Digital First Magazine – March 2021 – India Edition – 10 Most Inspiring Indian Women Leaders in Busi

INDIA EDITION

www.digitalfirstmagazine.com

Digital, Technology and Business Insights Anjali Agrawal, Founder, KotaDoriaSilk (KDS) Dhwani Jaipuria, Director, SRJ Edu Services Dr. Malini Saba, Founder & Chairman, Saba Group

Malika Sadani, Founder & CEO, The Moms Co Meghna Agarwal, Co Founder, IndiQube

INSPIRING

INDIAN

Geeta Singh, Founder & Director, The Yellow Coin Communication Gunjan Malhotra, Director, Komaki Electric Vehicle Division Jigyasa Kishore, Senior Director, Moglix Kanika Agarrwal, Co-founder & CIO, Upside AI Kavita Viswanath, GM, JFrog India

IN BUSINESS

Nidhi Marwah, Group Managing Director, The Executive Center Nisha Parikh, VP - HR & Marketing, Telebu Pooja Bedi, Founder, Happy Soul Prerna Puri.

Founder & CEO, Prerna_s Handcrafted Ice Shailini Sheth Amin, Founder, MORALFIBR Sonica Aron, Founder & Managing Partner, Marching Sheep Tanvi Singla, Co-founder, Supreme Incubator

Khushboo Sharma Solanki, Founder, Zero Gravity Communications Kriti Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CPO, StoreHippo

FEB-MAR 2021

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Feb-Mar 2021

Vol - 2 Issue - 2

Women Leaders in Business (India Edition) Editor in Chief

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Special Editor Navya Venkatesh

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana D Shyam K

Anna Elza Stanly Lui Emma James

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Art and Design

Ajay K Das Manjunath R Rohith Poojary

Sales & Marketing

Jyoti Kumari Reshma Ashokan

Arati Waghmare Hanna George

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Higher Digital Education First Magazine Digest March Feb-Mar 2019 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Who runs the World? Women!

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s men and women grow and continue their education, they have equal ambitions to pursue a successful professional career, with roughly equal levels of achievement — though some studies suggest that women do slightly better. Living in the 21st century, big-shot companies are taking strides in promoting gender equality, breaking the glass ceiling, and improving inclusion and diversity. Right now is a great and important time in history to do everything possible to help forge a more gender-balanced world. This is going on another level with women leaders emerging and making their place in the global workspace.

For a growing number of women, the fastest route to the c-suite is launching their own business. Today’s startup culture empowers women to be their own boss and pays their own salary, defining how they want to work and making the balance of career and family life more comfortable. Entrepreneurship presents a path for women to close the pay gap and rise to leadership positions on their own terms. From the new wave of rebellious women

breaking all the old-fashioned norms, they stand up for what they believe in and make their mark in the everevolving industry.

More and more women in leadership positions are pushing the boundaries of gender equality by utilizing their strengths and leadership qualities – in skill, knowledge, experience, and emotion. They are pursuing the things they want from their job and their career, not waiting for it to come to them. The key is confidence in all your resources and abilities, not just those represented on paper.

Celebrating all of the strong, powerful, and beautiful women out in the world and our very own lives — and not just today, but every day too, we have listed “10 Inspiring Indian Women Leaders in Business” and told their stories to inspire the youth to reach out for the stars despite all odds! Here’s to the women of the past, the present, and the future, and all of the women breaking barriers and paving ways for the next generation of confident, independent women.

tesh a k n e V a y v Na Navya Venkatesh

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ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc. Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi) Senior Director HR. Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

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Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mamta Thakur Former CEO (ASEAN), Arc Skills

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Former Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

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CONTENTS

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A Woman who Brought Traditional Indian Fabrics to Global Digital Platforms

Anjali Agrawal, Founder, KotaDoriaSilk (KDS)

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Helping Organisations Get the Coverage They Deserve

Geeta Singh Founder & Director, The Yellow Coin Communication (TYC)

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A Resilient Leader and A Problem Solver

Khushboo Sharma Solanki Founder, Zero Gravity Communications (ZGC)

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Created with Care and Moulded with Love

Malika Sadani Founder & CEO, The Moms Co.

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A Dreamer Behind the Workspace Transformation

Meghna Agarwal Co-Founder, IndiQube

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A Personification of a Leader’s Workshop

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Promoting Equality and Collaborative Work Environment

Nisha Parikh Nidhi Marwah VP – HR & Marketing, Group Managing Director, Telebu The Executive Centre

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Carving a Path to All-Round Wellness

Pooja Bedi Founder, Happy Soul

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IN MY VIEW 12 The Lessons that We Learned from the Pandemic

Shailini Sheth Amin, Founder, MORALFIBR

EXPERT OPINION 20

Queens of the Tech World

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Kavita Viswanath, GM, JFrog India

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Rise of Women Leadership in Start-Ups

CONTENTS

Prerna Puri, Founder & CEO, Prerna’s Handcrafted Ice Cream

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Supply Chain Digitization Essential to Making Indian Manufacturing More Responsive and Resilient

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Jigyasa Kishore, Senior Director, Moglix

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How has the Pandemic Shaped or Evolved the E-Vehicle Industry?

Gunjan Malhotra, Director, Komaki Electric Division The Contribution of Incubators in Empowering Early-Stage Entrepreneurs in India

Tanvi Singla, Co-founder, Supreme Incubator

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LEADER’S INSIGHTS 16

Office Politics: The Career Obstacle and How Women Can Ace it

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Dr Malini Saba, Founder & Chairman, Saba Group & Anannke Foundation

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If 2020 was about Survival, 2021 is about Fighting Back!

Sonica Aron, Founder & Managing Partner, Marching Sheep

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Why Should We Stop Talking About Gender Diversity in the Workplace?

Kanika Agarrwal, Co-founder & CIO, Upside AI

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Changing Role of Women Leaders in an Organization

Kriti Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CPO, StoreHippo

Education Sector is Welcoming to Women

Dhwani Jaipuria, Director, SRJ Edu Services Pvt. Ltd

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IN MY

VIEW

The Lessons that We Learned

from the Pandemic Shailini Sheth Amin, Founder, MORALFIBR

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ORALFIBRE works to reinvent age-old handcrafted fabrics – Khadi that is unique to India, and it is an important part of world history. The making of Khadi fabrics frees the environment from pollution and depletion, free people from poverty, and creates a sustainable and circular economy. The production approach and values Khadi presents play a pioneering role in showing new ways and workable alternatives to the exploitative fashion industry of the world today.

The early phase of the pandemic was a total shock, uncertainty and worry for all of us. We went through the most heart-wrenching times of our lives in this pandemic.

This dreadful, fast-spreading virus, Covid-19, blocked our lungs, stopped us from breathing, and killed people. Breathing is what we do when we are alive; we take it for granted. And the air is free. We saw people suffering this illness, painful deaths of our dear ones helplessly.

We were unable even to hold their hands to comfort them and to show we love them. Because, by mere touch, we would catch the deadly virus!

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Shailini Sheth Amin’s company practices ethical sourcing and is currently supplying fabric to a UK based firm, among others.

Her fabrics have been used in the international movie ‘Pan’ by Warner Bros and ‘Beauty and the beast’ by Walt Disney (will be releasing this year), and she recently launched “YOGA SUTRA: a range of yoga wear/gears” in association with KVIC. In the wide-spreading fast and disposable fashion markets, she is a successful, award-winning voice for sustainable textile fashion that supports people and the planet along with good fashion.

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Touching, loving, comforting and breathing are human, and that had become deadly.

Covid-19 has made us stay at home with our families and be alone with ourselves. We had, in fact, enhanced our social bonding, not reduced it. We have bonded more with people that matter to us. The understanding of our heroes is now drastically changed. The garbage collectors, sweepers, guards, housemaids, deliverymen, milkmen, chemists, and grocers are our true heroes.

People we take for granted are supporting us the most by risking their lives. Why should there be such an income disparity between them and us anymore?!

We now understood that too much glamour and flamboyance has no meaning anymore. All that we really need is something that helps us go around to serve our utilities, healthy food, healthy home and a few comfortable tops and bottoms. No one was thinking about going to malls for shopping or going to the next exotic vacation.

The last couple of decades, living a consumerist, toxic, capitalist lifestyle, we have acquired enough ‘things’ to last us for the next few years!!

We had an opportunity to learn to appreciate what is of real value to us, to be grateful for good health, fresh

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air and people in our lives. We have appreciated nature and our place in it. We see that nature and our other co-inhabitants of this planet have done well when we have lived with low impact, low activity, and with low interference, just for a few weeks! How selfish and uncaring we have been by encroaching upon their space and their lives?

Covid 19 taught me and us many things that created a path of our recovery, immediate action, and future planning.

With shops, exhibitions and orders dwindling, there have been difficult times for artisans we work with. They live on orders. The lockdown here coincided with harvesting season; some of them found work, but others struggled badly. We stayed connected with hundreds of them. With consistent efforts by our team, we ran a campaign ‘SHOP TO SAVE LIVES’. That and #Conscious Living, #Conscious Giving, the messages we have been promoting for years, had become a ‘Mantra’ to many. We managed to sell more than 50,000 handcrafted masks and other products to support the artisans. Our buyers understood that and helped wholeheartedly.

The last couple of decades, living a consumerist, toxic, capitalist lifestyle, we have acquired enough ‘things’ to last us for the next few years!!

With the networks and connectivity available now, we can connect virtually with people and groups; we can be almost anywhere we wish to. We have moved almost completely online, which has helped. We have evolved; it is clear that everyone’s priorities have shifted; we are all working to make sense of the new reality with new insights.

Self-care, caring for nature and people around us seems to be guiding lights?!

The second pillar of our proposition is Environmental sustainability. MORALFIBRE promotes hand spun hand woven, almost carbon neutral, pollution-free fabrics. In the past, we felt that it was difficult for our potential buyers to connect with this aspect. With this new and growing awareness, we find that this time people relate and respect to nature more. Also, there is a deeper sense of gratitude for Mother Nature. We are now working to tell the environment and carbon-neutral story in the most effective manner.

I have worked as a professional businesswoman all my life, as an architect, in finance and now as a founder and senior partner with MORALFIBRE, in India and abroad. My field of work has been in Energy

efficiency and sustainable practices, conservation programs and heritage support to buildings, people and places. One faces challenges all the time; also, as a woman, not many doors open easily. We, as a society, need to have many more women entrepreneurs and professionals as role models in each field. By recognizing their contribution and giving them due public respect, we will make the prospects for a new generation of women in society better and easier. And their contribution will enrich our society and make it more balanced. This is especially important now when outside the box thinking and working is required. Our approach should be to innovate and develop products that heal us, protect the environment and care for the people. Working with women in leadership roles, this looks achievable.

World economists are already busy working at different financial recovery plans and options for the post-pandemic world. The major concerns and number crunching is about how do we bring the economy closer to our pre-pandemic planned growth-line. How do we help companies and businesses to survive and get people back to work?

When the world recession is looming, how do we increase consumption again?

No one knows what the ‘new normal’ will be and what will, life after Pandemic is like.

When that ‘normal’ happens, I wish we do not forget the lessons ‘this abnormal’ has taught us.

We will have to think of those who have been our backbone in difficult times. And we will have to save the lives of the poor around us. But do we get back on the same bandwagon of rushing to expand financial growth mindlessly and focus on raising GDP alone?!

The savings we make, by less income and reducing our consumption and production, we will have enough for us and help rebuild lives for others around us. The pandemic and other calamities result from the choices we have made and the life we have lived in the last few decades. Do we support mad, polluting, high-growth industries, businesses, and services that deplete our planet’s finite resources?

Each of our considered and wise choices has the power to mould the most desirable future we want to be in. Live local, live light!

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LEADER’S

INSIGHTS

Office Politics:

The Career Obstacle and How Women Can Ace it Dr Malini Saba, Founder & Chairman, Saba Group & Anannke Foundation

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inston Churchill once said that “When you mix people with power, you get politics”.

The corporate world is the bedrock for power, and with people in it, there is bound to be politics! Office Politics is all about influence, power, and relationship. It arises when the differences of personality and opinion become difficult to manage. Women leaders are born to multi-task and manage several responsibilities; that is how we are hardwired. Yet, it is ironic that we tend to shy away from our natural abilities and bow down to meekness.

It is no secret that women have to work extra hard to build their credibility. They have to be strategic about moving the ball forward and successfully reframing the political environment to build a relationship without compromising integrity. If companies are looking for productivity and growth, then they need to pay attention to gender diversity in their workforce.

Following realities give an insight into the evils of office politics and how women can stay on top of it.

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Dr Malini Saba is selfmade businesswomen and the founder and chairman of Saba Group, a privately-held company headquartered in Asia that employs over 5,000 people, operates in more than 20 countries and comprises 15 companies across 10 verticals. Dr Saba is an ardent philanthropist, psychologist, single Mother, fitness enthusiast, author, passionate culinarian, human and social rights activist and a global advocate for women and girls. She has helped millions of underserved women and children in South and Southeast Asia, South America, Africa and the U.S. to gain access to life-saving medical, educational services and achieves economic stability. ‘50 per cent’ of the profit raised by ‘Saba Group’ goes into Dr Saba’s philanthropic activities, supporting education, health, art and culture, livelihood generation and human rights.

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Women benefit significantly from a flexible work arrangement as they can optimise their time and give their best to their professional duties

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1. Gender Stereotyping The Problem: This has a negative ring to it but a concept unfamiliar; gender stereotyping has been a part of the societal norms for a long time. While this was limited to homes before, the feeling has seeped into the corporate world as well. Women are passed over for being women or based on assumptions that their ‘domestic duties’ will take over their professional responsibilities, leaving the company amidst the crossfire.

Gender stereotype ranges from being passed over for promotions to seclusion.

The Solution: It should be made abundantly clear that an employee’s growth is purely based on her/his merit and work. The company leadership needs to acknowledge this talent-based selection and exemplify it, rather than encouraging those who indulge in malpractices. For instance, hiring managers and other executives should refrain from asking ‘what will happen once you get married/once you start a family/ if your husband transfers to another city’.

