This Women’s Day, join us as we honour women who have been #SeizingTheSpotlight! It is an unprecedented digital campaign by Digital Door Surat featuring women entrepreneurs of the city who have been tenacious and fearless in everything that they do! They have, with sheer hard work and determination, grown thriving businesses, and this is our humble effort to shed light on some of the incredible women entrepreneurs who have done their part in expanding Surat’s economy. Let’s celebrate their strength, self-reliance, and success! This Women’s Day, let’s not ’empower’ women, let’s commemorate them.
Malvika Mehta is a makeup artist and the Creative and Marketing Head of Timbawala Jewels . She is an avid traveller who loves adventure (check out her travel blog Pandas in Boots)
Speaking of what she loves about her work, Malvika says, “I love being creative and meeting new people, be it makeup or jewellery. Everyday is a new day and I get to do different things everyday, finding creative ways to meet the opposite person’s demands and try to get them exactly what they want.”
Malvika urges other women to follow their dreams, irrespective of what others say. She says, “It will take time to get there, it will take time for people to understand, but do what you want to.”
Janki Lalwala is a makeup artist who has been in the industry doing exquisite makeup for years. She loves the smile on her clients’ faces when their makeup is done and the best part of her work is when they tell her that it is the best that they have ever looked.
Janki says to other women following their dreams,“If you are following your dream and are positive about it, there is always a way. There is no hurdle to stop you.”
Radha Patil is a nutritionist and has been helping people lead healthier lives for years. She has always been a social person and loves that her work allows her to meet new people everyday. She is happy that following her passion has led her to have a successful career.
Speaking to other entrepreneurs following their passion, she says, “Don’t listen to anybody, just
believe in your gut. If you feel that something is right, go for it. People will try to pull you down
and if you believe them, you will not be able to do much in life. Whenever you get the chance,
fight for yourself because no one else will fight for you.”
Nancy Luharuwalla is a designer and the founder and owner of Label De
Belle. Her label has done shows twice in Lakme Fashion Week, and they supply their clothing to stores all over India as well as abroad.
She talks about the sheer amount of love and passion she has for her profession, as she chose to do it without any formal training in fashion design. She loves that she gets to be immensely creative and be able to create things.
She urges other women to follow their passions as it will lead them to success.
Krutika Shah is an architect by profession, a professor at SCET college, and
has also done a Masters in bharatnatyam as that is her passion. She is the Founder, Director, and Choreographer of Taal Group, which is a CIOFF member and they perform nationally as well as internationally. They most recently performed at International Folklore Dance Fest.
Speaking to other women pursuing their passion, Krutika tells them to give it their whole heart, and then they can find true happiness in their work.
Mona Desai is a designer and the creative mind behind Label Nimbus. She is immensely
passionate about clothing, how one can truly express themselves through what they wear. She loves designing and creating clothing for people that will make a lasting impression.
To other women entrepreneurs following their dreams, Mona says, “Follow your dreams. Even if things are not alright, and you think it is too late, keep on working towards your dreams and one
day, you will succeed.”
Bhagyashri Thakur is a photographer and the founder and owner of
32 Farvari Production . Photography is truly what she derives her happiness from, and she is exceptionally good at it. She has successfully made her own career out of it as photography is
the only thing that she sees herself doing.
To other women following their dreams, Bhagyashri says, “There will be times when you will be miserable, and you will feel that there are so many other people doing amazing things. You should not feel like somebody else is your competition, just look at yourself and note how you have progressed from yesterday. You are your only competition.”
Anjali Patel is a footwear designer and the founder and owner of Sole of Plenty , a brand that customises footwear. When it comes to the love she has for her work, she says she
loves the entire customisation process, from the measurement of the foot to the designing. The
entire process takes about a week, but when it is finally done, she feels proud of what she has
created herself.
She urges other women following their dreams to simply go and enjoy the process, despite all
the highs and lows, and to not ever lose hope.
Purnima Jain and Anamika Vanparia are both designers and the founders and owners of If You Slow , a label where they do vintage curation, and upcycle textile leftovers.
Their brand is a way for them to express themselves, as well as the fact that their business is
environmentally-friendly, which is something that is very important to them. Not to mention the
fact that it makes them both happy.
Purnima and Anamika both emphasise on the importance of resilience and patience when it comes to following one’s dreams, and urge other women to keep believing in what they do.
Saloni Arya is a dedicated fitness enthusiast who inspires people through her fitness journey. The best part of her work is that she gets to motivate people towards leading healthier, fitter lives.
She emphasises on the importance of community building, and having a group of people who come together to support and encourage each other when it comes to pursuing one’s goals.
Hansika Jain is an architect who co-founded Colabdesignstudio . Her love for her work cannot be defined with a single sentence, but she enjoys the entire process, everything from designing and travelling to creating new spaces.
To anyone out there following their dreams, Hansika says, “Don’t look back. Just carry forward, go ahead and do whatever you want to.”
Sakshi Dhameliya Jetani is the owner Raagsutra sarees, a brand that designs
gorgeous silk sarees, lehengas, bridal lehengas, and other ethnic wear. She loves that through her work, she can make her clients realise the sheer amount of effort and labour that goes into the making of each and every silk saree. It makes people realise just how precious silk sarees
have become, considering they are getting rarer by the day.
She urges other women entrepreneurs to overcome their fear of society, be confident, and do
what they truly love to do.
Aashka Bhakta is the founder and owner of AVF Studios , a photography and videography studio
with more than 40 in-house expert professionals passionately dedicated to their work. Aashka is
completely in love with her work, loving that every single day on the job is different, with new
clients, new models, and the glamour.
