Young, but not restless

As we celebrate National Youth Day, Asawari chats with 3 young women entrepreneurs and finds out how they have redefined youth with their passion, innovation, creativity, and dedication towards their work

‘At 24, it’s great to be your own boss!’
Says Shaheen Peerbhai who successfully runs a food blog purplefoodie.com, and a catering business in Mumbai with a huge fan following.

“My dad always told me that whatever I do when I grow up, I should ultimately only work for myself. That stuck in my head forever. Although I started my blog just to pamper my creative juices, I soon took it up as a full-time job of making customised cakes and savouries on order.”

“I believe that innovation is integral these days and the youth of today are really passionate and hungry to express themselves differently, which works well even for me. What set purplefoodie.com apart is that not only is it just a click away but that it offers innovative recipes like chocolate cinnamon babka or the Nutella pinwheel cookies that one has never heard of. “

“And the best part is I’m receiving tremendous response…that’s probably why I foresee myself opening my own dessert café someday! But the key to making it all possible is to dream and make sure you make it happen.”

‘Go out and do all that you think you can. Age is not an excuse.’
Vriti Jatia did just that. She is a 23 year old fashion designer who owns a youth brand called ‘Vriti’.

“I cater to the age group of 25-40 and my designs are an exact impression of my thinking. Although during my start-up days I had to face many loose threads, but risk is something one has to take anywhere…then why not take it in something you are really passionate about? I didn’t even hesitate to take the support of my family and friends and well, it worked.”

“After all, everyone welcomes new things in life. And youngsters now have the personalities and sheer determination to deliver. That’s probably why even I ensure that my work interweaves a lot of creativity and novelty…that is sure to make my creations showstoppers!”

“India is changing and the youth is its tomorrow. There is nothing like the old and young and that’s why my message to all the youngsters is ‘Go achieve it!’”

‘Youth is the power of today.’
Meet another young woman entrepreneur, Komal Lath, all of 24 years of age. She manages ‘Tute Consult’, a communications consultancy for lifestyle and entertainment clients.

“The name is aptly taken from that of an Egyptian ruler ‘Tutankhamen’ who was young, rich, and restless. It is the same mantra that drives my company as well! The services my company offers are not what you would find on any other shelf because we offer our clients a package of total integrated communication. Although many clients still expect a conference room with PowerPoint presentations and jacketed MBAs, they are open to listening to the new ideas of the youth.”

“I too am in the youth brigade and being my own boss is what will make me grow. What worked for me and what might work for other youngsters is that when you are doing what you like, you love burning the midnight oil! Success is then inevitable.”