Additionally, adequate training to the workforce regarding gender sensitivity will prove instrumental in harbouring a positive atmosphere for the women employees.

2. Lack of Flexibility The Problem: The lack of flexibility is interestingly a gender-exclusive problem.

Everyone needs a little breathing space to help cope with their day to day struggles outside work. However, women employees continue to be the major contributors to household duties, and as a result, they need space to perform both their responsibilities.

Not having the flexibility often leaves them crumpled under pressure. While Covid-19 has made it easier for women to balance home and work, it has gone overboard and presented a new dilemma of extra pressure to

tend to their family and office simultaneously.

This trend has led to an increase in anxiety levels among several women, with many of them quitting work to care for their home.

The Solution: Flexible workspace and timings are key to productivity. It not only helps attract talent but also improve the quality of the workforce and their output. When employees feel they are free to work at their pace and take ownership of their tasks, they are more likely to perform well than those with guns over their heads. Women benefit significantly from a flexible work arrangement as they can optimise their time and give their best to their professional duties.

3. Lack of Women Role Models The problem: If one has to search, the decree of female role models in workplaces is less.

It is not easy to yearn for something that you haven’t experienced or seen. A dearth of visibly successful or powerful senior women role models might be a notable hindrance to career improvement.

The solution: Prioritising gender diversity in their leadership is essential. Companies should deliberately look for talents that can justify the role and help pave a path for women employees to come up and occupy positions that were otherwise deemed plausible only for their male counterparts.

4. The Gender Bias The Problem: People unfurl subconscious & unconscious biases towards women in the work environment. The said biases may stem from various reasons, but it is often unintentional due to the lack of awareness or knowledge.

The Solution: Remedy the issue by educating women leaders about the nuances of gender bias in the corporate world. Stand up for others in any gender-discriminatory situation without remaining silent, as silence displays complacency.

5. Not Voicing Opinions The Problem: While the problem here is very clear, there is a back story here where women have been conditioned to stay meek, with their heads bowed and their opinions firmly to themselves (if they are ‘allowed’ to have one at all!) for many years. This runs deep in the feminine mindset, and while there are ferocious women leaders who have challenged authority and set an example, time and again, the majority of ladies are unable to express their thoughts and ideas. This leads to them being bulldozed and away from their chance to shine.

The Solution: The solution lies with multiple stakeholders - the women and the company leadership. Women must come out of their shells and be bold to make their claims.

Simultaneously, leadership should be varying of a work culture that squanders a woman employee’s thought because of her gender.

Leaders should publicly encourage women members to present their ideas and credit them for a job well done.

6. Roadblocks in the Path to Desirable Opportunities The Problem: Not many leadership opportunities are created with gender equality in mind, nor do all professional roles lead to the same growth levels. Lack of offers such as high impact, mission-critical, and high visibility roles deter women from having equal access to careerdefining opportunities men do.

The Solution: Enable women with the tools to empower themselves, such as leadership development programs, boosting confidence professionally, and others to proliferate a clear vision. Organisations can initiate these simple agendas to ensure women are not left behind.

Removing these roadblocks is not an easy task. However, with patience, strategy and an analytical mind, nothing is impossible.

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EXPERT

OPINION

Queens of the

Tech World Kavita Viswanath, GM, JFrog India

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ith everything going digital, the pandemic gave a boost to the tech industry, thereby creating more opportunities and roles for job seekers to explore. This has also given impetus to the women workforce in the tech industry as many companies have envisaged a hybrid office and home model and a blend of full-time employees and gig workers. Many tech companies, who are real ambassadors of workplace diversity, have introduced policies and programs to make it easier to have women come back to work after a sabbatical. Pandemic or no pandemic, I believe that Indian women can rule the tech world. Some of the reasons being Power of STEM India has one of the highest percentages of women entering STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) education, unlike developed countries, where women aren’t going into science and tech education. According to Catalyst, a global nonprofit working with

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Kavita has over 19 years of experience in leading Enterprise Sales, Alliances, Strategy & Planning for core technology & e-commerce companies. As General Manager for JFrog India, she manages India Business and Operations including R&D, Support, Sales & Marketing, Finance & Operations.

Before joining JFrog, she was associated with Flipkart, where she worked directly with Sachin Bansal on building the B2B business of their Made in India brand Billion and also with Flipkart Ads as the Head of Planning & Strategy. Her most recent stint with them has been leading Global Sales at Myntra, for their AI-based SaaS product.

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leading companies to build workplaces that work for women, India has 32% women in engineering education, compared to just 20% in the US and 28% in the European Union. In IT education, the difference is even starker – it’s 52% in India, compared to 19% in the US and EU. If the base is strong, which women in India have by pursuing STEM, they are sure to lead and grow in the tech sector.

comfort zones and challenging their cultural conditioning by moving cities and towns for building a career in the tech industry. With companies focusing on diversity, India will gradually become an attractive destination to work in.

The Work from Home pattern The pandemic has pushed discussions on future work Support from the industry models and strategies, especially regarding arrangements Most companies have put in place programs that allow like staggering employee shifts, rotating days or weeks women to get back to work at a level closer to where of in-office presence. This will see work going to people they were when they had to rather than people going to take a break. Steps are being work. Women who earlier taken to develop communities couldn’t work due to travel for women coders and to issues or night shifts can Women in Tier-II encourage more girls to now look into working again study Science Technology because of the work from cities have been Engineering Mathematics home model. With flexible breaking more (STEM) while in school. This hours or selected workdays, is also because companies women with secondary glass ceilings as see value in having a women degrees could now find workforce and increasing employment. Given time and compared to women that number. IBM has a location flexibility, we will from the urban program called STEM for see fewer drop outs and a girls in collaboration with much better work life balance. areas and that holds state governments whereas A growing number of Mastercard has the Girls4Tech women have taken up roles true even in the tech program, into its eighth year leading India for many large industry. now, encouraging girls to MNCs. Very often, they come take up STEM careers. It is from a strong engineering and interesting to see how India technology background and and its leading tech companies drive tech roles like Sindhu have taken the sourcing of Gangadharan - SVP & MD, female talent seriously and have powered ahead of the SAP Labs India; Debjani Ghosh - President, NASSCOM; West in achieving gender parity at the graduate level.

Kalavathi G V - CEO, Philips Innovation Campus; Sukanyya Misra - Senior Vice President and Head, India Growth of Tier-II and III markets Tech Hub, Mastercard. At JFrog, we have more than 40% Women in Tier-II cities have been breaking more glass women at the executive level leading core technology ceilings as compared to women from the urban areas and and business functions. Not just that, more than a quarter that holds true even in the tech industry. Over the years of our employees in India are women. As more women in the industry has seen a great number of job applications the workplace rise through the mid and senior levels, it and participation of women from Tier-II markets. The Edis only a matter of time before many make it to the top. tech revolution has helped many women take up focused Product engineering is now becoming a big part of the online training courses that have helped them bag roles in industry and as it grows, we will see more women leaders big tech companies thus enabling them to get out of their taking up key technology roles.

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hat does it take to be women leaders in business? A CEO of a company once said that one of the uncomfortable realities of being a female leader is walking into a business meeting and realising that you are one of the few women or, if not, the only woman in the room among your male counterparts. For most of us, be it men or women, the pressure of being the only one can be overwhelming. Most of the time, the majority group members subject minorities to a higher percentage of bias and discrimination, whether intentional or not. That is one significant reason for women leaders being the minority in our business world.

In the past few decades, however, women have come par with men in the number of employees in the workforce and middle management positions. However, when it comes to boardroom presence, the numbers are not promising - women hold a meagre 7.4 per cent of Fortune 500 CEO roles.

The Fortune India 500 list of 2020 shows that just 29 companies have women leaders with executive powers. It is a well-known fact that the number of women in the corporate sector diminishes at the mid and upper-management levels.

As we celebrate another International Women’s Day in 2021, we asked India’s females business leaders about their struggles to achieve the top-positions. The result was some inspiring stories. In this issue, we have listed the ’10 Most Inspiring Indian Women Leaders in Business’ who have fought the stereotypes and made an impression by their business intelligence and social and cultural influence. We hope our stories would inspire a new generation of women to take leadership roles and break the norms.

Name

Designation

Company

Anjali Agrawal

Founder

KotaDoriaSilk (KDS)

Geeta Singh

Founder & Director

TYC Communication

Khusbhoo Sharma Solanki

Founder

Zero Gravity Communications

Malika Sadani

Founder & CEO

The Moms Co.

Dr Malini Saba

Founder & Chairman

Saba Group

Meghna Agarwal

Co-founder

IndiQube

Nidhi Marwah

Group Managing Director

The Executive Centre

Nisha Parikh

VP - HR & Marketing

Telebu

Pooja Bedi

Founder

Happy Soul

Shailini Sheth Amin

Founder

MORALFIBR

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ANJALI AGRAWAL Founder, KotaDoriaSilk (KDS)

A Woman who Brought Traditional Indian Fabrics to Global Digital Platforms

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ntrepreneurs are not always born; they are forged in the fire of passion and determination. Such was the story of Anjali Agrawal, who studied electrical engineering, worked for twelve years in her area of expertise, and had a pleasant enough life but sought more than mere fulfilment. “Being in the corporate world gave me a sense of professional contentment, but deep down, I was still not there.

I always had blurred thoughts in my head of

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creating something of my own,” Anjali recalls.

When she decided to step out, she realized that her greatest strength lay in the clothes she wore.

Through college and while working, Anjali wore a lot of traditional suits made of Kota Doria fabric. The soft hand-woven cloth, gentle on the skin, was incredibly soothing during the harsh summers. Ever so often, those around her would compliment her on her choice of clothes.

She was frequently asked to source similar

I TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH

BY PUTTING ASIDE MY CORPORATE EXPERIENCE AND CHOSE TO START SOMETHING OF MY OWN THAT CHANGED NOT JUST MY LIFE BUT ALSO THE LIVES OF MANY OTHERS AROUND ME

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FROM THE START, ANJALI’S CREATION ATTRACTED ATTENTION FROM RESELLERS, WHICH FURTHER FUELED ITS JOURNEY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NOW, KDS HAS AROUND 1,500 RESELLERS

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pieces for friends and colleagues, as the fabric which was so popular in Rajasthan was not available elsewhere. That led Anjali to take the plunge into her maiden entrepreneurial venture, KotaDoriaSilk (KDS). Her innovations with the Kota fabric, trendy designs, and work turned KDS into a company with a turnover of four crores in less than six years.

Today, the organization empowers women to sell from home and encourages artisans to work based on new-age demands.

Anjali shares, “I took a leap of faith by putting aside my corporate experience and chose to start something of my own that changed not just my life but also the lives of many others around me.”

With her maiden venture involving a traditional Indian fabric and her deep desire to empower people at the grassroots, Anjali decided to deal directly with artisans to keep the Kota Doria fabric true to its roots. As the textile is woven in villages near Kota in Rajasthan, she started sourcing the raw material directly from weavers. She also dealt directly with embroiderers, painters, printers, and artisans, who

crafted beautiful designs on her fabric of choice. With time, she soon understood the intricacies of the material she invested in and marketed. Eventually, Anjali made crucial decisions regarding each component’s ratio that went into the weaves.

Under the KDS umbrella, artisans began working steadily through demand from across India. The collaboration enabled weavers and craftsmen to have a steady and secure source of income. It encouraged them to streamline their efforts, and gradually the KDS family grew from a handful of people to 72 artisans.

The company has an equal ratio of women and men, and they contribute daily to crafting unique designs on this handloom fabric. Today, over 25 looms exclusively work for KDS, which has helped many artisan families taste the security of steady income.

From the start, Anjali’s creation attracted attention from resellers, which further fueled its journey across the country. Now, KDS has around 5000 resellers.

While some working women, boutique owners, and shop owners form part of this number, the majority comprises homemakers. Several women who were never part of the corporate workforce or chose to drop out over time have found their feet through KDS. Thus, customers in different parts of the country are connected with minimal difficulty through this vast reseller network. Anjali proudly salutes the effort of associated women business partners from across India.

A tale of empowerment comes from a craftsman in Delhi, whose workshop was at the brink of closing down when Anjali first met him. She worked with him on creating a few sets of designs, and over time, KDS provided enough work for him to flourish. Three years down the line, the workshop has more machines and ten new workers to keep up with the demand from KDS alone!

Three years ago, Anjali also laid the foundation of Anjali Handloom Studio, a sister concern of KDS. The

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weavers’ guild under this concern works on crafting and retaining the authenticity of other traditional Indian fabrics like Chanderi, Ghiccha, and Tusser, besides linen and cotton. These looms also showcase the beauty of hand-woven textile as opposed to machine-made duplicates. The studio helps retain the authenticity of the traditional fabric.

As different clothing e-commerce options become commonplace, KDS stands out with its firm roots in tradition while being unafraid to experiment. So, while pure zari Kota sarees are still woven, their reach has increased manifold. Moreover, to cater to the changing demands of a varied customer base, the KDS family has retained its stronghold on traditional prints like block prints, zari, and gota patti. Simultaneously, they are fearlessly experimenting with modern digital prints, embroidery, Indigo, bagh, bandhej, leheriya, and azrakh.

The expansion into new realms of design tapped a whole set of new and younger, bolder audiences and made this fabric remain evergreen. Moreover, while the material was more commonly used in Indian wear and more specifically in sarees, KDS has experimented with cushion covers, sheer curtains, and other home decor articles. Moreover, plans for expanding into Indowestern women’s wear and even men’s wear are on the cards!

While KDS began to popularise the Kota fabric, its founder, Anjali, has not just helped exhibit the same but also allowed its weavers to sustain through tough times.

During the pandemic, when several artisans lost the means to earn their daily bread, Anjali helped her network

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of weavers, artisans and associated women channel partners to thrive. Taking advantage of KDS’s digital presence and access, the organization continued selling.

