KARISHMA SHAHANI, Founder, PRINCESSE K Label

To start with; tell us a bit about how did Princesse K come about? Also elaborate about the venture per se. Princesse K is an independent handbag label based out of Mumbai, India. The ideology of the design house is to produce an interesting mix of constructed designs for the discerning woman who has a keen intperest in fashion. Having studied for a Masters of Science in Luxury Goods & Services at the International University of Monaco, the inspiration behind Princesse K came from my experiences while studying in the French Riviera. Witnessing style at its epitome in France & Italy and coming home to a royal cultural heritage of craftsmanship, I created Princesse K - an amalgamation of western influences with an Indian twist to each and every creation. We currently retail out of various multi designer stores in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmadabad, andBangalore. A store in Nepal, Mad About Bags, too retails Princesse K. We also retail bags online through our website www.princessek.com The name sounds pretty interesting; is there any particular story behind it? Actually, there is! Princesse is the French word for Princess. My label name is an ode to my education and stay in the French Riviera. I studied and resided in Monaco, which is also famous for Princesse Grace Kelly, who is a timeless style icon. I got to learn about her life and was also lucky enough to witness a stunning exhibition on her life and her love for fashion and style. This inspired me to name my brand Princesse K - K is for Kelly and coincidentally K is also the letter of my name. Tell us about your journey leading to the beginning of this venture? Was there any particular ah-ha moment that led you to begin the same? I have always been interested in fashion since I can remember. I started my career as a journalist but even there my special field of interest was always fashion. I knew that eventually I would want to own my fashion brand where I could contribute my creativity along with making a business out of it. The Masters of Science in Luxury Goods & Services from the International University of Monaco was a design cum business degree which exposed me to European luxury brands, more so Italian and French handcraftsmanship. I graduated in 2008 and started Princesse K in July 2009.

There was no particular ah-ha moment. I chose to design bags as one size fits all, and I believe a handbag is the most important accessory as it can make or break an outfit.

What qualities are required for one to succeed in such a venture? A formal educational training in design definitely helps but I wont say it is necessary as I believe some people are gifted with great design skills and are naturally creative. One also needs to exercise patience as results are not instant and a lot of trial and error is involved in production and to get your desired result. Financial backing is also an important requirement to succeed, as one needs to invest a certain amount in order to project the brand in a premium position. Besides this PR, marketing and word of mouth publicity are also a major factor that helps to spread the word and popularize the brand. What has been your USP for making Princesse K a success? Indian elements with a contemporary twist have been the pillar of our design philosophy, starting with our first collection titled "Indian Monsoon". I think, therein lies the USP of our brand in particular that has appealed to our customers throughout. Indians living abroad have taken a stronger liking to this quality and it has been a hit with the foreign customers as well. Our customers in India have also expressed their appreciation for the creative use of Indian fabrics & elements such as Tie & Dye, Ikat, Bandhini, Khaadi teamed with contemporary silhouettes. Princesse K has crafted a gorgeous array of unique and sophisticated designs and our forthcoming collection will use the idea in a similar manner. Apart from the design philosophy, our brand has been able to identify a multi-purpose use of our handbags in the customers lifestyle. The label transcends its character to a woman who visualizes the use of the Indian spirit of this collection into her various endeavours be it a lunch out with her girl friends or her resort wear wardrobe allowing this collection to travel to various destinations and merge into varied fashion cultures. The versatility has been an important aspect in making the brand successful till date.

