed two years in this field, and she has completed many residential, commercial, and restaurant projects.
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Fusion and Creations’ Vision Fusion and Creations usually follow informal ‘rules’ based on specific interior design principles and elements. These interior design elements include space, line, forms, light, colour, texture, and pattern. Keeping balance among these elements is the key for optimum output, thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing interior. And Virali Mehta is committed to creating rewarding experiences and values that combine functionality with high quality and innovation for her clientele. She wants every partner’s and client’s experience to be the talk of a lifetime. Also, with her approach, she wants to redefine all the sophisticated and superior quality standards in every exterior and interior design. Brush with the Pandemic Like every other industry, the COVID19 pandemic has impacted her sector; specifically, the period of complete lockdown was difficult for her. But, during this time, interior designers got a chance to explore new areas in the field for cost-optimized designs. On the other hand, the design part, the core of creativity, can be easily managed in the ‘work-from-home’ concept. Hence, she says that claim was not affected at all, and on the contrary, she came out with new concepts and thoughts. So, in general, the impact of COVID-19 was the absence of physical work during the lockdown period.
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To let Fusion and Creations work progress properly, Virali Mehta took many different measures like, • Wearing face masks and shields were mandatory for the workers • Sanitisation was done regularly • Less number of workers were kept active at the sites • Workers were made to work in shifts Tech-Fusion According to Virali Mehta, technologies like AI and ML helps to create synergy between the client and professional by linking the client’s ideas and visualization of professional. In short, AI and ML bridge the gap between clients’ needs and the design concepts of professionals. However, it is an evolving concept. But technology definably has the potential to help the industry as follows, • Increasing customer satisfaction • Optimizing existing business services
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Automating business operations Increasing revenue with faster design delivery Reducing costs by way of the availability of handy tools easily
Virali’s Design-worldly Wisdom As per Virali Mehta, an interior designer’s job is not easy as one needs to keep themselves highly updated with the people’s demands. And the field is very vast, everchanging. Being an entrepreneur, she does not have that much to say, but this field is just like the medical field, where demand will never go down. Due to the development of modern societies and culture, people want their homes, offices, restaurants, and other commercial spaces well designed, with excellent aesthetics and space optimization. The demand for interior design has tremendous potential due to considerable creativity, daily increasing. Thus, she would like to advise the budding entrepreneurs and
enthusiasts to use their creative skills as a passion and not just as a profession. This will lead to growing them in ever demanding market. Fusion of Present into the Creations of the Future The core strength of Fusion and Creations is to bring the new concepts and designs to the actual implementation. Virali Mehta is committed to upgrading, imagining, conceptualising, and articulating innovative thought processes to the next generation of interior designers to enhance this strength further. In every possible project, she tries to create something new and innovative designs to create revolutions that satisfy the customers. She is working hard to get more projects. All the while, Virali keeps herself updated with the people's recent, ongoing, and future demands.
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
Vishakha Jain
Story of Innovation Driven by Passion
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ith the advent of new technology, it is easy to miss out on the available esteemed opportunities. This situation is even worse when one does not have the expertise to tap on these changes. This is the scenario for businesses with the limited website development and design knowledge. Additionally, web-based applications used to be very limited in functionality. However, advances in technology, security, and internet speeds have significantly increased the potential scope of web-based systems. Web-based systems make it easier to provide access to real-time information. The paper reports that might take days to prepare and distribute can be replaced on online accounts and digital dashboards. That can improve the quality and the speed of decision-making right across an organization. Web-based custom application development, E-commerce websites, and other branding services
can provide businesses with significant productivity improvements. One such company that provides such innovative services is Mantthan Web Solutions LLP. Its unique design propositions, consultancy, and branding services beckon the web solutions niche. Under the adept leadership of Vishakha Jain, Director of Mantthan Web Solutions LLP, the organization maintains excellent communication with its clients. The company also understands their requirements to find the best software, web-based, and mobile solutions, thereby helping them improve their business processes. In an interview with Insights Success, Vishakha Jain highlights the company’s uniqueness and journey in the web solutions niche. Vishakha, what was your inspiration behind venturing into the web solutions space? Technology always drives me,
especially the depth this field has with rapid innovations. This is the reason ‘why I have always wanted to be part of this field.’ Please describe your company/firm/ in detail. Mantthan Web Solutions LLP specialises in creating mobile applications, e-commerce websites, landing pages, and Branding Services. Being the Director of Mantthan, I spearhead the organization by building an excellent communication with our clients and understanding their requirements to find the best software, web-based, and mobile solutions, thereby helping them improve their business processes. What were the initial challenges you faced while venturing into the web solutions space? There were hardly any challenges while venturing into web solutions as before starting this venture, we were into a job for ten years and understood all the pros and cons here.