Simultaneously, the extended network took the utmost care to utilize its resources in the best manner possible.

Anjali donated nearly 25,000 triple-layered cotton masks to NGOs in addition to including several pieces with each order. “By offering effective yet comfortable masks, I am trying to ensure that more people wear them, thus stemming the spread of the disease,” Anjali adds.

Over six years, KDS has become synonymous with this traditional Kota Doria fabric in India. Today, the website boasts of a beautiful amalgamation of traditional Indian outfits while embracing newer designs as fashions change. Anjali’s relentless efforts and effective e-commerce website have also taken Kota Doria from being an obscure handloom fabric to a material that stands a chance to become a household name across the country and even around the globe. The material has already found a place in several European homes and is set to make waves among the global audience in the years to come.

Today, KDS has an annual turnover of 4 crores, but here is how it began: with an initial investment of ₹25,000 and a woman’s dream that was too big to give up on. She not only created a platform for a little-known Indian fabric but also aided the empowerment of several others associated with its making. From chasing a dream, uplifting each other, and opening up previously unknown avenues, Anjali and her team have had each others’ back through everything!

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LEADER’S

INSIGHTS

If 2020 was about Survival, 2021 is about

Fighting Back!

Sonica Aron, Founder and Managing Partner, Marching Sheep

I

f 2020 was a year about survival, then 2021 would be a year about fighting back. Nothing about the year 2021 will be similar to earlier years. Whether we like it or not, things will not go back to the way they were Pre-Covid. Some changes will be permanent, and we are yet to see some evolution to take place. Businesses will need to try out newer business models to meet the needs of an evolving consumer. New products and services, new channels of distribution, communication, new sales channels, process innovations, new ways of working, restructuring, innovative employment contracts, automation, the list is endless. In all this, it will become imperative to unleash the power of the most important assetpeople, possibly the only asset which appreciates over time. And to do that, organizations will need to rely on the following four pillars.

Purpose - There is nothing more powerful in this world than working towards a purpose that one believes in. Organizations that can rally their entire workforce, from the senior-most to the junior-most, from

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Sonica Aron is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marching Sheep, an HR advisory firm specializing in Strategic HR advisory, Diversity and inclusion interventions and capability building.

An XLRI postgraduate, Sonica has worked with companies like Pepsico, Vodafone, Roche Diagnostics and ICI paints. She started her career with a sound understanding of business, where she went route-riding with Pepsico and was part of the team that launched Pepsi 200 ml at Rs 5.

She was the first lady HR Manager stationed at a factory in Upcountry UP, and there the seeds to her diversity practice were born.

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permanent to temporary to gig workers to trainees, towards a common purpose will have a workforce that will be willing to move mountains to achieve their goals. Integrating the purpose in their vision, mission, and goals for 2021, reinforcing the purpose through internal policies, practices, communication, and interventions will keep employees grounded in the purpose.

2021 will be a challenging year where it will not be incremental growth that businesses will be gunning for

Role of Strategic HR Business Partner - If the role of the HR function during the pandemic was critical to helping manage with business continuity, it would be indispensable now. Working side by side with business, the HR function will strategically, structurally and systemically help build sustainable organizational capability while balancing employee experience, well-being, organizational brand amongst relevant talent pool. The HR function will play a key role in driving high-performance inclusive cultures that will need the hour.

Managerial and Leadership competencies Leaders and Managers will be uniquely placed where on one side, they will be accountable for business results and on the other side for the well-being and performance of their teams, whether working in an office, in hybrid models or working remotely. They will need to be able to build psychological safety in their teams while driving accountability for results, give constructive feedback with empathy, induct employees remotely, nurture high-performance remote teams, manage gig workers, and so on.

Emotionally resilient workforce - Vaccine might be here, and Covid might be abating, but the war is far from over. 2021 will be a challenging year where it will not be incremental growth that businesses will be gunning for. Irrespective of sector or life stage, every business will be looking at recovering lost ground and will be having ambitious targets.

Consumer sentiment might be unpredictable. With challenging targets will come work pressure, and building an emotionally resilient workforce will help organizations build a winning team.

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!ncredible

No matter where you decide to go in India, you’ll find something incredible. And right next to that, you’ll find us. Safe and sanitised stays, waiting to host you.

So pack up your bags, dust those boots, come to an OYO near you.

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GEETA SINGH Founder & Director, The Yellow Coin Communication (TYC)

Helping Organisations Get the Coverage They Deserve

F

or Geeta Singh, establishing The Yellow Coin Communication (TYC) office in one of the most bustling commercial spaces in the national capital – Jasola, was the most significant milestone she achieved in recent times. “It matters a lot because I started TYC communication with just one other employee besides me in a room of 64 square feet. Now we have our own office space sprawling over 2500 square feet and a strong team of 30+ consummate professionals,” shares Geeta. Besides, Geeta is also proud of TYC’s overseas expansion. The firm has

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opened another branch in Estonia, Europe, to bring its top-notch communication services to foreign clients.

From then to now…

The genesis of TYC Communication was humble as it can get. It started with just Rs. 50,000 arranged from friends and family in a room of 8x10 feet served as the office. There was only one other employee besides the founder and one client. However, its unwavering commitment to quality soon spread the word about the organisation, and the business started

IF WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIAN WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THEIR EDUCATION

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TODAY, TYC COMMUNICATION HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A REPUTED COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO UNDERTAKING GOVERNMENT PROJECTS TO TEST ITS METTLE

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booming. With growth and hard work as the only constants at TYC Communication, it has been on an upward trajectory since its inception.

Despite the growth that TYC Communication has experienced in recent years, according to Geeta, the journey had its fair share of setbacks. “One incident that comes to mind is when someone from the inside decided to betray the company. They left the company and convinced most of the workers to leave with them. It was a very crucial time for us. Still, thanks to the support I got from my employees, friends, and family, I managed to keep the organisation on its feet. What was once an extremely stressful situation is just a funny anecdote now. I must put it on the record that I hold no grudges now; life’s too short for that,” recounts Geeta. Regardless of the type of business, every firm is bound to run into an obstacle.

The same happened with TYC Communication.

However, looking back at that incident as a part of the journey, Geeta believes that it has only made her even stronger.

Geeta says, “I have always made it a point to surround myself with people who are better than me.

It strengthens the organisation and allows me to learn and get better.” Unlike typical Indian bosses, Geeta is not an advocate of micromanaging. Instead, she lets people take responsibility and trust in their abilities to get the desired results. “That’s what I do, and it has worked wonderfully for me. I only intend to keep them motivated and help them see the bigger picture,” pinpoints Geeta.

Women as leaders in India Being a leader is all about standing on the frontline.

That’s what it means to lead, and that’s what inspires people to follow. As a leader herself, Geeta always tries to make a conscious effort to stay in touch with the ground realities of TYC while juggling her executive responsibilities. “I have always believed that as a leader, it is my job to motivate my people so that they can become the best version of themselves. We may not notice it, but the leader’s emotional state always reflects on the team’s emotional state,” opines Geeta. With confidence, passion, enthusiasm, and dedication, Geeta continues to inspire people.

“As per the sixth economic census conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), women comprise as much as 13.76% of the total entrepreneurs in India,” states Geeta. The statistic speaks for itself. Indeed, there are very few

women in leadership roles in our country. However, Geeta believes that the tide is shifting now, as more women like Geeta are entering the industrial space with the determination to lead. She says, “If we want to increase the number of Indian women in leadership roles, we need to focus on their education.” Education empowers a person to break their shackles and soar high in the sky. “We also need some structural reforms and government support. Thankfully, the current government has launched many schemes like Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) business loan, Stree shakti Package, Orient Mahila Vikas Yojana, Dena Shakti Scheme, Udyogini Scheme, and Cent Kalyani Scheme, among others, which offer Indian women a shot at entrepreneurship,” she adds. Hopefully, with this kind of active support and changing the societal mindset regarding gender roles, India will see more women in leadership roles.

On juggling through in the Media and Advertising Industry As an SME leader, Geeta says that there is no fixed schedule that one can follow.

She dedicates all waking hours to her work. “My day starts as often as 6 in the morning. It lasts till 10 or 11 or sometimes even later in the night. To be

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GEETA SINGH

completely candid, I do not stay calm all day, as much as I’d like to. I always find myself a bit overcharged,” shares Geeta. However, Geeta knows that she has to deal with pressure in a much better way over the years and tends not to snap anymore like she used to back in the day. She listens to motivational videos and spends time reading while introspecting and finding solutions by partially isolating herself.

“It is a wonderful feeling, and it is a position that I have secured for myself through a lot of hard work and perseverance,” says Geeta. She thinks that the industry has become a lot more receptive to women leaders. There are plenty of opportunities for young women entrepreneurs who dream of leading their organisation someday. “To them, I would say, listen to your heart! Listen to your heart and block out every negative remark and comment. The world is full of naysayers, but if you know deep down in your heart that you can do it, then, believe me, you can!” says Geeta.

Afloat amidst the Pandemic The biggest problem for most businesses has been liquidity.

As soon as the lockdown was imposed, many sectors suddenly witnessed a drop in their footfalls as people became stingier in terms of spending their money. Then came the challenge of retaining employees, keeping the business going despite abysmal circumstances. As a desperate measure for staying afloat, many organisations had to resort to pay-cuts and layoffs.

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However, TYC Communication was partly shielded from the pandemic’s fallout because its domain doesn’t require it to work in the field exclusively. The workfrom-home model allowed them to function, even when the situation got tough, and as a leader, Geeta made sure to stay in touch with her employees and keep them motivated. “We regularly organised zoom call meetings and interacted virtually with each other to maintain a sense of community and teamwork. We also conducted virtual talent hunts and games to boost employee morale.

I would also like to thank my team for staying by my side during such a difficult time and taking responsibility for keeping the organisation alive.” she adds.

Plans for TYC Communication Today, TYC Communication has established itself as a reputed communications agency in the country and are looking forward to undertaking government projects to test its mettle. The team is also focusing on further overseas expansion. The firm’s research and communications team is continuously studying the European market and charting the organisation’s best course of action. TYC aims to offer its unparalleled services to clients in Europe and hopefully worldwide soon. “With our excellent business network, unparalleled PR and Digital Marketing services, and a team of dedicated professionals, we aim to help business organisations get the coverage they deserve,” concludes Geeta.

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Higher Education Digest July 2020

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LEADER’S

INSIGHTS

Education Sector is

Welcoming to Women Dhwani Jaipuria, Director, SRJ Edu Services Pvt. Ltd

Do you think women in leadership roles are still a minority in India? What is the situation in the education space? How can we increase the number of Indian women in leadership roles?

Women are surely taking up more leadership roles than before, even though they are still a minority in India. Today, as many as 14 percent of all entrepreneurs in India are women which is a lot better than what it was a decade ago. Women do hold more leadership roles in the education space as teachers, principals, and counsellors because of their natural ability to connect with children. As for increasing their number in leadership roles, a lot can be done. First of all, girl children should be educated and empowered. Attitudes need to change regarding the roles that women can and should perform in society. Merit should be given precedence over gender at work places, and pay parity ought to be ensured.

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Dhwani Jaipuria is a bright and young personality who is taking forward the legacy of Jaipuria Group.

She has done Bachelor’s in Architecture from Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Mumbai. Her professional career began with a sixmonth stint at a reputed architecture firm in Seattle, the United States. She followed it up with a fruitful year at an architecture firm in Mumbai, and then a year at a real estate development firm, again in Mumbai. She presently works as Director SRJ Edu Services Pvt. Ltd, promoted by Jaipuria Group.

Dhwani Jaipuria is a genial personality with an insatiable urge to learn, innovate, and succeed. In a conversation with Digital First, Dhwani Jaipuria talks about the importance of women in leadership positions, her journey as a woman leader and many more.

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Leadership roles in educational planning and management shouldn’t be the sole preserve of women or men, but it is important that women should get 100% opportunity for these positions When looking specifically at educational planning and management, why is it important that we have women in leadership positions?

Leadership roles in educational planning and management shouldn’t be the sole preserve of women or men, but it is important that women should get 100% opportunity for these positions. I believe leadership roles should be independent of gender.

As a woman in a leadership position, what was this journey like for yourself? How were you able to overcome the different obstacles encountered?

I didn’t encounter many obstacles in my making as a leader. The obstacles appeared after I took up a leadership role. With an education background in architecture, I took up the position as Director of SRJ Edu Services because I wanted to make a difference and prove myself. I had no experience of the education sector and the first biggest challenge was to set up an entire pre-school within 3 months. I educated myself about the industry and, looking back, I can say that those were three adventurous months of my life.

Leadership position for me is all about knowing your manpower, its strengths and weaknesses and, of course, having a team with the same intent. With a dedicated team I think the obstacles do not seem like obstacles.

Do you consider yourself a leader at Little One, the Jaipuria Pre-School? What do you feel you bring to the role that inspires others to see you as a leader?

I see myself as a team-player at Little One, the Jaipuria Preschool, and my meetings with the team often motivate us all. I think if a leader can keep her team motivated and striving for perfection, she is on the right track. It’s all about giving the right balance of guidance and space for someone to perform. Leadership is an

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ongoing learning process for me, and my mentor is my father-in-law, Shri Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions.

As an academician, what would you like to change in the field of education or our current pre-primary education system in general?

I want to change a lot of things. I would love the parents not to put too many pressing demands on their children. Parents often expect their children to be perfect at everything they do. They often get impatient and expect children to obey every command. The truth is that children need their own time and space to learn everything. The most important thing they have to learn is to learn.

What projects or goals are you working on or leading currently?

As far as projects and goals go, my constant endeavour is to strive for perfection. I’m happy running the 5 pre-schools, and I aspire for them to be the best 5 preschools in India. Since what we are doing in the preprimary space is replicable, I do see a lot of franchisee opportunities for my fellow women to come forward and make their mark in the field of education.

Do you have any thoughts you would like to share about being a woman in the education sector or advice for other women carving a top management space?

