Homemaker, Trendsetter, Fashion Designer: The All-in-one Lady Entrepreneur

If there is one name that answers to the tag of a lady entrepreneur in India who didn't let a slew of surgeries and health problems bog her down, it is Rupal N Lilladhar. Rupal started her dream venture Sanskruti Boutique Gallery at Convent Junction, Kochi in the year 2000. From a showroom of less than 200 sq.ft, she gradually expanded her business to a cluster of three establishments, adding an embroidery making unit, and Sammrudhi, a unit for designer tailoring. HerMoneyTalks decided to get the lowdown on how Rupal is achieving things like a boss.

 

“Without any formal education in fashion designing, I began my boutique, buying a second hand machine from a friend and a tailor from North.” Rupal's opening comments catches you off guard.

 

Incorporating her creative ideas, she successfully integrated the clothing cultures of East, West, and South, and introduced the concept of 'mix and match styling' in Kochi. Rupal also launched innovative profit sharing modules at the start of her venture. This helped her retain 80% of her staff over a decade, despite heavy competitive pressure.

 

Innovative business style far ahead of her time

 

“Today, it is common to have a website. But Sanskruti experimented with that back in 2003 and established greater customer connections in the Middle East and US since then,” laughs Rupal.

 

Marriage brought me from Dhanbad to Kerala and I was surprised to see the pretty women here, dressed up in skirts and blouses.

 

Rupal is one lady entrepreneur in India who travels like nobody's business. She scours the country to source materials for her clients and is a trend setter in her domain of fashion and clothing.

 

“Marriage brought me from Dhanbad to Kerala and I was surprised to see the pretty women here, dressed up in skirts and blouses. My passion for fashion designing inspired me to introduce salwars to them, as they were very rare here,” grins Rupal.

 

Mixing tastes, matching preferences

 

Ask any lady entrepreneur in India about building a business and they will invariably point to the initial hassles. Things were no different for Rupal. She took almost two years to understand the tastes of her clients.

 

Women of Kerala are extremely color conscious and have huge biases while picking up shades for them.

 

Being a Gujarati, her love for pastel shades contrasted with the vibrant color requirements of the people here. “Women of Kerala are extremely color conscious and have huge biases while picking up shades for them,” reveals Rupal.

 

Rupal is a motivation to all aspiring women around. She trains and helps fashion design students with their project work and this made Sanskruti thrive in the fragmented market for nearly two decades.

 

Money, confidence, and self love

 

Rupal took small loans to meet her expenses and attained stability by efficient rolling of money. She assures that when one is passionate and determined about their job, success and money are sure to follow. “Self-love and passion are what make a woman an achiever,” declares Rupal vehemently.

 

This lady entrepreneur in India has a few tricks up her sleeve for budding businesswomen:

 

(1) Focus on your fixed expenses

 

(2) Understand and learn your balance sheets properly

 

(3) Make wise investments in mutual funds and fixed deposits

 

Rupal believes that confident women are always treated with respect by others. Apart from the security issues, while traveling, if women have the courage to take care of themselves, they become unstoppable.

 

During these crisis times of Covid-19, Sanskruti has introduced specially designed face masks to save the public from infections. Her social responsibilities and commitment to team members make her a role model for other women.

 

Rupal winds up the conversation with this gem: “Never bring your work home!”