What challenges did you face along the way to making this venture succeed and how did you overcome them? Starting any business anywhere has its shares of ups and downs. From sourcing the right kind of craftsmen to creating an informal office space set up, constant research and weighing out the pros and cons of each situation resulted in the best way to overcome these challenges. I was extremely selective with the look that I wanted my finished product to have. Hence, I did do a test run with several craftsmen before zeroing down on my team. The advantage of starting a business in India was firstly access to skilled workmanship which helped me realize my designs and secondly the choice of traditional fabrics like Ikats, hand woven brocades from Patna, Gujarati tie & dye & Khaadi which I combined with contemporary designs and used in my first collection. My next collection too has taken advantage of different kinds of embroiderers and their skill and has resulted in some pretty funky pieces. What have you learnt about yourself and the world at large in this journey so far? Along with a test of nerves, an initial hiccup that I have experienced is streamlining productions and making sure I meet all my deadlines, like any other enterprise. Princesse K is still at a naive stage and I would say as a brand, I am still very young. The learning process is always a constant and there have been trial and error moments. Having said that, I have observed within a single collection itself, the buying patterns and tastes of an Indian consumer and an International consumer do differ. From a design perspective, a hint of drama never fails to impress. Actually, almost all consumers of today embrace their individual design sensibilities on their sleeve. Did you, at ever point, regret your decision of stepping into an entrepreneurial venture with hardly any blueprint to follow in time of need? Also, did you ever feel you would have been better in a predictable, routine 9-to-5 job? I have never regretted starting Princesse K. It was inevitable that I would start an accessory label as I have always been interested in fashion from a very young age. I have done the whole 9 to 5 job routine by working as a journalist and found that it did not suit me as I needed to be creative in my own time and space. Starting Princesse K has given me the freedom to create and experiment with designs in a manner that allows me to get the best out of my time.

What success mantra will you give for those who would want to follow in your footsteps? The best piece of advice to others entering the same line is very simple. Remember to never compromise on quality - because nobody would want to end up with a broken handbag while out. What can we expect from you in the future? My vision for Princesse K is for the bigger picture. I see the brand expanding on a global market and I hope to achieve this vision soon. To start off with, I would like to retail at international stores/outlets and I hope my current endeavour of building an international client database will lead to it. With my second collection ready, I aim to create a more diverse presence within India too and experience newer and fresh retail formats. Slowly and steadily, I would like to build the brand Princesse K into a luxe-chic brand, accessible to the globally fashionable women. We are also releasing a range of man bags under the brand name of Lord K. The collection should hit the shelves in Jan 2010.

Vivek Ravisankar, Founder, InterviewStreet

Vivek Ravisankar, a Computer Science graduate from NIT, Trichy, losing out on a coveted job during campus placement because of a spoiled interview, is an incident he will remember with fond memories. For a silly error in the final round of the interview woke him to the realization that there maybe many others like him who could have avoided what transpired, by the simple practice of participating in a mock interview session. Hence it is, that, Vivek found www.interviewstreet.com - a portal for students to participate in mock interviews conducted by professionals and hone their technical skills. Says Vivek, I realized that there are lakhs of college students and job seeking candidates who want to have a feel of the interview before appearing for the real thing and yet all the existing forums had only static content where the preparation could be theoretical at best. Our service helps students interact with professionals/domain experts. Users agree on a common time with the interviewer and the mock interview takes place over the phone, surely beneficial to the jobseeker as it helps them analyze their performance in real time. The site allows users to search for specific types of interviews e.g.: Data Structures, Marketing, Finance, etc., as also from an array of interviewers whom he/she can apply to. Vivek has certainly captured in a brilliant way the changing colors of the web and the strides being made in education technology and the markets seem to agree as a few weeks into the launch and 300 students across 15 colleges have already used the service apart from a growing number of working professionals, the count of which has crossed 100. The company makes money by charging students for every interview session and on the other hand maintains the quality of mentors and interviewers by adequately compensating them for the time they spend. Employers associate with us too not just for the money but also because they like a system which is better reflective of their current company and hiring policies as also because they get to meet better prepared candidates. Explains Vivek of how they would continue getting interviewers from different fields. Currently in partnership stage, the company is in product expansion mode. New services in the form of tech talks, online resume builder and others would soon be rolled out. Efforts to widen reach to more colleges and companies are on in full swing too through live showcasing of the product at locations.

Being a new concept, building up a strong brand amongst the dynamic student community might have proved a challenge for InterviewStreet, yet the appreciation has been constant with customer testimonials and blogs talking about the awesomeness of the service triggering further interest and word of mouth. What Vivek thinks has worked for the company is the fact that their solution aims to do what a good solution should simplify things. He envisions to make possible through their platform every kind of interaction that every student in every college wants to have with a professional. On turning entrepreneur, he says, Its absolute fun! You do the thing that you really love and get to work on and learn different aspects like development, marketing, finance, HR, PR and many others. Those wanting to take up entrepreneurship must realize that Entrepreneurship is a lonely path but its in the loneliness that you do things that you never imagined you could do! My advice to them would be to be creative, focus on the product and always have your customers in your mind.