Of all the sectors, I think the education sector is most welcoming to women and it is up to them to do their job well and strive for excellence. Honestly, it is fun to be a part of the education sector. There is no shortage of learning and it is a special experience to interact with kids, be experimental, and be playful. Finally, I would sign off with a quote that applies to me, and to all of my teammates and students. That is: Learn to Learn.

Want to find Investor for your Startup?

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KHUSHBOO SHARMA SOLANKI Founder, Zero Gravity Communications (ZGC)

A Resilient Leader and A Problem Solver

A

n entrepreneur’s journey is undoubtedly the amalgam of plenty of ups and downs, losing key customers, surviving losses, enduring the market-based scenarios, and many other challenges. Yet, it is the passion, grit, and determination to never give up on the dreams that keep them going ahead of the competition.

One such resilient, ardent and, committed leader is Khushboo Sharma Solanki, Founder of Ahmedabad-based inclusive full-service agency – Zero Gravity Communications (ZGC). Today, she outclasses in the field of Communication and Advertising as a full-time entrepreneur, creative business strategist, and engineer who has been taking not just her firm to incredible heights but redefining the industry too.

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An Inspirational Journey!

Khushboo’s journey in this industry began way back in 2006 when she spearheaded L&T Infotech’s Corporate Communication and Business Strategy. Post taking-up various stints in Ahmedabad and Mumbai for a few years and working with startups, she realised the gap between the market and the available services in the digital field, especially in a region like Gujarat. In 2013, this realisation led to the birth of the fastest-growing independent regional agency- Zero Gravity Communications (ZGC).

“I had interesting experiences that led me to start ZGC,” recounts Khushboo. “One of my employers didn’t pay me for my work upon resignation, followed by that I tried to start my own agency with an investor.”

IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT INTENTIONS AND STRIVE FOR IT, THE PATHS WILL CARVE THEIR WAY TOWARDS YOU

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However, after a couple of months into the business, Khushboo realised she and her new investor had different visions. “When I had almost given up the idea to be an entrepreneur, then a mentor and a couple of my clients encouraged me on starting my own setup by supporting and uplifting me,” shares Khushboo. With zero funding, Khushboo sowed the seeds of ZGC in 2013 with her first client’s fees as the seed to fund the office space, machines, and employees’ salaries. Since then, she never looked back.

Today, Khushboo stands at the forefront of the industry as the mastermind behind one of the fastestgrowing, independent, and financially self-sustained regional agencies. From just a team of two, she built an army of 45+ people who have constantly won the hearts of 150+ national and renowned brands such as Hamvor, Arvind, Goyal & Co., Vadilal, Astral and many more. She has also helped several traditional brands

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create a dominant digital presence and devise multiple campaigns to generate impressions, engagement, and sales.

No wonder ZGC stands-out as a leading Digital First agency and the first and only agency in Gujarat to be a Facebook Marketing Partner. It offers end-to-end services, including Social Media Marketing, Brand Design, Advertising, Digital Marketing, Content Generation, Brand Consultation and more. Thus, everything led to bigger and better things for a happy, growing ZGC, leaving Khushboo grateful for all the past hardships and learnings.

ZGC CURRENTLY HAS DEDICATED TEAMS FOR CONTENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, DESIGN STUDIO, PRODUCTION, DIGITAL MARKETING, PERFORMANCE MARKETING, INFLUENCER & PR ACTIVITIES, CLIENT SERVICING, SEO, AND MORE

An Ardent Problem Solver Khushboo identifies herself as an ardent problem solver at ZGC! She explains, “Any team member can walk up to me with any work or personal problem and communicate it with me. I regard them as their servicing person. If they can’t perform a certain task, I help them by teaching and giving more insights into it.” At ZGC, Khushboo keeps finding new ways to train and encourage the team to learn. “I even have my core team who can come to me anytime for suggestions or criticism by putting forward their ideas with logic,” adds Khushboo.

One such initiative is ZERO HOUR, a weekly brainstorming discussion at a studio that allows external subject experts to share their knowledge, have open discussions, and create seamless learning for the entire team. It has been a practice since the inception of ZGC. “I am a mother of two, and the way I parent my girls at home, I extend the same to my team but in a professional setup. My leadership style is very handson and personal. I believe unless I help them to grow for their career path overall, they won’t get direction in their current role as well,” pinpoints Khushboo.

A Team that Fought the Unknowns Leadership was not an easy task in 2020, as the COVID-19 changed the way we lived and conducted business. Khushboo says, “In the wake of the COVID-19, the business we knew changed. It was applicable across the spectrum - from how we got clients, how we discovered new opportunities, how we did sales to how we worked with our team.” Like many others in the business, Khushboo and her team experienced the fear of the unknown. On the other side, the pandemic’s panic made every client stop their advertising. “Cost centres are always first to be hit with cuts in the wake of a crisis, which was our

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first challenge. The second biggest challenge was our industry, and team members were not used to to ‘work from home’ scenario,” recalls Khushboo.

Since creative outputs are a work of collaboration, bringing out the same level of productivity, creativity, and team involvement were extremely challenging for Khushboo, while the clients had their own concerns to handle. “There wasn’t any hassle, rather it was a hustle. After the initial loss of business, we came back with a strategy to help existing clients realise new digital roadmaps and find new opportunities to pitch,” shares Khushboo.

Those were the days for survival. ZGC’s whole team came together by working extra hours. As they worked on the existing clients in the day, they did pitches during the after-work hours.

“Keeping the team motivated, inspired, and addressing their concerns and doubts was one of the things I personally made sure to focus on while working on various business aspects,” says Khushboo. ZGC also hosted mental health sessions, weekly expert learning, and team sessions. While creating new best practices helped the team stay positive and work with limitations, after initial contraction, ZGC expanded as a business and opened up new growth opportunities. The company also underwent a structural change and introduced a vertical line of action. Khushboo explains, “To ensure that our clients get end-to-end services, we segregated departments that had dedicated roles and responsibilities, with a Head of Department leading the team.” ZGC currently has dedicated teams for Content, Social Media, Design Studio, Production, Digital Marketing, Performance Marketing, Influencer & PR Activities, Client Servicing, SEO, and more.

Creating a super team is a constantly evolving process! Khushboo opines, “No one just finds an inspiration. There is a process of learning and discussing the history and approaches while implementing it in each project. We keep throwing challenges by assigning a teammate to work on an outof-scope client to keep their creativity flowing.” By implementing ideas like Zero

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Hour, Khushboo aims to create an engaging culture for the employees, where apart from a satisfying salary, great assignments are a reason one wants to work at ZGC Balance is the Key “I am a woman who is trying to build a company, and I also have a family. The balance of two is what I strive to achieve day in and day out,” pinpoints Khushboo. ZGC was only three-years-old when Khushboo gave birth to her second daughter. She recalls, “I went to the delivery room directly from the office, and I rejoined the office immediately after my pregnancy to make sure clients and team is handled well. That was one of such milestones.

I didn’t plan these things, but it happened out of being passionate about my work and my family’s support.”

During the pandemic, like many working mothers, Khushboo had to become a kindergarten teacher for her younger one at home amidst many challenges at work.

“At times, when I have to deal with difficult situations at work, I ponder upon my skills of being patient with my children and try to reflect that for solutions. While on certain days, my work approaches are an inspiration for handling my kids. Learning from both and following the quote - balance is the key,” smiles Khushboo.

Khushboo is someone who can draw inspiration from the fact that; ‘if she can do it, we too can try.’ “For a woman to have a career or not should be a personal choice.

Once you made a choice, do all in your power to achieve your goals. If you have the right intentions and strive for it, the paths will carve their way towards you,” says Khshboo.

However, women in leadership roles in India are still a minority. She opines, “If I look at some 80+ creative firms that I am aware of in Ahmedabad, only a handful have women in lead roles. I assume this extends across various industries, and change in them won’t happen overnight or with a single approach. The perception needs to be changed from family, society, and educational level to entry - a midlevel at professional setups.”

KHUSHBOO SHARMA SOLANKI

Khushboo’s advice to society is simple don’t judge women. She explains, “Judgments like she is young, she will get married, and change jobs so do not give her a key role, she is married now will have a kid so don’t give her an important responsibility, or she won’t be able to focus at work because she has a kid now are ruining the career ladder for women.”

Khushboo also has a significant question: Why are the coworkers, bosses, subordinates, or family who are making decisions on behalf of women? She believes that if we change this traditional thinking of society, we will see that women’s ratio in leadership positions change immediately. “Without the support system of family, a man can’t be happy at work; the same is the case for women. It’s just the need for a support system that has not been realised equally in our society. Things are changing.

Now, we see a new generation of more considerate men and women coming to the workforce,” pinpoints Khushboo.

The Way Forward After seven years of inception, Khushboo and her team at ZGC are creating its own Digital Analytics Platform. “We are also working towards incorporating Artificial Intelligence and enhancing Performance Marketing for several brands,” shares Khushboo. ZGC has also appointed a vertical line dedicated to understanding human behavior that can help create campaigns for different brands. On the other hand, creating a strong Production Team and Creative Studio strength has been one of the key focus that Khushboo has been working.

“I wouldn’t say that there is a thumb rule for women in management positions, but I will advise working harder and out of your comfort zones. If anyone faces gender bias at work, make sure to speak up. Professionals are professionals, be it male or female,” concludes Khushboo, who always want to do great work, help clients grow, make a strong #theideapeople team and be the best at what she does.

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EXPERT

OPINION

Rise of Women

Leadership in Start-Ups Prerna Puri, Founder & CEO, Prerna’ s Handcrafted Ice Cream

T

here’s a popular old saying that goes, “a business is as good as the people it hires.” It holds especially true for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, where the staff strength is much less than that of a larger organisation. Hence, in these companies ensuring that a diverse employee base is engaged gains paramount importance. Considering this scenario, the discourse around gender diversity, which had otherwise paled compared to other socio-economic issues, is back in the limelight. Organisations can make better business decisions if there is diversity in thinking – and that necessitates equal gender participation.

In an erstwhile male-dominated world, women are now increasingly acquiring top and mid-level positions of leadership. Businesses tend to succeed and achieve exponential growth with diversity in highlevel positions, adding a different and unique thought process to the whole situation.

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Prerna Puri is a mompreneur and a fashion designer from NIFT. She has worked as a fashion designer/stylist and interior design consultant before her role as a mother and entrepreneur. Driving inspiration, motivation, courage, support and constant strength from her family, Prerna has created a revolutionary product.

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Back in the day, fields like PR and IT were majorly steered by male business leaders.

Despite calls to change the way higher tiers of businesses are run, it’s disheartening to see that while 85% of public relations professionals are women, only 59% of this lot make up the management positions.

Merely 30% of global PR agencies are helmed by women.

Evolution of Women’s Position in Business The right mix of equality and inclusion makes for good business sense. Founders of start-ups know the importance of having a fair representation of women in leadership roles and other significant functions in an organisation and hence strive to create a culture that promotes fair pay and equal treatment for all. The positive impact of gender diversity and inclusion can be seen in how the organisation fares and hence, sends out the right message to the employees.

Diversity is crucial for any organisation as it enables it to adapt to a fast-changing and everevolving environment. It also leads to greater employee loyalty, enthusiasm, and transparency in the operations of the company. Besides, it lends a fresh outlook to perspectives, culture, gender, age, and experiences.

In the olden times, women were mainly responsible for nurturing and supporting roles such as teachers, nurses, and caretakers.

However, as feminist movements rose to the scene, laws for equal opportunities were enacted, and service industries grew. Now, women could access and enter a much broader range of job opportunities. This is how they forayed into the business world. Consequently, nowadays, more women can be seen occupying roles that men once solely filled. And with the rise of group forums,

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organisations and collectives which focus on boosting women leadership, it is quite easy to see why more women feel empowered enough to venture into these once male-dominated sectors.

Studies have shown that increasing the strength of women in a company can lead to the growth of a nation’s GDP by nearly as much as 21%. As per more recent statistics, in the year 2019, the number of countries where women held the highest executive power position was at an all-time high.

How Start-Ups are Emerging as Game-Changers Certain key factors prevent women from reaching decision-making vital positions in the corporate sector. Typical work culture in a start-up that requires an employee to be available “anytime, anywhere” did not ideally suit women, especially those eyeing senior positions. Then there was the issue of “leaky pipeline”, which indicates the tendency of the proportion of females to decline as the management grade in a company rises. The “glass ceiling” also keeps women from cutting leadership positions in fields like HR, Finance, and administration, as these are considered less strategic and much less likely for women to acquire the CEO and boardroom positions.

Recent findings show that fewer than a third of organisations surveyed had achieved the vital mass of one-third of women board members. Out of these, about one in eight reported that even now, they had all-male boardrooms. Start-ups understand that women are gifted with natural abilities and life skills that come in handy while running a successful business. They are also great at networking and possess good negotiating skills. Many women are also mothers – a fact that’s testimony to their

Diversity is crucial for any organisation as it enables it to adapt to a fast-changing and ever-evolving environment

multitasking skills, making them good at delegating and budgeting. This presents a strong case for companies to continue championing women in business and help them thrive in this sector.

We are living in an age of automation and artificial intelligence. Tech jobs, especially those in start-ups, offer an advancement of economic opportunities to women. The majority of them have already transitioned into highly skilled roles, as start-ups have fewer employees. Thus, the structure of start-ups and small companies automatically present multiple opportunities for women to be elevated to leadership positions. Being highly mobile – both physically and mentally – along with a tech-savvy edge is the key to placing more women in leadership positions within an organisation.

Most SMEs and start-ups keep parameters like higher education, global exposure, and higher emotional quotient when hiring and women fit the bill completely. The world is witnessing a mushrooming of start-ups where the majority workforce is being absorbed. It is highly anticipated that women hiring in

organisations, especially in start-ups, will be the dominant trend in the foreseeable future.

Generally, several reasons would account for the failure of a start-up but overlooking the importance of an HR strategy and adopting one that is not aligned to gender diversity and inclusivity is a major failure of start-ups. In most cases, businesses fail because they falter in selecting the right set of people to work for them. Therefore, a sound HR solution can solve this problem as hiring the right people focusing on the onboarding of a sizable number of females will go a long way in ensuring more successes than failures.

