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Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Make In India's Impact On Indian Business

Tarannum Manjul Mar 06, 2024

Make In India, an initiative aimed at promoting indigenous manufacturing and entrepreneurship, has been instrumental in inspiring a wave of female entrepreneurs across various sectors in India. Through its focus on domestic manufacturing and innovation, Make In India has provided a platform for women to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and contribute to the country's economic development. To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, here are stories of some women entrepreneurs who have been inspired by Make In India to start their own successful ventures:

Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale

Make In India served as a catalyst for Romita to establish Foxtale, a skincare brand committed to creating affordable and effective products for Indian women. By leveraging the initiative's emphasis on indigenous innovation, Romita's brand has flourished, garnering trust among consumers and achieving remarkable success in a short span of time.

Says Mazumdar, “Make In India is an incredibly influential initiative encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. It has inspired countless entrepreneurs to contribute towards economic growth through indigenous innovation. It has been one of the driving forces for creating a brand where everything from R&D to manufacturing is done in India. Initiatives like Make in India have built consumer trust in homegrown brands like us, enabling a young brand like us to serve more than 5.5lakh consumers to date and achieve a revenue of over 100 cr today.”

Aashka Goradia Goble, RENÉE Cosmetics:

Aligned with the ethos of Make In India, Aashka embarked on her entrepreneurial journey with RENÉE Cosmetics, aiming to showcase India's talent and manufacturing prowess in the beauty sector. Through her brand, Aashka has not only promoted domestic manufacturing but has also set a benchmark for quality and innovation in the cosmetics industry.

Says Goradia, who turned entrepreneur from actress, “The 'Make In India' initiative inspired us to enhance the country's manufacturing strength in the beauty sector with RENÉE Cosmetics. Its focus on domestic manufacturing and entrepreneurship aligned perfectly with our goal of establishing a homegrown brand capable of global competition. We were driven by a sense of pride in India's talent and manufacturing capacity, aiming to create high-quality beauty products that showcase our country's potential for innovation and excellence. Through our contribution to 'Make In India,' RENÉE emerged as a symbol of our commitment to promoting and supporting Indian manufacturing in the cosmetics industry.”

Priyanka Salot, The Sleep Company

Driven by the vision of providing innovative sleep solutions to Indian consumers, Priyanka's venture, The Sleep Company, epitomises the principles of Make In India. With a focus on quality and innovation, Priyanka's brand has embraced Indian creativity and craftsmanship to produce world-class products, contributing to the growth of Indian manufacturing.

“Make in India’ is a truly inspirational initiative. Since the inception of The Sleep Company we have aimed to provide state of the art sleep solutions to Indian consumers, and the ‘Make In India’ initiative aligned with our mission. We have always believed in the potential for Indian creativity and craftsmanship to produce world-class products,” shares Salot.

Gunjan Jindal Poddar, Amala Earth

The Make In India initiative resonated deeply with Poddar on both a personal and professional level, igniting a sense of purpose and inspiration to contribute to the nation's growth story. As an advocate for sustainability and conscious living, she saw an opportunity to align her values with the broader vision of promoting homegrown earth-friendly brands.

Says Poddar, “The Make In India movement underscored the importance of supporting local artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs, which catalysed the inception of Amala Earth. Drawing from this ethos, I was inspired to create a platform that celebrates India's rich cultural heritage while championing sustainable practices and ethical production. Amala Earth stands as a testament to the transformative power of Make In India, embodying the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility.”

Aishwarya Jain, Kirana Club

With Kirana Club, Aishwarya aims to empower local businesses and kirana owners, aligning with the objectives of Make In India to promote indigenous entrepreneurship. Through her platform, Aishwarya facilitates collaboration among kirana owners and regional brands, fostering growth and scalability in the retail sector.

In her own words, “India is a community-based society and Kirana Club was founded with a community approach to provide Kirana owners with a platform to have access to millions of other kiranas for them to make better business decisions and engage with each other.

India is home to 15 million kiranas and they play a crucial role in the growth of the country’s retail sector which is expected to reach USD 1,225 billion by FY26. Kirana Club is aligned with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative as it aims to provide a boost to local businesses in the country. Kirana owners can access the platform at no cost and we work towards the growth of local businesses and help them scale.”

Simran Kohli, Dusaan

Inspired by Make In India, Simran launched Dusaan, a platform celebrating Indian craftsmanship and heritage. By connecting with local manufacturers and artisans, Simran's brand promotes indigenous talent and supports small-scale businesses, amplifying the impact of Make In India on the home decor industry.

“Today, Dusaan is a platform for more than 200+ homegrown brands across 40+ categories. Most of the products are made with organic fabrics, embody Indian heritage, and represent the handwork of many cluster artisans. Through these continuous efforts, Dusaan supports ‘Make in India’ campaigns and aims to take it international in the future. Our motive is to celebrate the diversity of Indian craftsmanship and collaborate with artisans across India to bring their creations to the forefront,” says Kohli.

Richa Sharma, CURRYiT

Make In India (MII) has been instrumental in shaping the foundation of CURRYIT. The extensive incentives, such as tax holidays and access to government grants, provided by Make In India, have alleviated the burdens of documentation and high taxes, enabling founders like Sharma, to concentrate on product development and core values, especially during the initial startup phase. Additionally, Make In India's support for women entrepreneurs through mentorship and guidance has been invaluable.

“With our brand dedicated to celebrating Indian food and cooking, the association with Make In India fills us with pride, as it embodies our commitment to contributing to India's entrepreneurial landscape while promoting its rich culinary heritage,” says Sharma.

Dolly Kumar, Cosmic Nutracos

For Kumar, the Make In India is an initiative close to her heart as it connects to her roots. When she wanted to start her entrepreneur journey, she knew that it was all Indian she wanted to focus on.

Says Kumar, “I was born and raised in India; hence, my heart and soul belong to the country. When I took the entrepreneurial plunge, I was sure that I wanted to leverage my industry experience to build a homegrown brand and cater to the needs and demands of the local people. I conducted thorough research and sought inspiration from local market trends. I noticed the market gaps and realised there was no umbrella brand fulfilling its promise of health for consumers, and there was a lack of awareness about preventive healthcare and health food. I was determined to bridge this gap, and with this vision in mind, I went to build Gaia and Skinella under the parent company, Cosmic Nutracos.”

Swapnil Pathak Sharma, Zighrana

Sharma, who has been working with fragrances for a while, feels that India has been supplying premium quality fragrance raw material to the world since ages, still we are not well known because of lack of branding. Make In India encouraged her to come up with a completely Indian brand that could not only showcase the richness of India in the fragrance market, but also make a mark.

“It is high time India should mark its strong presence in the fragrance market and reach out to the world. Zighrana is an honest attempt to bring the Indian fragrance to the world stage, given that I am the fourth generation in this industry, I feel it as my obligation to present the strength of the Indian fragrance industry to the world,” says Sharma.