Uma R. Javeri, Founder & MD, S.Zhaveri Pharmakem Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai
Superwoman of Pharma Marketing To be a women entrepreneur in a male dominant industry such as Pharmaceutical is not an easy job. Ask Uma R. Javeri, the promoter of S.Zhaveri Pharmakem Pvt. Ltd: from writing official letters at 3 in the morning to traveling 6 months at stretch to get the business-she has done it all. Why an entrepreneur? Why didn't you pursue a regular job? I guess the latent desire to do things on my own was always there. As a college student, I use to visit my father's office during summer vacation and help him out in business, which he founded in 1951. Even after I got married, I use to design dresses for children and make jewellery boxes. But the real impetus came from the overwhelming desire to provide for the best to my children. Hence in 1983, I joined my father's business, which was into marketing of raw pharmaceutical materials, chemicals, cosmetics and food products. How were starting years like? It was a learning curve. There were two typists and one peon, when I joined the business. To communicate with our clients we had taken a MTNL number as we didn't have fax machine in office. Every afternoon, I used to go to MTNL office to collect faxes. There was no car waiting for me. I use to travel by trains and buses. At times, I had to wait for four-five hours for a scheduled meeting. Still, I persevered and learned about the trade and products we were marketing. I use to go to customs to clear the consignments, meet clearing agents, collect parcels, travel to different companies to market our products and give presentations, and all this while, tending to my kids and family. How you use to manage both small kids and business at a time? Those were the days! I used to get up at 3AM in the morning, write official letters to be dispatched for the day till 7, drop kids to the school by 8, reach office by 9 and give all the letters to the typist, work in the office and finish meetings, take a break at 12.30 noon to pick-up children from school and drop them home, resume work till evening, and then help children in their homework in the night.

Tell us about the challenges you faced in business. In college days, I never took interest in science and was an average student. Now in pharma business, I was decoding polymers, superdisintegrants, phospholipids etc. But my motto was never to give-up. I visited the R&D facilities of my clients and taught myself about the products we were selling. Understanding chemicals, however, was still easier than getting accepted as a woman entrepreneur in this male dominated industry. In 1992 our German client for nearly 40 years, wanted to tack back our agency. They contended that women entrepreneurs are not well accepted in India and I won't be able to give them decent sales from India. I went to Germany to persuade them and was interrogated by a panel of 9 members. All I asked them was to give me a year's time to prove myself. I proved myself and outdid their expectations. My husband has been a great support throughout this entrepreneurial journey. What are the differentiators of your business? Integrity, ethics, support to smallest customers, and value addition we do to our clients. There is lot of transparency in our operations and transactions with our clients. What drives you? New goals, which are constantly redefined as we grow in business! I also want to open a hospital from my own money. Future Plans To have R&D facilities all across India! I might go for an IPO by 2011. Tips for budding entrepreneurs Never give up! There will always be ups and downs in career. Be patient and preserve over your dream to turn into a reality. Key requirements for scaling-up the business Professionals for research and development from pharmaceutical background!

