Issue 4 - Volume 3 | March 2017

Voice of SMEs- My Passion is My True Calling


Talking about Indian womentreprenuers & innovation and not including Mamtaa Gupta, a woman of strong mettle and enthusiasm, a textile, fashion and Interior designer who has been mentoring startups, individuals and brands for over a decade now and the founder of Buzzaria, a multiple brand retail store in New Delhi would be a total injustice to our readers which we don’t want.

Whilst a lively conversation with this fondly known as ‘The Entrepreneur Alchemist", we discovered many inspiring traits that are worth sharing with everyone.

On her childhood and the beginning of this journey, Mamtaa sounded enthusiastic and had a few things to share “Designing enticed me from an early age and I have been designing my own clothes since the age of 5 and the passion is ever growing from then. I reckon, I always knew that designing and entrepreneurship is my true calling and that makes me call myself a born retailer and I take my work as if I was made for it”
                            
Mamtaa started her first range of stitched salwar kameez under the brand name ‘Kutir’ before starting Buzzaria in the year 2011 and since then there is no looking back. She has been also working as a mentor to many start- ups and planning to open many new outlets of her store.

Talking about Buzzaria, her experience so far as a woman entrepreneur in the industry and her beliefs, Mamtaa says “I love the concept of bazaars and have a thing for everything which gives ethnic feels. I have encapsulated all of India in one store and have more than 60 brands at my outlet which has start-ups, NGOs, individuals, basically anyone and everyone who has a dream to launch their own brand. Buzzaria helps them fulfil their dreams through this platform. Anyone who has a taste for quirk and ethnic loves buzzaria and is associated with it.
But this journey has been quite challenging for me being a female entrepreneur. When I started my journey in 1984, there were only a few women in this field and it wasn’t something which the society liked. So women like us constantly drew flak and faced disapprovals. I have faced endless challenges, they have come in heaps, and I still see them, though now I am hoping that they start fading away, high time. I have just stood strong through all, and looked at each day as today, another one to do better than yesterday .My resilience and inner strength and my passion for what I do have kept me going. Recently under lot of duress I filled up an application for an international trade fair, they were choosing one candidate from across the world whose business they were going to support and invite that candidate as a guest. I won that from among 650 candidates across 38 countries which is a huge motivation for me to keep going.”

Before concluding Mamtaa had a message for all the women entrepreneurs of India. With contentment on her face, she tells us

“Business life can get extremely challenging and especially for a woman, who needs to create a balance with their personal life as well. The stress which comes with it, the decisions one needs to take, the out of box thinking one needs to apply for the endless completion ,the rules and regulations which sometimes are very daunting. Through all kinds of situations, just focus on your love for what you do, just take few deep breathes and remember you are equal to all, no one is inferior and no challenge bigger than us. And many a times, things will not fall into place, it is ok, they will eventually all fit in, that is the beauty of the journey”

Women's Day message - Just go for it, Do what you need to do, Being a woman is no reason not to go after your dreams and desires, universe designed earth for equal participation from all, it isn't a MAN's World. It is OUR World. It is for all of us. It is our birthright to live, breathe as equals. And, let no situation or person convince you otherwise.​

 

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