Pursuing her dream online
Roli Bhatt started a billion dollar business on Amazon.com — Adaaya. It all began when she heard that Walmart was looking for suppliers of eco-friendly disposable plates. Roli did some research and discovered a big market for eco-friendly plates.
Roli Bhatt is from the steel township of Bokaro located in erstwhile Bihar. Growing up, she was blessed with doting parents and supportive brother. She inherited love for Maths from her father and “grit & guts” from her mom.
Roli describes herself as fiery, gutsy, careless, curious, dreamy, survivor. When she could not get through Engineering, Roli opted for Economics and then went on to pursue MBA (Marketing). The beginning of the journey though simple was definitely scary and remains unforgettable. Roli had a great job and so often questioned herself whether she had taken the right decision. “My gut told me I was right and I just went forward with this instinct and reached where we are today. And I can truly say that what I’ve learnt in these 3 years, I hadn’t in my entire life,” explains Roli.
Speaking about her ambitions she says — “I was sure to make something worth of myself. I wanted to leave a mark. But the route I should follow was not clear in my mind. I went with flow into the corporate world and performed. Met wonderful self-made people and learned a lot.”
Then there was this calling. And she felt the time was right. With the savings she had and along with her husband she decided to extend the partnership into their own business. With focus on the export market, they both set out with a mission of taking beautiful indigenous Indian products to best markets of the world via Amazon Global Selling Program.
When asked about what she feels about International Women’s Day, she says —“Women’s Day is a great way to celebrate for being Women. All the women in the world should take a minute out on that day and just pat their back for achieving whatever they have achieved in their life.”
Roli sends out a message to all the women out there. “Women are born entrepreneurs. I see opportunity when I walk on a pavement, when I eat at a restaurant, when I travel in a train or even when I am in kitchen. Ladies, the world is full of opportunities. Go and grab it,” states Roli.
Roli is amongst the growing tribe of digital entrepreneurs who have leveraged the growth of e-commerce to achieve fabulous milestones.
Making her own storeys
Exuding a magnetic charisma is the face behind one of the most powerful brands of Chennai —Farah Agarwal, a mother of two. Chestnut Storeys is her brainchild that reflects her infectious energy. In a very short span of time, Farah and her brand have grown by leaps and bounds. She is the creative mind behind some of the most exotic homes and hang-outs in Chennai.
Her journey of grit and determination goes back to her childhood, when she was stirred to constantly do up her home stylishly, much to the awe of friends and family. She would play around with various styles of upholstery and furniture, to end up with interesting moods that enlivened her space. Expectedly, she was often sought by kin to create refreshing looks for their own homes.
“I was full of ideas right from my childhood, and wanted to pursue medicine to become a doctor but life had different better things in store for me I guess. I loved playing around with different set ups and was always in awe of beautiful and well curated spaces ever since I can remember. So I studied interior designing as I knew I would love what I do,” states Farah.
However, as with most entrepreneurs, Farah’s journey into building Chestnut Storeys was far from being a piece of cake. She started out freelancing within her known circle, and slowly gathered the confidence and know-how to pull off larger projects. Following her marriage to a successful ophthalmologist, she shifted base to Chennai, where it seemed that she had to build her clientele anew. The contexts and sensibilities of the conservative city posed rather new challenges to her. But she believes that it was this phase as a fish out of water that gave her the tenacity to outperform herself.
When most women choose to wind up their careers right when they take on motherhood, Farah was inspired to multitask. She braved personal sacrifices in order to establish her design career firmly in Chennai.
Racing against the clock, Farah managed to complete as many as 30 projects in barely 2 years! She is the proud recipient of CMO Asia’s Design Excellence Award for the “Best Young Designer” in Asia 2016 which was held in Singapore, and also a World Women Leadership Award in 2017. She has also been listed as one of the top 50 next gen designers in India by the Architects and Interiors magazine 2017, with her assignment being one of the top 10 chosen to be presented at the awards ceremony.
Her uncompromising attitude towards quality of design has earned her rave acclamation and word-of-mouth recognition. She believes that the beauty of creation lies in being one with the space and nature around.
Putting smiles on women’s faces
Dr. Jayanthy’s passion lies in bringing a joyful smile on her patient’s face when they experience a change in their appearance and self-esteem. It is this very passion that has earned her acclaim from patients and peers. And it is this very passion she pursues day after day as one of the leading plastic surgeons in India.
Specialising in cosmetic surgery procedures like hair transplants, Dr. Jayanthy Ravindran, decided in 2015 to spearhead the establishment of a regional aesthetic surgery practice with focus on integrating innovative facial and body procedures, as well as non-invasive and injectable rejuvenation treatments.
“Trying to be better than the person I was yesterday is more important to me than trying to be better than someone else,” she says. In her role as founder and chief cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Jayanthy Ravindran brings over 15 years of aesthetic and cosmetic surgery experience along with meticulous skill and an innate artistic sensibility.
Dr. Jayanthy’s expertise in complex surgical techniques such as hair transplants, liposuction and gynecomastia combined with her numerous academic achievements and accolades make her and Tamira one of the most sought-after names in cosmetic surgery not just in India but also among international patients from Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and North America.
Competing in a man’s world
Bhagyalakshmi is a 28 year-old Uber driver partner based in Chennai, who has been on the app for over three months now. Prior to this she was an auto driver for six years. She woke up one morning to realise that it was time for her to become her own boss. She pooled in money from her family, bought herself an Indica and joined Uber — there has been no turning back since.
“Driving was seen as a man’s job years ago, and here I am today, a proud car owner and a professional driver with Uber. Not a day goes by without a customer appreciating this bold move of mine. I believe it is important for women to shed their fears and pursue their dreams, no matter what,” said Bhagyalakshmi, Uber driver-partner, on the occasion of Women’s Day 2018.
