“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on with it, and the perseverance to follow it.” –Kalpana Chawala
While talking about the independent and brave women, Kalpana Chawla is the one name that always comes up. Creating history here, she managed to nail down the sense of empowerment in the women of India. Going by the sense of being independent, here are eight women you should know about, who following their passion engendered their entrepreneurship skills to the task.
- Pooja Dhingra, founder and owner at Le 15 Patisserie
-Pooja Dhingra, the founder of Le15 Patisserie, Le15 Cafe and Studio Fifteen Culinary Centre in Mumbai, which was also the first macaron store in India. Pooja wanted to bring introduce Parisian styled culinary in India. Counting down to her achievements, she has been featured in national dailies and is frequently seen in fashion and lifestyle magazines. Clearly, it’s more than her cooking skills that make her an inspirational woman and a powerful businesswoman
From macarons to cupcakes, choux pastries, tarts and many more baking items we may think and more. It has three outlets in Mumbai. Pooja has just recently opened her first café at Colaba called Le15 Café in collaboration with a culinary school friend Pablito Naranjo.
She is also the author of a best-selling (in India) cookery book and recently launched a book on healthy eating, called The Wholesome Kitchen.
- Nina Lekhi, founder of Baggit
“Failure is not the end of the road”
-An ardent believer of the quote, Nina Lekhi is a muse to us women. The founder of Baggit, and a very successful entrepreneur. In 1984, being only 18, an idea planted in her head to design bags and since then her goal has been to make that dream a reality. To her pleasure, her parents were extremely supportive and encouraged her to be an entrepreneur and sell. Of course, there is no easy path to success, facing battles internally and in the business world as well, she managed to fly out with flying colors. Not quitting and staying put to her words, her name is now known among the most powerful women. She received the Woman Entrepreneur of the year award in the 2015.
- Richa Kar, Zivame
-A country where women only fill in 12% of the board seats, Richa Kar made sure to stand out and let the world notice her. Richa Kar, the founder and CEO of Zivame.com which is an online lingerie store for the Indian women, truly defines the new age woman entrepreneur in India.
-She started her company in a small office space back in 2011. Her vision was to enhance and diversify the lingerie choices for women. What interested her to focus in this filed was the realization that wherein foreign countries brands like Victoria’s Secret offer such class, here in India, it was the most neglected section of the wardrobe. Her story is one of the rare entrepreneurial success stories in India. To set up a business in an industry as personal as lingerie and run with sheer confidence and elegance is commendable.
- Shubhra Chaddha, Co-Founder Chumbak Designs
-Vivek Prabhakar and Shubhra Chaddha co-founded Chumbak. It was started with an initial amount of Rs. 45 lakh, which they raised by selling their house in 2010. Perceived with an idea to make designer and crafted products available at affordable prices, Prabhakar and Chadda initiated their idea. Seeking to buy mementos, it is often hard to look for while you’re travelling. The company has about 20 stores and kiosks across five cities, along with presence in about 60 multi-brand outlets.
-Currently, online sales account for about 15 per cent of total sales. Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore contribute 60 per cent to Chumbak’s total sales. Facing and overcoming the challenges in business, Shubhra stands out to be a successful entrepreneur in all its form.
- Aditi Gupta, Menstrupedia
-In India, where it is the word menstruation is frowned upon and is “customary” for women to be shamed and hidden while on her menstruation cycle, Aditi Gupta managed to pen down the name so feared, legally. Along with Tuhin Paul (her then boyfriend, now husband) started inspection and guidance to girls regarding their diet and fitness during periods.
-Wanting to help out at a larger scale, they started creating prototypes explaining menstruation through comics. The excellent reaction it received and the warm reception it drew got them to bootstrap Menstrupedia. Aditi has won multiple awards for her year-old startup.