Aashka says to other women entrepreneurs, “Just keep going; don’t give up. As women, we
have lots of responsibilities outside of work, but do not give up. Eventually, things will settle
down and you will realise how much you enjoy working.”
Seep Gera Mahajan is the founder and owner of Seep Mahajan Official , a label
that creates bespoke ensembles that speak of elegance, magnificence, and richness. She loves
her work, and looks forward to creating and designing every single day.
Seep says to other women following their dreams, “Believe in yourself, you are braver than you
think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you can imagine.”
Karishma Desai is an architect, and the founder and owner of Atelier Dsync , a firm which specialises in architecture, interiors, planning and urban design,
and landscape. She truly enjoys her work, and loves that it gives her the opportunity to create
something every single day.
She says to other women entrepreneurs, “Just keep trying, and don’t give up.”
Devyani Bhatia and Poonam Grover are the co-owners of The Creative Company, an event decor company which specialises in
events such as weddings and birthday parties, though their forte lies in boutique events.
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They enjoy coming up with new, out-of-the-box ideas which people have never heard of before.
They love that their work allows them to be as creative as possible, which always results in a fun
workday.
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Speaking to other women following their dreams, Poonam and Devyani say, “There is no age
when it comes to starting something new. If you have the determination, the passion, and work
hard, it will take you anywhere you want to go. Just focus, and you will find people to support
you.”
Krishna Shah is the founder and owner of Nutmeg ,a label that specialises in chic and modern apparel. Through the clothing she designs, Krishna expresses herself. She feels confident in the clothing she designs, as well as the clothing she adorns, and she wants others to feel the same confidence.
She urges other women to express their ideas and act on them. If those ideas are successful, that’s great; if they are not, one always learns a lesson.
Aparna Periwal is an artist, and the founder of Mysa Art Studio , wherein she creates realistic
art. Creating art gives her a sense of peace, and making portraits and sketching are her forte.
When she began her journey of art, she faced a lot of criticism and no one seemed to take her
dedication to art seriously. But she persevered, and urges other women to follow their dreams
and not balk at the criticism thrown at them. Through her work, Aparna hopes to change the
way people view art as a career option.
Supriya Chugh is a baker, and the founder and owner of Supriya’s Cakes. Her
work drives her, and she always looks forward to taking on new projects.
She urges other women who are following their dreams to trust their own instincts and ideas,
and to just go for it.
Shilpa Narang is a physiotherapist and a Pilates instructor, and the founder
and owner of @fitmotivation_dr.shilpanarang , a Pilates studio. She looks forward to waking up
every day, and never feels like her work is a burden. She loves her work, meeting new people
every day, and making a genuine difference in their lives.
Shilpa truly believes that every woman has a talent which is very unique to her, and it’s
important to identify that talent and work hard towards it.
Manali Sanghvi (@manali.29 ) is the founder and director of GyaanHub (@gyaanhubkids ), a
place where kids from 8 months of age to 15 years old go to realise their true potential. They
have hand-on activities ranging from vocabulary
building, theatre therapy, to stage-to-page,
story reading and more! She has built a happy
environment that all children look forward to
going to.
Kruti Desai is a dietitian (@dietconcepts ) who consults people for everything from obesity to
diabetes, helping people get healthier. She is a people person who likes helping others solve
their health problems using structured diets and lifestyle changes.
She truly believes women are the strongest pillars of society, and should always focus on
strengthening themselves and their health, which will create a brighter future for them as well as
their families.
Hirika Jagani is a fashion designer, and the owner of label
Hirika Jagani . She loves the creativity and the entire process of creating and
designing clothing.
Speaking to other women following their dreams, Hirika says, “Do what makes you happy, give
it your 100%, and go with the flow.”
Pooja Arora is a practising sports nutritionist who helps people follow a
good and healthy lifestyle.
She says to other women following their dreams, “People will always say whatever they want to
say, but never, ever abandon your dream for the sake of others. Pursue it, because we can only
spread happiness if we are happy ourselves.
Rini Singhvi is an architect and the founder and owner of
@thebricktales , a firm that specialises
in architecture and interior design. She loves designing and breathing life into spaces that will
go on to positively influence the behavior of the people using the space.
She is excited to see a lot of new faces coming up in her field, especially in Surat as it makes
their community stronger, and helps everyone grow together.
Nishita Daruwala is an edupreneur and the founder and owner of
Musical Bonding Surat. She is immensely passionate about teaching kids, and promoting
creativity amongst children, which she does through her programme.
She believes that practical learning stays with children for a longer period of time, when
compared to theoretical learning, which is why her programme is incredible hands-on and
activity-based.
Disha Singapuri is a hair and makeup artist (@makeoverbydisha) who has been
creating breath-taking looks for her clients for years. She loves being creative and doing her art
on people for their special days even more special and glamorous.
Her work has caused Disha to go from being an introvert to being a more social person who
loves interacting with people. She urges other women to step out of their comfort zones, let go
of their insecurities, stop overthinking, and go with the flow.
Tanvi Mittal is a designer and the owner of Label Tanvi Mittal. She loves the
freedom of creativity that her work grants her, combining her love for painting and designing to
give rise to bright coloured clothing with lots of prints.
Speaking to other women entrepreneurs, Tanvi says, “You should do what you love, without
being conscious about what other people say, and never give up on yourself.”
Stuti Agrawal is the owner of @prodigy.edu1 , a practical learning education
institute where learning happens through games and institutions. They convert textbooks to
experiential learning, so instead of mugging up, they learn practically by performing, executing,
seeing, and observing. This way, children learn about a thing’s uses and significance.
She urges other women to believe in themselves, stand up for themselves, and pursue their
dreams.