The role played by women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses in the Indian economy is undeniable. According to a McKinsey Global report, India can potentially add US$700 billion to its global GDP simply by increasing women’s participation in the labour force. Currently, 20.37 per cent of women are MSME owners in India. There is an estimated 13.5 to 15.7 women-owned businesses in the country, irrespective of their size or nature that provide direct employment to 22 to 27 million people. Clearly, the potential of India’s women entrepreneurs, though growing, is still untapped to a large extent because of the challenges we still face.
As the world celebrates Women Entrepreneurship Day today by noting the contributions made by the extraordinary women who run businesses—small, medium or large, in any industry—we, at Her Circle share our dedication and commitment to provide them with the platform they need and deserve. Since its launch in 2021, Her Circle has continuously strived to present the inspiring stories of India’s women entrepreneurs.
In 2022, we also dedicated an entire month—the financially critical month of April, no less—to celebrate the achievements of 30 women entrepreneurs. Beyond April 2022, we have continued to feature women entrepreneurs who are making great strides, especially in the field of sustainability—which is another core value we at Her Circle believe in. Here are some of the featured stories of women entrepreneurs from Her Circle that have made an impact in 2022.
Fashion & Sustainability
While the world is contending with fast fashion and the immense carbon footprint it leaves behind, Her Circle has constantly upheld the values and path set by sustainable fashion entrepreneurs. In 2021, we revealed the sustainable fashion plans of one of India’s biggest fashion pioneers, Anita Dongre. Continuing that streak in 2022, we featured Kirti Poonia—the founder of Okhai and the pathbreaking brand, Relove—in our Sustainably-shot Digital Cover. We also featured Manorath, the current CEO of Okhai, and the future the brand is setting in the sustainable fashion industry. But what about small fashion businesses, you ask? In April, we introduced the world to the 80-year-old grandmother who started a small fashion accessories business from her home, with the help of her young granddaughter. Sheela Bajaj has turned her passion for crocheting into a viable small business—one of the many that came up during the pandemic. Click here to know more about her.
Financial Services
When it comes to financial literacy, women often feel left behind despite the digital revolution. This may be because we are often conditioned to believe that we don’t need to worry about money matters, but a few women entrepreneurs are working constantly to remedy this situation. Serial entrepreneur Priti Rathi Gupta’s LXME app is clearly one of the noteworthy attempts to educate and empower Indian women on financial matters. The Basis app founded by Hena Mehta and Dipika Jaikishan is equally vibrant and effective.
Food, Desserts & Restaurants
While many believe women are naturally talented cooks, when it comes to running successful food businesses, men have mostly dominated the world. Now, India has a number of women who have proved this belief wrong by not only starting food businesses and restaurants, but also by winning global accolades for the same. Chef Ritu Dalmia is clearly THE pioneer when it comes to women who have made a mark in the food industry. Master patissier Pooja Dhingra’s story is perhaps equally well known. And of course, there is Michelin-award-winning chef Garima Arora—a true pathbreaker, and now the first woman chef to enter the judge’s panel of MasterChef India.
And while these are well-known names, many may not know that Mansi Reddy’s Mason & Co is pioneering in another field too. Not only are their chocolates winning accolades globally, but the brand employs rural women and trains them in the art of chocolate-making! Her Circle also features young women entrepreneurs who have only recently entered the food industry by opening their own cafes—like Preeti Dogra and Vishakha Zaveri. They might be new entrants in the field, but their potential is limitless.
Wellness & Health
Since 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has had a renewed interest in health and wellness. But, for the women entrepreneurs working in this industry, a number of women-centric issues have been on the forefront for decades. Both Ira Guha, the founder of Asan Cup, and Janvi Tiwari, the founder of SOQO, menstrual health is the biggest point of focus. These young women entrepreneurs are pioneering sustainable, ethical and affordable menstrual hygiene products for Indian women. But while menstrual health remains one of the biggest concerns for Indian women, in both rural and urban India, cancer is also a health issue that impacts us. Making a change on this front is equally important, and that’s precisely what Sripriya Rao, the co-founder of Karkinos Healthcare is doing. From bringing about awareness to prompt early detection of cancer, to creating pathways for direct-to-consumer cancer care, her initiative is slowly but steadily making the progress it needs to, for our sakes.
Beauty, But Not Skin Deep
Ethical beauty, sustainable beauty, vegan beauty—these may be aspirational words you have come across increasingly these days. Just like the fashion industry, the environmental fallout of the beauty industry has also come under the scanner in recent years. Taking up the challenge of transforming the beauty industry, one product at a time, are some of the exemplary women entrepreneurs Her Circle has featured this year.
Veteran actor-turned-entrepreneur, Rameshwari Seth, started Neemli Naturals with the intention of providing you with proper skincare while caring for the planet too. Ritika Jayaswal’s Nourish Mantra manages to combine Ayurvedic knowledge with environmentally-conscious technologies to create a whole range of skincare and beauty products. Prachi Bhandari’s Aminu Life also works on the similar principle of creating an ethical beauty brand that cares for your skin and health just as much as it does for Mother Nature. All three brands are vegan and sustainable.
Living Sustainably
If you believe change begins at home, then the story of Gauri Satam, the co-founder of unTag Architecture, is what you need to hear. Satam creates fully sustainable homes, structures which are in tune with nature instead of disrupting it. And while your home needs to adapt to the needs of the time, so does your purchasing habits. You could do that by buying from any of the women entrepreneurs’ businesses mentioned about—but you could also do so by heading to Sakshi Agarwal’s Gharobaar. Agarwal’s entrepreneurial venture is all about supporting small, home-run businesses from across the nation by giving them a platform.
Treading Uncharted Waters
All the women entrepreneurs mentioned above are remarkable. But while their contributions may fit into some wider categories, Her Circle has featured a few more women entrepreneurs who have made a mark in fields you wouldn’t easily think of. Smriti Lamech’s Smritsonian is a venture where women from self-help groups create feminist dolls that educate children (of every gender), and sometimes adults too, about the contributions of women icons like Savitribai Phule, Kalpana Chawla and Frida Kahlo. Parineeta Rajgarhia, on the other hand, is breaking gender stereotypes by pioneering into the emerging VR gaming industry through Zero Latency.