Up close with 5 Successful City Entrepreneurs!

March 8, 2017

Women entrepreneurs from Pune - Mukta Puntambekar, Kiran Bhat, Ritu Goyal, Heena Menon and Manjushree Tadvalkar

International Women’s Day Special

International Women’s Day is not just about the special discounts, free drinks and spa offers that thrust themselves loudly through advertisements. It is also a day where women can introspect on how many things they’re juggling at the same time. It is a day that celebrates the efficiency of every woman to handle her home and her work at the same time. Though, the quest for perfection need not be attained, it highly important for women to live in the moment and most importantly, for themselves. We spoke to five entrepreneurial women in the city from varying ages and professions, who answer five questions which tell us about their challenges, goals and even a special advice for young women. Every entrepreneur needs strong marketing to succeed, check out this marketing agency for example.

As an entrepreneur, what kind of challenges do you face?

Heena Menon, Co-founder, Karma PR & Content
It has only been ten months since I started the company with my friend. I had moved to Pune from Delhi, where I worked as a journalist. The challenge for me was to build my network out here. I started contacting everyone I knew because I had to get the word out. But even if people know you, it takes a bit of time to get them to trust you because at the end of the day, you are representing a new company. It was extremely difficult to build up a solid credit score for the business until I read this blog. I can’t even begin to describe how useful it has been for us.

Mukta Puntambekar, Director, Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre
My challenges are external, in the society. Addiction is getting more glamorous. Within the institution there are challenges but that is a part of my job. To counter what is happening in society, I conduct awareness programmes because I believe that prevention is better than cure.

Ritu Harish Goyal, Founder, Ease India Travel
The bigger challenge for me has been reaching out to my target audience. I have had to learn about automation in market research to ensure that my product is perfect for my target audience. Market research was so important for me and if you’re setting up your own business, make sure you focus on it too! As a working mother, I have two teenage kids and it is quite a task to coordinate their dental appointments and manage household chores. I work I tend to work on weekends as well and even have my meetings then. It is quite difficult because I travel a lot as well.

Kiran Bhat, Managing Director, Xebec Communications
I haven’t come across any challenges as such. In fact, I feel that when I run a business, being a woman is an advantage. I feel that women make better workers and better people.

Manjushree Tadvalkar, Managing Director, INORA India
When I was young, as an entrepreneur, I had to balance my family and my work. Agriculture was a very male dominated field. It was very difficult to get funds for our work.

Tell us about one goal that you achieved and are proud of.

Heena Menon
I earlier worked as a journalist but I never wanted to restrict myself to anything. I worked in different mediums but when I came to Pune, I had to create a base for myself here. I realised that I wanted to start something of my own. I was confident and I started the firm to provide the best corporate content. I feel like I have achieved this.

Mukta Puntambekar
I had a goal to make my organisation completely nicotine free. We are a de-addiction centre so it doesn’t make sense if our staff is addicted to nicotine. We worked on it and now, nobody in our team chews tobacco or uses nicotine.

Ritu Harish Goyal
For me, striking the work life balance is very essential. I have been a journalist for about 17 years and I have also served as a judge at a consumer court in Delhi. But having time for myself and my family is important.

Kiran Bhat
As an entrepreneur, it has been my goal to have our branch offices in different cities as well as overseas. But I feel that the best is yet to come. My goals and targets keep changing every year. That is why I have to have a detailed, yet flexible business plan. I was doing some research into different business plan writers in Dallas to see what they could offer me. I believe that having a great business plan is the cornerstone of getting to my dream of having branch offices all over the world.

Manjushree Tadvalkar
I now have the best research and development extension team. I wanted this and I have achieved it. We are doing good work in organic farming and waste management.

What do you do for ‘me-time’?

Heena Menon
My husband and I love music. We love to jam together, so he gets his guitar out and I sing. I also love to cook!

Mukta Puntambekar
I like to read. I love to exercise and I am also a marathon runner!

Kiran Bhat
I am into spirituality, so in my free time, I meditate or I paint. I have many interests and I have also co-authored a book ‘No Holy Cows in Business’.

Manjushree Tadvalkar
I watch movies or go out for a drive to the hills. I also love to be with the farmers and spend time on the fields.

What is your advice for young women?

Heena Menon
Whatever field of interest you choose be confident. Once you start something of your own, give it your best. If it fails it’s fine because you gave it a shot!

Mukta Puntambekar
My advice for women would be to be emotionally independent. I feel that a lot of times we need appreciation from others but I think that should not be the case. There is no need to get attention from others.

Ritu Harish Goyal
Please don’t try to be a superwoman! Set your own goals and yardsticks. There are a lot of things expected from women for her to be good at everything. Do not aim for perfection! It is not possible to have it all. Your happiness is paramount so focus on that.

Kiran Bhat
Be fearless when you take your first step. If you fail, then do not take it seriously. But do not take success seriously either. Make sure you take every opportunity as a way to learn.

Manjushree Tadvalkar
Whatever field you’re in, give your 100 per cent. Try to develop yourself in all angles of the business.

Tell us about an incident that changed your life.

Heena Menon
Starting Karma changed my life. I just quit my job one day and within a week, I started the firm. It has been a great experience for me.

Mukta Puntambekar
When I started coming to Muktangan for my PhD research, I observed how my mother was handling the patients with so much care. I wanted a life in academics, but after this I decided that I wanted to work with people.

Ritu Harish Goyal
There was a crisis in my life and I came to terms with it by travelling. I changed drastically and I found joy in it. I got the opportunity to reflect on what I was doing and I realised that I needed to be happy.

Kiran Bhat
I don’t have just one incident. There are was a series of incidents. I think I was destined to be an entrepreneur. I was very enterprising and optimistic!

Manjushree Tadvalkar
I was a scientist studying chemical pesticides. We would conduct toxicological studies on mice. For this, 100 mice would get sacrificed in a day and this was just in one laboratory. I thought that this was wrong and it showed the greed of humans. This is when I made the tremendous shift from modern to organic functioning.