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International Working Women’s day is important to them for recognising their social and economic freedom. Women, across the globe have fought against gender discriminations. Still they have to struggle to ensure similar wage, treatment and management for a similar work as men. Most importantly, they are still fighting to ensure their right to work. Even today, often they encounter social and family pressures to either leave their occupations or they are not allowed to work. Overcoming these challenges, many women have obtained leadership positions in various sectors and also emerged as promising entrepreneurs. They are creating new opportunities and ways to safeguard financial securities to other women that they can fight their own challenges themselves. BE’s Kuntala Sarkar spoke to some of the renowned woman entrepreneurs who have shared their experiences.

Surbhi Bansal, Owner, Nirmalaya

Piles of marigolds, roses, carnations and other flowers are offered for religious purposes. Eventually they have to be disposed in due time. Tipping the discarded petals into flowing waters adds to the burdens for India's often heavily polluted waterways. Chartered Accountant and eco-entrepreneur, Surbhi Bansal and her Business partner, an exceptional entrepreneur, Rajeev Bansal, through Nirmalaya they recycle these flowers and make organic incense sticks and dhoop stick out of it.

Their vision to bring a change in the society has helped Nirmalaya to achieve great heights in crafting organic and premium aroma products that are used for religious purposes and are made from the sacred flower offering. Woman entrepreneur Bansal is not just contributing to the society but is also a great source of stimulation in contributing in the domain of women empowerment by employing rural women as well as handicapped artisans for manufacturing the products at ‘Recycle Aastha’ in the brand name of Nirmalaya.

Ankita Baid, Owner, ARK and ARTS

Interior designer Ankita Baid has studied from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore and has earned the prestigious FDA, Furniture Singapore Award and Technigroup Office Design Award, Singapore. She has also participated in various exhibitions and for her talent of speaking, singing and reciting backwards in Hindi, English and Bengali Baid has broken Guinness Book of World Records. Baid has always been passionate about various art forms. She established her company ARK and ARTS in 2011 and since then she has designed multiple commercial and residential complexes across India. She had also been nominated for the NDTV Architecture Awards (DAA) for her excellent performance in the sector. As an entrepreneur, while building her career robust, Baid is offering opportunities to a large number of artists and making them financially strong too. 

Bhaveeka Ghelani, owner, Ceyone Nutri Pvt Ltd

Bhaveeka Ghelani started her career 23 years back by joining a direct selling company that made her realise the potential and importance of being independent.  She studies Alternative Medicine and decided to start her own company, Ceyone Nutri India Pvt Ltd. Her aim was to deliver quality products consisting of natural ingredients. With a variety of products in the health care, personal care, oral care and agri care, the brand incorporates into their blends, various foods and natural ingredients. Ceyone is carrying forward the legacy of Ayurvedic system. With the shift in focus to healthcare amongst individuals, Ghelani’s focus is to deliver the quality products and what is required the most.

Ghelani, under the umbrella of Ceyone is trying to help the people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic by providing them this business opportunity. 

Kavita Jalan, Owner, Shi

Kavita Jalan is the creative force behind the artisanal brand, ‘Shi’. Her interest in the world of visual arts and fashion has allowed her to fine-tune a particularly sensitive intuition on the evolution of style, which leads her to anticipate trends, translating them into surprising creations. Driven by a holistic vision of luxury and designs, Jalan launched her brand. Since then, she has created contemporary fashion jewellery collections that are driven by the brand’s inclusive ethos. By abjuring the rules and following her instincts, Jalan aims to revolutionise the way people consider and wear jewellery, entering new and uncharted style territories.

She came to a standstill like most other industries in absence of weddings or other events that reduced the demand for fashion jewellery. The rising price of gold did not help their cause as well. She is optimistic the sector will start moving up steadily in a sustainable manner.

Dwiti Bhuwalka, Owner, Pretios

Colours, cuts and gems always attracted Dwiti Bhuwalka since her childhood days in Banaras. Hailing from a family who are jewellers for more than 100 years, she grew up surrounded with exquisite heirloom jewels. She has also undergone a professional training in diamond grading and assortment, followed by Jewellery designing course. Bhuwalka spent a few years as a director in one of their jewellery showrooms in Noida, Trueso. Bhuwalka planned to launch her own brand in 2017, ‘Pretios’- affordable hand-crafted silver jewellery with evolving designs. She wanted to foray into costume jewellery, breaking away from the tradition of her family business that was into the trade of precious jewellery. 

In the aftermath of Covid-19, consumers have been cutting down on their spending and the stores were shut. But Bhuwalka retained her old staffs and paid them their full salaries sustained her business.

Shailja Bhalotia, Co-owner, Royal China

Shailja Bhalotia, co-owner of Royal China in Kolkata has fulfilled her passion of owning a restaurant after taking up the franchise rights of the Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Royal China. She had opened the restaurant a month before the pandemic and the lockdown affected her massively. But she did not lose hope. They had to be patient till post-lockdown for people to start venturing out and experience their offerings. She said that it has been a very difficult period, but every month they have seen incremental sales and footfalls which are encouraging.

They had a team of almost 50 people during the pandemic and they did not release any team member. She is very optimistic that the pandemic is hopefully nearing its end and the vaccine available in the near future.

Sumita Jalan, Co-owner, La Macario Café

Jalan has always been very passionate about cooking and started her café La Macario to engage more to this passion. All the strong women around the globe who own their own restaurants and are in the food and beverage industry have inspired her. Pandemic was an important experience and learning time for her. They had launched the cafe in February last year and had to close it because of the nation-wide lockdown. They had no business till May but they predicted the need of the hour and came up with the first ever DIY kits. Jalan said that the response from patrons was incredible. Giving it an innovative touch, they are mostly focusing on ‘Work from La Macario’ as people who are working from home also want a change of ambience. They are working on providing them a great work environment with delicious food. 

In October they re-opened their Cafe. During that time, they didn't let go of any of them staffs. When they re-opened in dining they started with much bigger staff strength and creating new employment opportunities.