Medha Lotlikar, Founder, Sarswati Mandir Trust, Mumbai

Special ones, with love As a child, she suffered from learning problems. NowMedha Lotlikar, founder of Sarswati Mandir Trust runs three schools for children in Mumbai with severe learning disabilities. Why an entrepreneur and not a regular job? When did you decide to go on your own? As a kid I had learning problems, but I worked hard on it and rectified them. I started taking part in debate and elocution competitions and represented my school and college at national level. This self-learning process taught me that children with learning disabilities don't need special schools and should be taught in a regular school. Segregation only hampers their mental growth. I wanted to share my own experiences with other children having learning disabilities. So in 1988, I joined Sapling, a school for special children in Mumbai. I found out that children were normal after all but due to lack of awareness, especially among parents and educational institutes, these children were removed from regular schools. Since, I had no formal training as a special school educator; I decided to learn more about the processes and systems followed in special schools. I enrolled myself for special educator training course program in SNDT University. After completing the course, I established Sarswati Mandir Trust in 1994 at Dadar, Mumbai, and started Sarswati Mandir School for mentally retarded, autistic, and children with multiple disabilities. Something on starting years Starting years were difficult to say the least. Teachers were not trained; there were no funds and people believed that these children were capable of doing very little. There was no law to define disability. We admitted children from the lower socio-economic group as I believed in inclusive education. This motivated me to countries like USA, Australia and Germany to understand inclusive education practices which helped me devise a special curriculum, train the teachers, and start running it like a regular school with a vision of inclusive education. I started Tulip School in Bandra for children with multiple disabilities and severe autism. Turning point in your business Every child who has come to me has been a turning point in my life. I and rest of the faculty have learned so much by just observing them. Did at any point you felt like giving up and getting back to taking a regular job? No, I have been struggling for funds, and faced red-tapism right from the inception of the school but challenges have only strengthened my resolve to help children. However, there have been a number of well-wishers, parents and children who have supported me through-out.

What drives you? The fact that I consider every child as my child drives me. Whenever a new kid is brought to me, I ask myself, what I would have done had I been this kid's mother. A mother doesn't need motivation or drive to take care of her child. Growth drivers / vision for your enterprise I wish I could close down these schools in another ten years and no child is sent to any special school. Lack of awareness about the law (Disability act) is a grave concern. Parents and school administrators should understand that a child disinterested in studies or securing low marks in exams doesn' imply that he has learning problems. 60% of the so called 'abnormal' children are normal and have great learning capabilities. All they need is little bit of your attention and in return they will teach you how to love.

Karon Shaiva & Robin D'Souza, Founders, Empower, Mumbai

Empower to shop for charity You buy tea because you like it rather than an act of charity. And the money earned is channelised back to various NGOs. Karon Shaiva and Robin DSouza have set out on a mission to ask people to shop for charity. Why an entrepreneur? Why didnt you pursue a full-time job? Karon- After completing my management education in 1989, I worked for five years in various companies before starting my own dealership in 1994. We were dealers to Wipro and in the very first year, we got the best managed dealership award from Wipro. However, I could not sustain the momentum as I got married and faced few health problems. I had to shut shop in 1997. Later, I also worked for Citicorp in quality assurance dept for four years. However, there was always a strong desire to work for the betterment of the society and in 2006 I joined Kherwadi Social Association, a NGO based in Mumbai, as Operations Director. I saw most of the NGOs struggling for funds and people treating them with indifference. Thats where I got the idea of Empower; marketing and distribution firm, which would sell products made by NGOs and channelize the money back to people living at the bottom of the pyramid. Robin- I am a cost accountant by profession and was always involved in charity work for poor and downtrodden. With the desire to change the world and make it a better place, I even worked in an orphanage for one year in Goa after finishing my education. But, I guess the true calling has come now after spending almost two decades in the corporate world. What were the challenges and obstacles you are facing now? Karon- To say that raising funds for a NGO is a challenge would be an understatement. But, the bigger challenge is the mind-set of people, who donate money once, thinking that they have done their bit towards helping others. There is also prejudice and less receptivity towards products or services offered by an NGO. People think it may not be of good quality. Empower is working towards integrating the products and offerings from NGOs into the normal business eco-systemthat is supply chain management, retailing and selling it through malls and other outlets and, giving money back to NGOs.

Turning points in business Karon-The only turning point is the validation of our idea through action by partners, sponsors, and customers. Robin- In terms of numbers, we have already sold 1tonne of Mountain Brew tea in just one month, purely on word of mouth recommendation. What are the differentiators of your business? Karon-Its the process of integration of NGO products into the mainstream distribution network without paying any extra buck What drives you? Robin- To make difference in the lives of poor and make them financially stable Future Plans Karon- We would like to retail our product, Mountain Brew tea , in all major malls and cities across India. Key requirements for scaling-up the business Robin- We need trade enquiries, distributors, retailers and funds