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Vishakha spearheaded the organization by building an excellent communication with its clients What are the USPs that highlight your brand/company’s uniqueness? • Our Consultancy before selling any solution to the client • Our Unique design propositions • Quick and Easy solutions to ease out the manual process What professional values and qualities do you think your clients value in you and your company the most? Communication is the key; we always keep our client updated about the progress or WIP (Work in progress);
we believe chases bring communication gaps, so update in advance. As an experienced professional, what would you like to advice the budding aspirants? Believe in the Golden Egg story. Never try to charge high to your client and serve low. If they pay you ten rupees, provide them with the work worth twenty rupees in return, they will undoubtedly remain with you for long and work as best “Referral Partner” for you.
How do you envision your company’s operations eventually, concerning the scenario of your niche, post-pandemic? Post-Pandemic, most things are online, including interaction with clients, Thanks to Zoom or Google Meet. We are primarily on cloud and mobile, which saves our travel time, and same we are investing in more research and parallel developments.
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Yasmeen
Delawala
Now, the confluence of innovative technologies and fashion is opening up previously unbelievable opportunities. The future of fashion combines new material and information technologies with new business models. With innovative and creative ideas, VIVIKA excels in the textile and apparel industry in manufacturing ladies’ bottom wear with a vision to provide quality products that integrate value for money. Under the competent leadership of Yasmeen Delawala, CEO, the company offers apparel combined with the latest fashion trends without compromising any comfort, or quality. In an interview with Insights Success, Yasmeen shares her journey highlighting the values, mission, and aspects of VIVIKA’s enlightened image in the textile and apparel niche.
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Our vision is to be a part of every woman’s wardrobe with a mission to create fashionable apparel and accessories for women
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S
ince the birth of sewing and weaving, technology has always led to developments in fashion—the industrial revolution mechanised manufacturing- enabling mass production. In the 1960s, synthetic materials like polyester and nylon were born, creating new possibilities for style.
Flourishing Designs, Exuding Innovations
Yasmeen, please tell us an overview of your professional journey at the VIVIKA. VIVIKA is a leading women’s apparel brand aimed to make ethnic and fusion clothes available to all striving women worldwide. I commenced this business in July 2019 with one employee on board. VIVIKA has flourished with its creative ideas, and it has a team of 20+ employees now. It is currently into B2B supply of women’s Kurtis, bottom-wear, and nightwear. We also undertake job work/production activity (cut to pack services) for other brands.
Tell us more about VIVIKA, its vision, and the critical aspects of its stronghold in its catering industry. Our vision is to be a part of every woman’s wardrobe with a mission to create fashionable apparel and accessories for women and help them achieve their daily goals by being a part of their trendy yet comfortable wardrobe. We manufacture ladies’ apparel and provide our products through a B2B channel. We also undertake job work/production activity (cut to pack services) for other brands. VIVIKA is going to enter B2C/D2C on digital platform Vivika. Fashion will soon become every girl’s and woman’s go-to brand for their daily casual wear and bring comfortable style to their wardrobe. The product range in B2B and B2C markets will differ, keeping the targeted audience in mind. What efforts did you take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at the same time? Pandemic had a severe impact on the textile industry—work from home, no
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The Women Owning the Business Arena
gatherings, social distancing, online studies etc., impacted the readymade garment sector. Manufacturers have a vast workforce and production capacity, but inadequate demand in the market has a direct hit on working capital. It was not easy to meet fixed costs like rent, salaries, and interests. Forget about growth; sustaining was a challenge. But it is an inbuilt quality of an entrepreneur to find the solution to the problems around and create opportunities to maintain. The first lockdown I missed was on that opportunity due to a lack of resources and experience in this industry. Safety of workers was the priority; hence educating employees about wearing masks, maintaining social distance, sanitising, making their immunity booster etc., were our daily topic of discussion over calls as the physical meet was not possible. Post lockdown, when we were back to work, we followed all the protocols like working in half capacity and slowly to total power. That time I had a team of 12 to 13 people, and I was so confident enough to grow as I had no layoffs. During the second lockdown, I was well equipped with the resources as I expanded my operations, increased my team size, added more machinery, and I was able to join hands with medical suppliers to start manufacturing PPE kits for the hospitals. It started with an aim to sustain and be selfless with the profits. However, I felt happy ensuring paying my employees promptly—most importantly, I retained all my employees. These were all done
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by abiding by state government guidelines and keeping employees at the top priority. Post the second lockdown; we started working for other brands by providing them cut to pack services of their designs with their brand name. This helped us to manage and utilize our production capacity altogether with working capital. How do you envision further strengthening VIVIKA’s stronghold in 2022 and beyond?
During the pandemic, I got a chance to sit back and think about many aspects related to personal and professional life. I observed online sales or making your presence on a digital platform, or social media is critical to growing your market size and connecting to customers worldwide. So, I have a couple of plans to take VIVIKA’s success to greater heights. We are currently manufacturing limited products and supplying them to the distributors and wholesalers who target a set of audiences.
Henceforth, VIVIKA will start its B2C/D2C platform very soon and connect to a larger audience with its different collection for its customers while keeping its B2B customer’s interest in mind.
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