Summing Up Gender diversity holds immense promise for startups and can prove to be a huge asset for their success in general. Unfortunately, the long list of urgent priorities on a new CEO’s list has diverse hiring at the bottom of the pile. Therefore, It is relegated to the dark recesses of an organisation.

However, this is changing now with more start-ups rising on the scene that openly welcomes women leaders, thus recognising the right potential and overcoming deep-rooted gender perceptions.

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MALIKA SADANI Founder and CEO, The Moms Co.

Created with Care and Moulded with Love

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or Malika Sadani, the genesis of The Moms Co. started because of a personal struggle. The struggle of not being able to find good quality, natural and safe products for her daughters. “It was during my stay in London that I got introduced to the harmful effects of chemicals used in skincare products. On moving back to India, I realised it was so hard to find great quality natural products that were safe and effective,” recounts Malika.

Tired of importing products for her daughters, Malika started speaking to her peers. She adds, “I spoke to over 200 moms and realised that they too struggled with the same problem and depended on friends and family’s travel plan to stock up on their stuff.”

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Others who could not afford imported products were on a constant lookout for better options for their kids. Now, Malika had some genuine questions in mind; why should finding a good, safe lotion or a wash be that difficult? Why wasn’t there a brand looking to solve the need moms had for good quality, natural products that are safe and effective? That was when the idea to create a brand that can indeed be a partner to a mom’s journey into motherhood came alive. The Moms Co. was created to help moms make safe, natural and effective choices for themselves and their families. “We will continue to make life easier for moms by focussing on creating natural, toxin-free products that help solve their face, skin and hair concerns,” states Malika.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR MOMS BY FOCUSSING ON CREATING NATURAL, TOXINFREE PRODUCTS THAT HELP SOLVE THEIR FACE, SKIN AND HAIR CONCERNS

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Amidst the Pandemic Before the pandemic, many moms were looking for safer, natural and effective options for themselves and their families, putting The Moms Co. on track to achieve 3x growth year on year. In a short span of three years, the company has reached over a million moms across the country. “When the government announced lockdown, we did find it difficult because we had to shut our operations, and there was a lot of uncertainty,” shares Malika. Since most of The Moms Co. products were classified as essentials, and the company had a presence online even before the pandemic, they were better placed to service moms’ needs. “The struggle we faced was less on the demand side and more on the supply side,” says Malika.

The products sold by The Moms Co. primarily cater to mom and baby care, but by the end of lockdown one, the team at The Moms CO. started facing supply

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problems, as logistics were shut across locations. “We were running low on essential ingredients and raw materials - some were imported, and some we sourced locally. To overcome these issues, we started a daily check-in with all teams focusing on all urgent issues for the day that needed solving. That helped us find solutions quickly and get back the business to our pre-COVID-19 scale in a couple of months,” explains Malika. Despite the pandemic, The Moms Co. has been very fortunate to support moms’ choices with its natural, toxin-free products.

The Life of a Leader While The Moms Co. has established itself as a mom’s trusted partner in her motherhood journey, Malika was

awarded BusinessWorld 40 Under 40 and Times She UnLTD. She was also felicitated with the Business World Women Entrepreneur of the Year award and has been invited as a speaker to events where she was previously nominated, thus adding up to the recognition by industry and peers. “I believe it’s important for a leader to have a vision and align the team to work towards achieving it. I started The Moms Co. with a vision to create the safest, natural toxin-free products for moms, moms-to-be and babies,” shares Malika.

Understanding the importance of customer feedback, Malika regularly interacts with moms.

“When they come back to us and tell us about how our products helped make a difference in their

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AS A LEADER, MALIKA HAS FACED MANY CHALLENGES. HOWEVER, SHE REFUSES TO TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER EVERY TIME

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lives - it helps reaffirm my belief in the vision,” pinpoints Malika. As a leader, she has faced many challenges. However, she refuses to take no for an answer every time. It has made her resilient and set an example for her team, which they now imbibe. Indeed, Malika understands the importance of women to believe in themselves and strongly advocates that they deserve a spot at the table.

Malika states, “There’s a reason why you got there, and you must give yourself credit for it. My advice to other women is this, never regret the choices you have made. Balancing home and a demanding career is a fine balance. Only you know what balance works best for you and your family.

Stay focused on it, and never be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not a weakness.” Over these years of juggling demands at work and home, Malka has found her balance in life. “On a typical day, I get up and spend an hour exercising. Next, I finish household errands and have breakfast with my daughters before I leave for work,” shares Malika.

Once she reached the office, Malika would spend some time clearing up her inbox before heading into meetings. “At work, I spend most of my time in meetings with different teams, helping them make decisions and focus on what’s most important for each of them,” says Malika.

However, she would always find some time to take small breaks and connect one-on-one with her colleagues, which helps her know them better.

Understanding the importance of family time and a good night’s sleep, in the evenings, once Malika reaches home, she would spend some quality time with her daughters and puts them to sleep. “I watch Netflix and catch up with the latest shows or films before going to bed,” she adds.

Shedding light on how things work at The Moms Co., Malika says, “As your team starts growing, it’s important to get people to work with each other. It’s also a good idea to hire people for skills that you are not good at. At the same time, it’s important to give people space and the authority to go ahead and experiment and have faith in them.

It allows people to innovate and try new things.”

Malika’s goal for 2021 is to make The Moms Co. INR 200 Crore brand. “Thanks to all the love that we have been getting from moms, we are on track to maintain 3x growth,” she concludes.

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LEADER’S

INSIGHTS

Why Should We Stop Talking About Gender Diversity in the Workplace?

Kanika Agarrwal, Co-founder and CIO, Upside AI

Why is gender balance and having a more diverse workforce important, especially in senior management teams?

In 2021, we should no longer have to talk about the importance of diversity in the workplace. In general, everyone brings a different set of skills to a team. If we agree that having a broader range of personalities helps a team, then there is a case for more women, more people from different cultures and backgrounds. Who you are and where you are from changes what you bring to the table.

This need is exacerbated at the senior management level, where if you have a roundtable of men from similar backgrounds, you create an echo chamber of views. A recent study by the International Labour Organization surveying 13,000 companies in 70 countries – almost 75% of those companies that tracked gender diversity in their management reported profit increases of between 5 and 20 per cent, with the majority seeing increases of between 10 and 15 per cent.

What are some of the factors or obstacles that deter women from actively pursuing leadership roles in India?

There is a clear pyramid of women participation at work – at entry-level, roughly equal men and women join the workforce. With time and career

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Kanika Agarrwal is the co-founder and CIO of Upside AI, a fintech startup that aims to revolutionise the investment space with the help of machine learning. Kanika is a rank holder Chartered Accountant (All India Rank 18), a CFA charter holder and a Commerce graduate from Mumbai University.

She has over 11 years of experience in finance and investing, having worked with companies including Mayfield India, Credit Suisse, and EY. Kanika has always envisioned a future in finance and known that she will be an entrepreneur.

In a conversation with Digital First, Kanika talks about obstacles that deter women from actively pursuing leadership roles in India, lessons she learned while building Upside AI, and much more.

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growth, women start dropping off. In India, this means 18% participation at middle management, 8% at CXO level and 1% at board level.

In part, as you journey from entry-level to middle management, the reasons are social. We are a patriarchal society, and women end up leaving for marriage, kids, etc.

But once you cross that barrier of middle management – how do you explain the drop-off? These are now women working for 10+ years who have navigated their personal lives while building successful careers.

Given the number of men in senior management, there is a strong boys’ club culture that exists. I don’t generally think this is malicious or conscious – you often hang out with people like you, go for cricket matches with other men and want to hire your friends for jobs. Statistically, even more percentage of men have mentors than women in senior roles.

With time this will change – my generation is more gender-neutral and inclusive. There are many more startups with more progressive policies from day one, and larger companies focus on bringing women back from maternity with flexible WFH, etc.

How can women better enable each other instead of competing? What needs to change, in your opinion?

It is human nature to “look out for number one”,, i.e. you, when there aren’t enough opportunities to go around. You will not see women competing only with other women at the entry-level. It gets worse because of the number of seats at the table for women shrink. As our organisations get more gender-neutral, this will naturally stop.

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At Upside AI, we are using a combination of fundamental investing and machine learning to pick good companies in the stock market. The thesis is that humans are average investors in the long term and cannot sustainably beat the index. Therefore, our approach is to build unemotional, unbiased systems that can teach themselves (1) What is good stock? (2) What does the market think is a good stock?

The idea is to build products with their roots in systemised rules-based investing and not rely so much on “gut” or “intuition”.

As a CIO, I am responsible for everything, from sales to day-to-day operations.

Gender does not define competence, and if you are good at what you do and love it, you must persist

What has made you so successful as an entrepreneur? What are the most important lessons you have learned while building Upside AI? I think success is relative, and most entrepreneurs will always talk to you about their next goal and not what they have achieved so far!

Building Upside AI has taught me how to sell. This means a better read on people, having a thick skin, not taking no for an answer, and being relentless. I am also learning patience, but that is a work in progress.

What personal sacrifices have you made throughout your journey as a businesswoman?

My sacrifices are the same as all entrepreneurs. As they say, no pain, no gain, right? The biggest for me is leaving a job I loved in venture capital to start my own business.

I always knew I would own my own business someday but leaving behind work you enjoy is tough. Of course, your time with friends and family takes a hit, and so do your finances as you start.

Tell us about your work at the Upside AI as the Chief Investment Officer.

Upside AI has been live for nearly two years now and done very well. In 2020, we returned 40% for our investors, and we’re in the top 10% of PMS in the country.

What advice would you give women struggling in a male-dominated industry?

Keep at it! Gender does not define competence, and if you are good at what you do and love it, you must persist. The generation of women that come after you, will stand on your shoulders.

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MEGHNA AGARWAL Co-Founder, IndiQube

A Dreamer Behind the Workspace Transformation

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he story of Meghna Agarwal’s journey from a small-town girl in Alwar, Rajasthan, to becoming an entrepreneur is an inspiring one. It gives a valuable message - if you are persistent in your efforts and Chase your dreams; you are bound to inspire others to follow your path.

Meghna was only 25 when she co-founded HirePro Consulting. She was at the helm of the manufacturing industry with her next venture, UltraFine Minerals. Then she and Rishi cofounded IndiQube, a co-working space provider that onboarded companies like Bluestone, KPMG, Freshmenu, Cohesity & TMF at the initial stages.

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Meghna and Rishi secured a USD 15 Mn Series A round of funding in a matter of time, scaled up IndiQube to six cities, 3.5 Mn SQ.FT. & 50+ properties. Now, IndiQube is ranked #20 in Economic Times India’s Growth Champions 2020 & Ranked #112 in the Financial Times list of 500 high growth companies in the Asia Pacific region. Onboarding large enterprises such as Myntra, Philips and companies like Hitachi and Eli Lilly, Elanco are among the many milestones surpassed in this journey.

“Space has always been close to my heart, and I understood how space worked for diverse companies. I found that millennials and startups face challenges like volatility, high Capex and

IN A CAREER, SPANNING NEARLY 15 YEARS FROM HIREPRO CONSULTING TO INDIQUBE, I HAVE HAD MANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

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long-term leases from traditional landlords during my entrepreneurial journey. It instigated me to start my journey with IndiQube as the flexible workspace provider catering to the holistic needs of Enterprises, Offshore Development Centers, SMEs and Startups,” shares Meghna. With large clients buying into its vision in the very initial days, coupled with the positive feedback they received about their product, Meghna’s belief in this model was reinforced, and IndiQube got the ammunition to go big in this space.

The journey to the top “In a career, spanning nearly 15 years from HirePro Consulting to IndiQube, I have had many learning opportunities. The most important lesson that I have learnt from these opportunities is the importance to ‘Balance Time and Speed’,” says Meghna. While it might sound simple, Meghna knows that the timing of your decision and the speed with which you execute your decision makes all the difference. She adds, “Even if you miss out on either time or speed, you are bound to miss the bus.”

Fortunate to have a supportive ecosystem – both at work and home - Meghna considers her core team as her family. For her, just like a typical family, there is no hierarchy in interactions among the team, as they are always focused on a common goal - the need to grow together as one single family. Meghna opines, “When you fully trust a core team and encourage them to work together and build a result-oriented culture, the team often comes up with innovative solutions.” From the very outset, Meghna believes in the concept of ‘learning together.’ She ensures employee interactions, especially with the core team, are at a “Peer-to-Peer” level rather than as a boss and a subordinate. “These sorts of interactions created an environment of constant learning

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on both sides. It has led to the creation of a culture of learning together. When the core team is such closely knit with the leadership team, each of us inspires the other,” adds Meghna.

Carrying on Innovation amidst the Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a host of challenges to business leaders across industries. It has increased the need for business leaders to be conservative with costs, flexible with business models and empathetic with employees, all at the same time. “Commercial real estate has been one of the sectors that have got impacted significantly due to the increased adoption of Work From Home. Our occupancy rate that was 90 per cent pre-COVID-19 slumped to 75 per cent during the pandemic, with many firms vacating their office spaces to save costs in the early part of the year,” shares Meghna.

However, once the initial euphoria around working from home started to diminish, enterprises realized that office spaces would continue to remain an integral part of professional life.

“We have realized that in the post COVID era, enterprises will be more cautious about their commercial real estate costs and would prefer flexible workspaces that minimize their exposure to high Capex and longterm leases,” says Meghna. IndiQube has now come up with innovative solutions around Walk to Work, Satellite Offices, Distributed Centers and Remote Working solutions to cater to enterprises’ unique needs.

The company has also invested heavily in technology to develop on-demand solutions like Hot Desks, Pre-booked Parking Slots and Smart Meeting Rooms. “The pandemic has taught me many lessons on Crisis Management, the importance of flexibility in business models, client relationship management in addition to the vitality of employee productivity and wellbeing,” she adds.

