Believe In Yourself and Your Venture.
Mohita Indrayan – A woman who plugs the demand-supply gap in tweens apparel segment with 612 league.Tweens is that segment of our country which is not given much attention when it comes to clothes but that much needed attention is given by this phenomenal woman.
Q.1 Tell us about the beautiful journey that you have travelled so far ?
The idea of 612 League came about in 2009-10 when we were looking to buy clothes for our children who were still in that transition window between ‘not kids’ and ‘not yet pre-teens’. This is when it struck us that there’s no apparel brand targeting this segment in India. Abroad, this age is popularly referred to as the “tweens” but in India, the concept didn’t exist. My husband Manu & I spotted this business opportunity and decided to launch the first Indian brand for pre-teens in the country.
Creating a brand which offers a complete range for infants & kids and seeing it grow steadily in a short span of time has been a very satisfying experience. I feel very excited even today when I see a child dressed in 612 products.
Q.2 What motivated & inspired you to start your business of '612 LEAGUE' ?
Being the Creative Director of 612 League, my belief right from the beginning has been that each child is a star in their own capacity and all we need to do is to give them the confidence to do things right. Clothes play an important role in building this self-confidence from an early age.
The core inspiration therefore has always been learnings from everyday life & observing kids & families around me.
In the early years thinking like a mother helped in shaping the right product & my daughters have been my biggest inspirations.
Q.3 According to you, what are the key aspects that can help an Indian woman to achieve professional and business success?
- Ability to multi-task
- A genuine interest & affinity towards your chosen area of work
- A hands on approach
- The right educational background always helps
- Good communication & team building skills
- A supportive spouse & family
Q.4 What is the greatest obstacle you had faced in achieving the success you desired? How did you overcome it?
Introducing the brand in the organized retail chain without the support of any large apparel group was the first challenge. We overcame that by recognizing the gap in the market and providing a product suitable to the customer requirements and continuously upgrading it.
Team building & finding people with the right approach & skill-set has also been a continuous challenge as the attrition rate is very high in the retail industry.
Q.5 Do you manage your finances on your own and do you have knowledge of all your investments ?
I do have full knowledge of my investments but they are managed by my husband.
Q.6 Should women have financial knowledge and how much important it is for a woman to to be financially independent ?
Being financially independent in my view is the most precious gift any woman can give herself and is the first step towards women empowerment.
Women should have atleast basic financial knowledge and the ability to plan her investments in a away that all future contingencies can be covered. Taking professional help is also a good idea if required.
Q.7 What advice would you give to the young women entrepreneurs about being more organized and informed about startups ?
Being aware of the business environment and keeping yourself updated is very critical. Keep challenging yourself and your team and most importantly believe in yourself & your venture.
Q.8 The young entrepreneurs will love to know your SUCCESS MANTRA, so that they can also use it for their business growth.
Believe in yourself and your Venture, always learn to look at the larger picture as the short term pains will lead to gains in the long run & most importantly love your work!