CURRENTLY, INDIQUBE HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THE STARTUP AND IT HUBS OF BANGALORE AND PUNE AND BEGAN OPERATIONS IN OTHER METROS OF MUMBAI, HYDERABAD, CHENNAI & NOIDA

Women in leadership roles in India Globalization, increased awareness, emphasis on education for girls have led to a marginal increase in women’s leadership opportunities; however, there is still a long way to go. While government initiatives have increased emphasis on girls’ education at the grass-root level, Meghna believes that it is upon each of us to ensure that women pursue higher education in prime universities to equip them with the necessary skills for senior management roles.

Shedding light on women leaders in real estate space, Meghna says, “commercial real estate is tough and highly competitive. There are very few women like me in leadership roles in this space. So, to all the women readers, I urge you to instil in your mind the fact that ‘You can have it all.’” She believes that gone are the days where women had to always choose and prioritize one passion over the other. There should be an increased emphasis among women to develop leadership skills at the grass root levels. In addition to this, women should also acquire skills pertaining to emotional intelligence, selfawareness, change management and problem-solving.

To all the women reading this, says Meghna, “Follow your dreams, there would be many hurdles on your path and each hurdle would teach you a new lesson but do not stop dreaming and don’t let anyone dictate what you can and can’t achieve.”

Plans for Tomorrow Currently, IndiQube has successfully established leadership positions in the startup and IT hubs of Bangalore and Pune and began operations in other metros of Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai & Noida. From the building perspective, the team at IndiQube is focusing more on integrating IoT and further strengthening its Smart Building Experience. “A key focus area for us has been on sustainability. We have started installing solar rooftops and should be having 4 MW of power generated from solar rooftops. 80 per cent of power consumption in Bangalore is targeted to be drawn from solar,” claims Meghna.

Over the next two years, IndiQube plans to reach 1,20,000+ seat capacity. Beyond that, the aim is to add atleast 30,000 seats year-on-year. On the one hand, this growth will be fueled by a deeper penetration in existing cities, 70+ micro-markets in Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Noida and Mumbai. On the other hand, the team at IndiQube has plans to expand into Tier II & Tier III centres by leveraging partnerships and exploring acquisitions of smaller players in these markets. The company is also looking to expand its Value-Added-Services to strengthen its position as a onestop-solution for clients. “We are also planning to raise INR 300 crore this calendar year from equity investment to further our expansion plans,” concludes Meghna.

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EXPERT

OPINION

Supply Chain Digitization Essential to Making Indian Manufacturing

More Responsive and Resilient Jigyasa Kishore, Senior Director, Moglix

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ndian manufacturing has announced a comeback. It makes for a fascinating case study on the responsiveness and resiliency of our supply chain. India’s manufacturing PMI has skyrocketed from 51.8 in March 2020 to scale the 8-year peak of 57.7 in March 2021. Five to six years ago, this would have seemed unlikely.

However, after successive policy initiatives like the GST, Digital India, and Make in India that aimed at hammering away roadblocks to the ease of doing business, here we are. What has enabled Indian manufacturers to stage such a strong comeback in such a short window of time? The answer is supply chain digitization. From responding to the changing contours of the customer journey, customer experience, shifting demand patterns, to stakeholder collaboration, and risk management, supply chain digitization has allowed Indian manufacturers to change gears quickly and hit the ground running. An analysis of supply chain digitization tells us more about the technology levers that Indian enterprises have leveraged thus far and the road they should take to make Indian manufacturing self-reliant.

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A seasoned marketing leader with 15+ years of experience in brand building and enterprise marketing, Jigyasa Kishore is the Senior Director, Brand, Growth & Excellence at Moglix; one of the pioneers in digital supply chain transformation in India. Jigyasa Kishore brings proven expertise in enterprise technology sales & marketing, technology portfolio management, B2B commerce, digital supply chain networks, global sourcing and distribution, brand partnerships, key account management, and revenue expansion. During her illustrious career, she has enabled large enterprises in technology, information, and mass media verticals to traverse the transformation journey through internal process reengineering, brand building, and enterprise growth initiatives with her technology-first approach.

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Replicating the Onsite Customer Journey in an Online Ecosystem with E-Commerce India’s legacy manufacturing supply chain has always seen technology enablement constrained to less than 2% levels. However, over the past five to six years, the scenario has gradually changed. Startups, MSME suppliers, and Indian OEMs have enrolled into e-commerce platforms and slowly replicated and rebuild the onsite customer journey block by block in the online ecosystem. Indian enterprises have found new ways to collaborate with MSME suppliers for procurement, have access to close substitutes of industrial goods, reduce the downtime on the factory floor, and manufacture and distribute relevant products to customers, even in the face of adversities.

Personalizing the Customer Experience in B2B Commerce with Feature-Rich Mobile App There has been a significant shift from offline to online procurement in B2B commerce in recent years. The combination of great coding talent, end-to-end supply chain design, and a userexperience first approach has culminated in the adoption and growth of mobile commerce in enterprise procurement. Mobile applications for B2B commerce have enabled supply chain professionals to access a diversified and inclusive supplier base, browse supplier catalogs, and place orders from the convenience of their smartphones with just a few clicks.

Navigating Across Shifting Demand Patterns with Dynamic Product Catalog In times of uncertainty, enterprises often shift to procuring essential industrial supplies in bulk quantities and reducing their non-essential items. Given the volume of line items on the procurement lists and the geographical spread of multiplant manufacturers, such shifts in demand patterns translate into highly complex

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requirements of multiple assembly lines, product lines, and batches. However, several Indian supply chain solutions providers have leveraged dynamic product cataloging to replace, remove, and replenish product codes in accordance with the evolving contours of customers’ demands. The switch from static to dynamic product catalogs accompanied by clean master data integration with physical servers of legacy ERP applications has resulted in accurate demand mapping and just-in-time delivery of made-to-order industrial goods.

Migrating from Sequential to Concurrent Collaboration with Cloud-Hosted Platforms Traditionally, India’s manufacturing enterprises followed offline supply chain processes and relied on fragmented supply chain data sets hosted on spreadsheets. As a result, the mode and nature of collaboration among stakeholders were sequential. They often involved a time lag between successive levels in the supply chain ecosystem. The sequential collaboration limited visibility into KPIs, raised the risk exposure, and increased the turnaround time of processes.

However, cloud-based applications have made a difference to the supply chain ecosystem.

The adoption of cloud-hosted platforms has enabled manufacturers to migrate from sequential to concurrent collaboration. Many of them have moved away from static RFQ and RFP processes that are slow and brought the turnaround time to 3 days to resolve upstream and downstream challenges faster.

Leveraging Data Analytics, AI, and ML to Get Visibility into the Road Ahead The success of Indian manufacturing enterprises in effecting a fast rebound offers a powerful lesson on supply chain risk management. Risk management cannot happen through offline and static data frameworks,

The adoption of cloud-hosted platforms has enabled manufacturers to migrate from sequential to concurrent collaboration

especially at times of supply chain disruptions when there is plenty of fast-paced incremental information on the supply chain landscape’s changing contours. While technology applications like data analytics, robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning were efficiency levers for Indian enterprises, these have become levers of resilience, agility, and de-risking now. Leveraging clean data has enabled Indian enterprises to map the cost, risk, and innovation drivers in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. Indian enterprises have used prescriptive and predictive artificial intelligence to share risks with their suppliers, logistics service providers, and pick-up and drop-off centers.

Enabling Seamless Tracking of the Supply Chain Journey from a Single Window Supply chain disruptions can blur the differences among short, intermediate, and long terms and compress planning horizons to the point of redundancy. Several Indian manufacturers have switched from using multiple applications and platforms for running multiple processes in the procurement cycle to a single-window order-to-delivery operating system. It has allowed them to establish a centralized governance platform, access all their data such as suppliers, SKUs, and KPIs like lowest cost and expected time of arrival from a single platform, and stay in control of the end-to-end supply chain journey. E-procurement applications with functionalities to sort, access, share and edit data on a single page of any device like PC, notebook, or mobile, have enabled Indian enterprises to track the entire order to delivery journey from anywhere and at any time, thus making the supply chain experience genuinely seamless.

New Frontiers of Supply Chain Digitization: Consolidate Processes and Differentiate Products In the post-pandemic world, enterprises will have to deploy service integration and management in the supply chain digitization framework. SIAM capabilities will allow Indian enterprises to manage multiple suppliers for businesses, consolidate processes, platforms, and supplier portfolios, differentiate products, and make their supply chain more responsive.

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NIDHI MARWAH Group Managing Director at The Executive Centre

A Personification of a Leader’s Workshop

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idhi Marwah, Group Managing Director at The Executive Centre, believes that business leaderships will no longer remain under the clutches of gender identity. Nidhi opines, “I feel that there is nothing that a woman cannot achieve. With constant support and trust, we can help the workforce evolve from perspectives that restricted us in the past, and better mould them to be future leaders.” Nidhi considers herself as the personification of a leader’s workshop, and she understands that building strong and dependable inner circles is key. She explains, “Having a support system to fall back on within fellow women coworkers and allies helps you overcome any hurdles that might come your

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way. Certain qualities help you climb the ladder faster, and these are strong interpersonal and communication skills. We cannot deny that women possess certain qualities such as being better multi-taskers, maintaining a balance in emotional and intelligence quotient.”

Nidhi knows that the best way to lead is to lead by example. As a leader, she churns out future leaders and supports others in achieving their goals and objectives. “It is the core responsibility of any leader to set the right example and values in the organization and inspire the team to bring the best to the table.

Leadership is not a title. It’s an action,” pinpoints Nidhi. At The Executive Centre, Nidhi has a super team! She adds, “It is important to realize

IT IS THE CORE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY LEADER TO SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE AND VALUES IN THE ORGANIZATION AND INSPIRE THE TEAM TO BRING THE BEST TO THE TABLE

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that teamwork is a two-way street. To get support, as a leader, it is your responsibility first to give the necessary support and guidance to your team, manage expectations and care for their professional ambitions.” Indeed, leaders must be mindful that their team consists of differently talented and abled skillsets, and there is a unique way to deal with each of them. “A leader always has to be relatable to the team members and create an ecosystem for the

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teams to grow and inspire them to deliver the best ideas possible,” asserts Nidhi.

As a woman who climbed the ladder of success, Nidhi is aware of the challenges and hurdles that one needs to face. But, with the right dedication and support, she has passed through them gracefully.

“My advice for women would always be to have a dependable inner circle of people to whom you can bank on for honest advice professionally

and personally. Your close circle will constantly push, motivate and encourage you during a difficult time. And, as learning from 2020 - as long as you are breathing, it’s never too late to have a new beginning,” shares Nidhi.

AS A WOMAN WHO CLIMBED THE LADDER OF SUCCESS, NIDHI IS AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES AND HURDLES THAT ONE NEEDS TO FACE. BUT, WITH THE RIGHT DEDICATION AND SUPPORT, SHE HAS PASSED THROUGH THEM GRACEFULLY

In the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 has been disruptive in many ways. Changing and challenging work rituals had put businesses in the lap of certainties. The Executive Centre (TEC) was no exception to this. Being in the service industry, TEC’s biggest challenge was to limit the channel of communication only through the squared box on their desk. “I feel it is imperative to have a more personal touch to communicate with clarity and compassion,” says Nidhi. The other area where most corporates struggled was a change in business model owing to the change in format at workplaces. However, the TEC team could put their best foot forward and plan to ensure their clients’ safety and business continuity. They managed operations by reinforcing clear and open communication lines with their team, clients, and landlords. It was vital for TEC to be in constant touch with all its business associates to remain connected and resilient to each other’s situation personally and professionally.

However, operating in the background of a vulnerable business environment is not new for TEC. The company opened its first centre in Mumbai in 2008, which coincided with the Global Financial Crises closely followed by the city’s terror attack. TEC stood the test of time and rose to accelerate expansion. By April 2009, the company had 100 per cent occupancy in its first centre and was rolling forward on India’s expansion plans.

“This formula of sustainability, mindful expansion and profitability has been something we fall back on globally no matter what the crisis. It has also helped us sail through the covid 19 crisis and show profitable numbers in 2020,” shares Nidhi.

Lessons Learned and Milestones Achieved Nidhi has learnt a lot from her journey. They have helped her overcome a weakness or develop a desired skill for the work to get done. Nidhi was more accustomed to working in silos during the initial part of her career.

However, with time, she realized that battles are never won alone, as you always need a strong team to deliver your best. “I learned to admire people who came across as strong partners, which has helped me be where I am today, says Nidhi. However, At work, Nidhi may not stay calm all day. Indeed, we have all have peculiar ways of handling pressure. For Nidhi, the acceptance that every day is a fresh start and

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NIDHI MARWAH

can bring new opportunities and challenges is the first step to staying in control. In her words, “think through and act accordingly.” That makes Nidhi devoid of a typical workday or schedule, although she wishes she could tailor-make it. “All the work, pressure and deadlines are what keeps us on our toes and make us mentally strong to keep things alive and running,” pinpoints Nidhi.

According to Nidhi, her most significant milestone has been that she is seen as a leader, not based on her gender. “As a woman, I would say it’s been a journey to embrace the fact that women have been blessed with the ability to multitask and if we can build upon it with the support of our family and colleagues, we are home. While I have been blessed with many career milestones, the most relevant ones have been observing the constant growth of my team, both professional and personal,” explains Nidhi.

The plans at TEC Currently, Nidhi’s focus is on achieving three goals on priority. First, to sustain the profitability

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of The Executive Centre across markets. Second, to plan and action the expansions and third, to further nurture the great team she has and to continually help them with guidance and support that they may need. “India as a region has always been on priority for TEC ever since our first office space in Mumbai in 2010. We are bullish on the market and will continue to invest to meet our client demands,” opines Nidhi.

Flex spaces are expected to reach 50 million square feet in the next three years by growing at an average of around 15-20 percent annually as per JLL’s recent report. TEC’s priority is to help its members/customers grow and provide them with spaces, no matter where they need them.

“We will be investing over Rs 100 crore as capex to set up five new centers across Bengaluru, Gurugram, Chennai and Pune. We have already taken on lease nearly 2 lakh sq ft area of office space to start these facilities. These five centres, which have a capacity of around 2,300 desks, would become operational by March 2021,” concludes Nidhi.

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LEADER’S

INSIGHTS

Changing

Role of Women Leaders in an Organization Kriti Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CPO, StoreHippo

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he topic of women leadership and women as leaders is a universal issue for discussion. While there have been many debates, the job scenario has witnessed a change, and women are given increased preference in hiring and taking up managerial roles in the organizations.

However, the concept is picking up pace slowly, and there is still an increased need for women to be recruited at the leadership and board member roles.

India being a developing country, has the policy of acquiring a minimum of one women director on the board of the listed companies.

There has been a shift, and more women hiring is on the rise. They are now made a part of the organizational team. However, there is indeed a lot of scope for improvement.

Various efforts need to be made from both the organizations’ and the women’s end to further drive the increased female presence in the organizations, especially in managerial roles.

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A dynamic leader with a demonstrated record for finding innovative solutions and delivering constructive business results, Kriti Aggarwal is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Hippo Innovations.

She is the driving force behind the avantgarde designs, overall UI/UX of its product StoreHippo, and heads the marketing and branding efforts of StoreHippo.

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Evolution of women and the role of modern women in the organizations In the ever-evolving world where feminism and equality are given prime importance, women are carving their success path in the corporate world. Passé are the days when the females were expected to be housewives or homemakers and males were the sole bread earners. The women now adorn the roles of working women and successfully balance both work and personal life.

Nowadays, businesses prefer recruiting female employees, especially in managerial roles.

This trend has witnessed a surge at the global level. In this world full of prejudices, stereotypes, gender bias, and gender differentiation, men were favoured and given preference while women were often neglected and ignored.

However, with the changing times, the females have understood their value and worth and hence take a stand for their rights. The firms are also acknowledging this fact and going by the equality concept. They consider both of them at par. They also understand that organizations with diverse teams offer diverse experiences and perspectives and can deliver better and extend an enhanced customer experience.

The hiring scenario in terms of female recruitment is improving. They are considered to be fundamental in the company’s growth and development. However, there is still scope for improvement in the representation of women in leadership roles.

Barriers to the growth of females Stereotypes, biases, unsupportive and uncooperative business culture, and societal and family pressures all act as restrictions and hence cause trouble in females’ career growth. The road for females to reach the top isn’t easy. Experts point out that for women to reach the top of the hierarchy is indeed tough compared to the males.

They have to work harder and prove themselves at every point to justify their promotion.

The notions that women can’t balance, or handle managerial roles or take up responsibility

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are indeed changing. The firms are now moving towards the elimination of such biases and discrimination. They are changing their recruiting and work strategies to ensure the females are given due credit. The positive wave of changes has already begun with the firms accepting gender gaps and stereotypes and working towards eliminating the same along with equal talent targets, and extending a supportive and motivating work environment.

However, just recruiting women won’t solve the purpose and isn’t the only solution to curb this problem. There is a need to imbibe their inclusion too. There has to be a balance in hiring and the firm’s voices to ensure the inclusion of the female workforce.

Women empowerment Women empowerment is a key issue and is often not addressed. However, what is often unnoticed is that the concept not only enlists providing equal rights to women but also states the creation of increased entrepreneurship opportunities, increased safety measures, and catering to the issues of women’s health well-being. Not many authorities realize that poor hygiene conditions and ill health often lead to females giving up on their dreams.

How can women succeed?

For women to succeed not only do we need to bring about changes in the workplace culture and hiring, but we also need to bring about transformation in the mindset of the society and people with reference to the traditional norms of marriage and household responsibilities.

Even the families have to be supportive enough to consider the females in their family worthy of being independent, successful, and capable enough to handle both work and home.

How can organizations push the growth of females?

While at the workplace, the firms need to implement strict actions and rules and ensure a collaborative

environment so that women feel a part of the organization and are valued. Additionally, women have to be confident and determined enough to understand their worth and push themselves to convince their families to pursue their dreams.

Gender equality has to be enforced at all levels ranging from education and recruitment to the allocation of work responsibilities. Firms

Women leaders can be built only when there are concerted efforts and a sustainable environment need to acknowledge if gender gaps exist and implement policies to put an end to this. They need to make the workplace all the more cohesive and collaborative so that not only are the females hired but are felt included in the organization and eventually take charge of the responsibilities.

Women should stay focused and determined to reach the top Women leaders can be built only when there are concerted efforts and a sustainable environment.

From the women’s perspective, it is imperative that they stay focused and determined. They should keep pushing themselves no matter what happens. To be a woman in the leadership roles, she needs to be pro-active in her approach towards communication and participation in events along with the possession of skills like democratic tactics, leadership, and managerial skills, encouraging and positive attitude.

Having clarity about one’s skills and knowledge bank will also help the females to give in their best. However, it is essential that they be a part of the organization’s various key departments including internal and external communication along with their industry knowledge and experience so as to be accepted as worthy talent.

Summing Up Many sectors like healthcare, IT and media do have female dominance and are driven by the women workforce. This is the testimony that removing gender biases and having women’s talent eventually pushes the growth and makes way for development. Having women as a part of the core team forms a strong foundation.

Undoubtedly there has been a major change at the global level in terms of hiring and inclusion of women and their upliftment as a community, there is still scope for improvement.

The plan to achieve a 50-50 partnership can be achieved only when the women community, society, and the organizations together make concerted and focused efforts. They have to work with a common aim to end gender disparity, sexism, and ensure access to quality health facilities, resources, education, and job opportunities along with active participation in the decision-making process.

Women don’t expect and don’t require special privileges. All they ask for is their right and to be treated equally as men. And all we can do is join hands to achieve this long-term pending vision of an equal world where women are given due credit and adorn the hat of leadership roles.

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NISHA PARIKH VP – HR & Marketing, Telebu

Promoting Equality and Collaborative Work Environment

H

aving spent the maximum time of her career at Telebu, Nisha Parikh has seen the company growing from bulk SMS Solutions provider to a one-stop-shop for everything to do with enterprise communication. Now, Nisha is the VP of HR and Marketing at Telebu. She says, “Over my career spanning about 16 years, I have spent about over 12 years with Telebu. During my stint with Telebu, there have been some significant accolades that I have achieved.”

Nisha has helped the company to scale from 80+ people to a team of about 400+ people.

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She has led negotiations and on-boarding the largest political clients for Telebu, namely TDP & BJP. Nisha’s leadership also helped Telebu break through a challenging market like UAE with its B2C product offerings - Wanasa Time & TABIIB. The Genesis of Telebu The inception of Telebu dates back to 2003 when the Founder, Mr Satya Yerramsetti, came back from Australia with a degree and a dream to start an online business that would take India into the dotcom age. With this vision in mind and with

TO BUILD AND NURTURE AN ECOSYSTEM WHICH IS MORE COLLABORATIVE AND WHOLESOME, THE KEY IS TO ENSURE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM RESPECTS THE OTHER

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was leading to some confusion about its capabilities.

Hence, they rebranded themselves as Telebu, borrowing from the words Telecommunication and Business. Since then, Telebu has been a one-stop-shop for all enterprise communication needs with a bouquet of products including Grptalk, TelebuHub, TelebuJoin, TelebuPing, TelebuPop, SMS and TelebuBlocks.

NISHA PARIKH

a seven member team’s support, SMSCountry Networks was born at a tiny office in Ameerpet in Hyderabad. The aim behind Telebu was to make bulk SMS the marketing tool for Indian enterprises. Riding on this wave of success, the firm soon opened new branches across the country and in Dubai, followed by the launch of 160by2. com, an entirely new solution enabling the display of SMS ads. After that, the team at Telebu also began offering custom-built APIs and SDKs to customers, enabling them to integrate SMS capabilities into their native applications.

“After receiving a warm response from the customers, we began thinking of ways to make conference calls easy. After months of research and innovation, we were successful in developing a unified system called the PBFTS (Public Broadcast Feedback & Telephony System) that allowed the users to send SMS, schedule voice broadcasts, and even initiate calls easily,” says Nisha. This was when the firm came up with the idea of developing the dial-out conference calling method, where the server could trigger a call to all the conference participants simultaneously.

However, amidst the launch of its applications, the team soon realized that the name SMSCountry

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Being a Leader “I believe that I am a leader. As a leader, the most important behavioural attribute I must possess is not my ability to make critical decisions, risk analysis, problem-solving, or my skill as a marketer. However, what sets a good leader apart is the ability to listen, understand, observe, comprehend the ability to be selfaware, ability to dissociate oneself from a situation and look at it,” shares Nisha. Nisha’s mantra as a leader is simple – “People drive numbers. Numbers drive Businesses. In conclusion, People drive businesses.”

According to Nisha, the most significant responsibility as a leader is to identify the team’s strengths and weaknesses. Next up is assigning roles, clear goals, and laying down the team’s vision. As a leader, she believes that one needs to get them to work together collaboratively. “To build and nurture an ecosystem which is more collaborative and wholesome, the key is to ensure that each member of the team respects the other. If the team respects each other and understands that each team member comes in with a specific set of skills, your job is done,” pinpoints Nisha.

Shedding light on the same with an example of her own, Nisha explains, “one of the most effective ways I have found to get people to respect each other is by giving two individuals the same task and make them work on it. Get both the team members to share what they have worked on with each other. I usually ask them to come up with a final product that has the best of both worlds. It may build a healthy competitive rivalry between them. However, it will make them realize that the other person has a different perspective, which needs to be respected.”

However, Nisha opines that the ratio between men and women is still discrepant in leadership roles. She states, “If we go by the statistics, as of 2019-2020, women accounted for 8 per cent of management roles, 9 per cent of business management roles, and were only 2 per cent of CEOs in India.” However, many organizations are now building an ecosystem that fosters inclusivity, coming up with flexible work

programs for women to get back to work to improve the gender ratio spread across the organizations.

Though considering the changing situations, it would not take long for the tables to turn. “What is required from us as business leaders is to organize proper training sessions for the employees to nurture their skills, provide equal exposure to both men and women and facilitate a more transparent/ non-biased system in place to judge performance and more. At Telebu too, we strongly promote equality, about 35 per cent workforce comprises women, and about 25 per cent of women are in leadership positions,” adds Nisha.

CURRENTLY, NISHA IS WORKING ON MULTIPLE PROJECTS AT TELEBU, AND HER TOP PRIORITY IS TO TAKE THE ORGANIZATION’S POPULAR PRODUCTS LIKE GRPTALK, TELEBUHUB, AND APIS TO NEWER MARKETS

Sailing through the Pandemic The last 12 months have been crazy for every organization on the planet, and Telebu Communications was no exception. Nisha says, “No doubt, we all had to undergo a lot of planning and alterations in our approach to sail through this phase. However, the way we handled the rapid change, tackled each problem, and categorized them - controllable and containable vs uncontrollable; involving a ton of variables helped us channel our energies better and power through these challenges without losing sleep.”

It is no hidden truth that building a business in India always brings a specific set of challenges. Be it market maturity, adoption, paperwork, finding the right talent, raising funds, scaling operations or selling, challenges are everywhere. All these challenges multiply when a self-funded organization is looking for growth amidst a worldwide pandemic outbreak. “When an organization grapples through these challenges all at once, priority changes. We leveraged referrals to reach new prospects and made interesting payment plans to convert our active monthly buyers into annual paying customers. Additionally, we ensured that we deliver on our service, ensuring minimal friction and optimal customer satisfaction for all our users,” adds Nisha.

Currently, Nisha is working on multiple projects at Telebu, and her top priority is to take the organization’s popular products like Grptalk, TelebuHub, and APIs to newer markets. The sectors that she is focusing on are BFSI, Agriculture, Education and Government Verticals. “From a territory & growth perspective, I have been driving our expansion plans to markets like - Srilanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia & Indonesia in South East Asia,” says Nisha. The plan is to set up Telebu’s operations in untapped markets like - Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco in Eastern Africa.

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EXPERT

OPINION

How has the Pandemic Shaped or Evolved the

E-Vehicle Industry?

Gunjan Malhotra, Director, Komaki Electric Division

I

t is noteworthy that while global auto sales collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, electric mobility displayed stark resilience in many countries. In 2019, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for a record 2.5% of the global light vehicle (LV) market, with more than 2 million EVs sold globally! As soon as the pandemic struck, factories were shut to save endangered lives, and global supply chains were massively hit. LV sales plunged drastically.

The magnitude of these disruptions has rendered obsolete the previous predictions about the EV industry. McKinsey conducted several separate pieces of research and examined global markets to develop a more accurate perspective going forward. A distinct observation was made – the EV market would witness multi-fold growth in the days to come despite the ongoing pandemic, with China and Europe leading the way.

Demand Drivers Impacted by COVID-19: The global sales of LVs are currently expected to nosedive by ~2025% compared to pre-COVID forecasts. Looking at the repercussions

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Gunjan Malhotra is a dedicated environmentalist and the co-founder of Komaki Electric Vehicle, one of the fastest evolving brands in the Electric Vehicle Segment. Mrs Malhotra is passionate about making India pollution free and is working every day to make it happen with an Eco-friendly mode of transportation. She launched Komaki in 2016 with a vision to make India a cleaner, greener country.

With a solid 30 years of experience in the quality and precision-oriented Bearing and Driveshaft industry, Mrs Malhotra has ventured into the auto sector with a vision to make eco-friendly vehicles at affordable prices for all Indian markets. She is very actively involved in producing vehicles – from R&D to design development to incorporating innovative features.

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technology to the consumer. The Government of India (GoI) has been targeting the electrification of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and public transport buses aggressively.

The GoI has also been offering incentives to consumers on purchasing new EVs through the announcement of its Voluntary Scrappage Policy and the introduction of a Green Tax of ~10 – 25%. (to be firmed) Scrappage will obviously become compulsory as a fitness certificate is set to become mandatory on commercial vehicles beyond 15 years of age (20 years for private vehicles).

Moreover, EVs will not have any registration fee and also offer a rebate on the tax being paid on the associated loans.

Source: Frost & Sullivan

of the COVID-19 pandemic on the electric vehicle segment, both battery-powered and plug-in EVs have been considered in the evaluated parameters: 1. Macroeconomic Parameters: The pandemic brought the consumers to their knees with regards to their purchasing power and plummeted the demand for crude oil. Based on the country under consideration, fuel prices were impacted differently due to varying tax policies. E.g. In the United States, a drop in the price of a barrel of crude oil from $60 to $35 will trigger a respite of ~35% at gasoline prices. But in India, where the fuel prices are not so regulated, the benefits of lower oil prices will be reaped by the government.

The consumer receives no direct benefits.

In such a scenario, EVs are a cost-beneficial purchase. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they are also easy on the consumers’ pockets. A predetermined amount of localization also contributes in part to the local economy.

2. Government Policies and Regulations: Automobile market performance is largely driven by government norms on emission (BS-VI as per Indian standards) and the affordability of that

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3. Technology & Infrastructure: Frost & Sullivan believes that the Indian EV value chain will touch ~$4.8 billion by 2025. There is a massive potential for component industries in the power electronics segment in India. There is a global shortfall of these ancillary parts, and India can bridge the gap with cheaper manufacturing capabilities. This opportunity is not limited to just power electronics but the assembly in its entirety, i.e. inclusive of the motor and batteries.

Currently, the manufacturing of batteries and electric motors is being led by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese players. However, about one-third of the Indian EV market will be driven by the demand from buses in 2025, F&S added.

Concomitant to the same, the production of Li-ion batteries is set to boom in the near future, along with an established supplier ecosystem in place.

F&S estimate that India is gearing up to install a 40 GWH Li-ion capacity, a feat that will establish it as one of the fastest-growing industries in the upcoming decade.

4. Advantage EV: Vehicle range per charge and the sensitivity of the government towards environmental preservation are the primary factors governing the growth of EV sales. Advancements in technology concerning charging and multiple investments from automakers in the EV segment make it a lucrative option to adopt. With the

at specific MG dealerships to offer end-to-end charging solutions • Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd acquired Amsterdam headquartered Etergo BV - a manufacturer of electric scooters in May 2020.

• In January 2020, Tata AutoComp Systems (the auto-components arm of Tata Group), created a joint venture with Beijing based Prestolite Electric to foray into the EV components market.

• In March 2020, Lithium Urban Technologies partnered with Fourth Partner Energy (a renewable energy solutions provider) to build revolutionary charging infrastructure across the country.

Gunjan Malhotra

increasing investment in R&D, promoting the advancements of EVs, various countries have already indicated their commitment towards the future. Here are some of the indicative facts published by IBEF: • Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, on 29th Oct 2020, launched its new electric threewheeler – the Treo Zor, starting at Rs. 2.73 lakh (US$ 3,687.57) • In June 2020, MG Motor India partnered with Tata Power to set up superfast chargers for EVs

5. Consumer Demand: A lot of countries have witnessed a stable demand-curve throughout the pandemic-driven slowdown.

On the one hand, the overall sales of EVs have declined in China, whereas, on the other hand, the same in the EU has risen. Obviously, EV manufacturers who offer online sales have been privy to a substantial increase in demand. E.g. Tesla has been targeting a shift towards online selling and was also the sole OEM to declare an increased sales volume in Mar 2020.

To back it up, skyrocketing fuel prices have also led consumers to consider introducing EVs into their lifestyle. An otherwise exorbitant amount to shell out, investing the same amount as years’ worth of fuel into an electric vehicle yields better long term benefits to the consumer as well as the environment.

The adaptation may take a while, and it may vary from country to country, but the fact remains that EVs are the future of the automobile industry and are here to stay in the days to come. COVID-19 has played an instrumental role in accelerating the evolution of eco-friendly technology and prominently altered consumer behaviour in favour of the same. For a change, there is one good thing to say about COVID-19, i.e. the paradigm shift in the auto industry.

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POOJA BEDI Founder, Happy Soul

Carving a Path to All-Round Wellness

W

omen have always ruled the roost at home. So they are technically groomed leaders.

However, many homemakers lack the confidence and skills to work outside,” begins Pooja Bedi, a well-recognised Film, TV and Media personality who founded Happy Soul - a multi-vendor eCommerce marketplace that aggregates wellness products, services, and experiences. Pooja’s focus is to promote emotional, physical, mental and spiritual balance and well-being the world over! Pooja adds, “For homemakers, I am creating a massive B2B2C eCommerce portal due in May 2021. With this, they can earn not only sizeable income for themselves but also feel great about

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being wellness ambassadors and take charge of the health and wellness quotient of their family, friends and loved ones.”

Pooja is a strong advocate of leading by example. She says, “We can inspire women to follow in our footsteps only if we walk first.” Pooja had been actively researching metascience and alternative healing since 2003.

She dreamt of creating an organisation that would start a series of empowerment workshops amalgamating everything she had learned over the years. Early on, she had shared her vision with Namrata Thakkar, a social and serial entrepreneur who founded Entrepreneur Excel, which has a strong community of over 70000+ entrepreneurs globally. “I used to routinely

HAPPY SOUL OPENS THE DOORS TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR MINDS, BODIES, AND SOULS

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AS POOJA WORKS RELENTLESSLY TOWARDS HER VISION OF ENSURING ALLROUND WELLBEING, SHE BELIEVES THAT THE ONLY PERSON WE NEED TO BE BETTER THAN IS WHO WE WERE YESTERDAY

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bump into Namrata Thakker at my gym and often shared with her my dream of creating Happy Soul, which would start as a series of empowerment workshops amalgamating all the knowledge I had acquired. For two years, she pushed and prodded me and gave me all the support I could ever ask for,” recounts Pooja.

Eventually, Namrata launched three workshop series for Pooja in 2016, which were well-received by organisations across the country. The workshops’ success helped Pooja acknowledge that the time was ripe to lay the foundation of Happy Soul, a giant wellness wonderland. She first launched Magicians of Wellness (India) LLP and made Namrata a 25 per cent shareholder. Later, she formed Merchants of Wellness PVT LTD, a tech-driven multi-vendor e-commerce venture. The brand ‘Happy Soul’ is now leased to both companies.

Magic of Team Work Registered in Goa, Happy Soul has a young and dynamic team. Pooja drives her team to perform their best and rewards employees for great ideas and stellar performance. Under her leadership, the office environment remains filled with laughter and positivity. Pooja helps employees through rough patches in their personal lives to ensure they can give their best to work. She also uses her employment workshops to reach out to women’s groups across the country, including FICCI FLO, YFLO, EO, and Wow. Through her workshops, she focuses on spreading self-love, self-care, and self-confidence, besides igniting their minds, hearts, and dreams. “It is rewarding to see their catharsis during sessions and receive positive feedback on how their lives and the lives of those surrounding them have changed,” smiles Pooja. The sessions further her attempts to ensure that people speak up to promote equality and fairness and help others open up as well. Ultimately, it ties in with her focus on women’s and men’s rights groups and her aim to work on governance issues.

“Mental wellness is all about how you respond to everything that happens to you, good or bad,” explains Pooja. “Happy Soul opens the doors to the well-being of our minds, bodies, and souls.” Pooja’s dream has long

been to aid in the spread of all-round well-being, and her practice begins with her own self. She believes that her workday is not complete until everything is taken care of, and there are times when it can get stressful. She loves to excel at everything she does and takes inspiring, helping, and challenging people to be the best version of themselves very seriously. To this end, she drives herself and others through passion and vision. By taking time out to walk at the beach during sunset or listening to music while writing and ideating, she reconnects with her inner self. Moreover, she keeps essential oils and

herbs at hand to diffuse feeling overwhelmed, uplift her energy, and remain healthy. Most importantly, she focuses on staying positive and grateful, which she believes are her biggest stress-busters!

While it might seem that Pooja has everything in control, she had her fair share of challenges as a leader. Her eCommerce website saw more than a few unforeseen hurdles. She had planned for an eCommerce website that would be the Amazon of the wellness world.

However, a disastrous web development team prevented this from becoming a reality in the

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POOJA BEDI

three months it should have taken. Two years down the line, the website had numerous glitches and had already been hacked twice.

Even as this was a significant setback, Pooja concentrated on retail expansion, which was a major success. Moreover, plans for a wholly revamped B2B2C website model are now on the cards.

On the other side, the pandemic dealt a cruel blow to people in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. The inability to work from home during the initial period of uncertainty saw the rise of new problems in different organisations, and Happy Soul was no different. However, Pooja utilised the period in revamping the website and developed a franchise model for her retail stores. Despite the challenges, the positioning of Happy Soul in the health and wellness arena enabled the stores to stay open during the majority of the lockdown. Business boomed as people rushed to pick up health and immunity boosters.

Happy Soul’s deal with Francorp India to open 50 retail stores across the country’s length and breadth further augmented its success.

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Moreover, Pooja also hosts Happy Soul’s YouTube channel, which has been up and running since January 2021. The process of ideating, curating, scriptwriting and shooting episodes keeps Pooja constantly on her toes, and she is enjoying every moment of it. She also plans a Healthy Soul product line offering spices, candles, massage oils, skin care products, and more in the pipeline. The plan is to eventually open up cafes and wellness centres to benefit more people as well!

As Pooja works relentlessly towards her vision of ensuring all-round well-being, she believes that the only person we need to be better than is who we were yesterday.

As a woman leader who takes challenges in stride and forges her way ahead, she works with the belief of being open to change, newer ideas, and new energy infusing into the organisation. “Always have someone in your team who dares to challenge you, to question your decisions, to tell you where you perhaps falter and reward them for it,” Pooja concludes.

Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

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EXPERT

OPINION

The Contribution of Incubators in Empowering Early-Stage

Entrepreneurs in India Tanvi Singla, Co-founder, Supreme Incubator

I

t’s no secret that the quality and number of early-stage ventures coming up in India have evolved exponentially in recent years.

According to a NASSCOM report, India is the third-largest startup ecosystem globally and is rapidly expanding.

This feat can, to an extent, be credited to the institutions fostering and supporting entrepreneurs at an early stage. Even for passionate founders with great ideas, building a strong value proposition and a sound business model is key to launching a successful product.

Incubators can be a one-stop portal to get mentoring, infrastructure and real-world business advice for entrepreneurs to learn from a network of people who “have been there, done that.” They play a key role in nurturing and scaling ideas.

Incubators empower early-stage entrepreneurs Incubators drive entrepreneurial spirit by fulfilling the early-stage requirements for startup founders - helping them navigate the challenges

First Magazine 100 Digital Feb-Mar 2021

Tanvi Singla is the co-founder and CEO of Supreme Incubator, an incubator that helps early-stage startups build strong and scalable businesses. As a virtual incubator, the program inducts startup founders from across the country in 6-month cohorts of intensive venture building alongside industry experts. She is a graduate of the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce. Following graduation, she joined her family-owned financial services business.

Having grown up in an entrepreneurial family, Tanvi was aware of the power of entrepreneurship from an early age. Tanvi started Supreme Incubator with Disha Singla after co-leading projects over several months.

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of building a venture through support, workspace, mentoring and tools. The package of services and the “curriculum” designed by most incubators are built to enhance the success and growth rates of new entrepreneurs, thus maximising their impact on overall economic development.

Incubators have been known to be the backbone of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in any economy Support in Fundraising To raise capital, entrepreneurs need to meet and win over elusive investors – some spend months searching and struggling to make appointments, while others use expensive intermediaries. At such times, being associated with an incubator can be a step in the right direction - as most incubators form strong, deep ties with key players in the startup ecosystem, including investors. Incubators can utilise this network to offer introductions and fundraising to the startups under their wing, thereby increasing successful conversions.

Vast Network Incubators do more than provide access to investors and mentors; they let entrepreneurs network with several other professionals who have huge expertise at their fingertips and other founders who are on the same journey of building successful organisations. By giving startup founders convenient access to a robust network of potential business partners and founders, incubators allow entrepreneurs to take the most productive and dynamic approach to the network that they can. Incubators also leverage their networks to assist entrepreneurs in a new direction or establish new

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connections in unexplored markets, thus being with the founder every step of the way.

If entrepreneurs want to create a strong and efficient network among other leaders and entrepreneurs in their realm, incubators often provide them with the best ways to do so.

Conducive Environment and Mentoring support If you are searching for ways to grow your business or expand into other markets, incubators provide you with the means of doing so while eliminating many of the inherent risks that come with such a venture.

Incubators are built to “incubator” or insulate the incoming founders from market forces and build their product/service amidst advisory support. In this way, such programs help entrepreneurs streamline their business model and bring it to market at the right time.

Additionally, an incubation program or curriculum can yield some of the most rewarding benefits for a startup and advance an entrepreneur’s knowledge by leaps and bounds. For example, when startup founders join a sophisticated ecosystem like an incubator, they gain access to mentors who have mature insights. Mentors assist entrepreneurs transform their inventions into commercial and revenue-generating products. With these experienced perceptions of mentors, ideas developed by founders have higher chances to become solutions with paying customers.

Undivided Focus Often the startups waste most of their time finding access to support elements such as electricity, IT infrastructure, security, and these hiccups divert the entrepreneurs’ energy to non-productive activities.

An essential benefit that incubators bring to startups and entrepreneurs can be outlined in a single word: focus. By giving entrepreneurs access to an infrastructure that is in place and proven to work, it allows them to focus less on the administration and infrastructure side of getting a startup off the ground.

It can enable them to devote more of their attention to running that business and developing their product or service.

Incubators have been known to be the backbone of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in any economy. By curating mentors, resources and infrastructure in one program, they offer founders a foundation to get an advantage right from the start.

If you’re an early-stage founder, look for incubators that fit your need to get the advantage!

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