There Is No Freedom For Women Without Financial Freedom.
Bajaj Capital Ltd. - A more than 53 year old organization would not have been a phenomenal success without its women. Just like the phrase suggests that 'Behind every successful man , there is a woman' , similarly , behind a successful organization such as Bajaj Capital , Bajaj women have always remained very supportive and have contributed in every aspect they could – I AM TALKING ABOUT 4 Strong intelligent women who run successful businesses of their own – MS. SANYOKTA BAJAJ, MS. ANU BAJAJ, MS. VANI BAJAJ AND MS. POONAM BAJAJ.'
Ms. Sanyokta Bajaj is the leading lady of the Bajaj Family and has been a great mentor and a great leader for her family and has her fashion label which she manages with her daughter , Ms. Poonam Bajaj. She has justified every relationship in the most phenomenal way she could and is a role-model who always motivated and inspired her children and her daughters in-laws to pursue whatever they wanted to in their journey which is a mark of a true woman.
Ms. Anu Bajaj is the elder daughter in-law of the Bajaj Family and has her own art gallery by the name of ' Gallery Art Positive' which itself sums up her philosophy of life. She believes in being positive and happy in her outlook to life.
Ms. Vani Bajaj is the younger daughter in-law of the Bajaj Family and is a Chief Mentor at ICFP (International College Of Financial Planning). She is a woman who believes that a purpose in life shall always put people on the path to growth , the growth should however always be in alignment of the needs of society.
Last but not the least , Ms. Poonam Bajaj is the lovely daughter of the Bajaj Family who runs her own label by the name of ' The Citrine' along with her mother Ms. Sanyokta Bajaj. She always had a hidden talent and a remarkable eye for fashion since her young age and has maintained that legacy till now.
This women's day , we would like to showcase the journeys of these four remarkable personalities. We hope that their journey motivate and inspire millions of other women.
Ms. Sanyokta Bajaj
How did your entrepreneurial journey start?
I always had an inbuilt penchant for fashion. And when I was young, I used to design my clothes on my own and quite well understood the transformative quality of a good clothing. I studied fashion as one of my subject in my higher education also but didn’t get the right opportunity to pursue it as a career. Finally, When my daughter established her own label “The Citrine” independently, I decided to help her and also to utilize my underlying desire for fashion. Earlier it was started as a multi-designer studio but later on she conceptualized the idea to launch their own production unit, as it increases the reach and maximizes the profit margins.
What were the obstacles which you faced in your entire journey?
Every industry has it's own challenges. What is more important is that we need to overcome them. Dealing with workers and everyday production challenges are some of the obstacles which we face daily.
Did you ever think of joining the family business?
When I got married, I used to think of joining the family business, but since in those those days, it was quite unfitting, so, I did not. After some time, I had my children who were my priority. I wanted to devote my full time to them.
How has been your family for you?
Luckily for me, I have a very supportive family as they are always there for me. My children know what I want beforehand. I even tell them this very often. I think I am blessed to have such a beautiful family.
My husband (Mr. K.K Bajaj) is very supportive and he tells me to keep myself busy and do what makes me happy.
Do you feel that women should have financial knowledge and why?
It is very important for a woman to become independent, to work and manage her life. But, only when she is financially independent, she becomes self-sufficient in real terms.
What is your life’s mantra?
Whatever you do, give it your hundred percent.
Ms. Poonam Bajaj
How did your entrepreneurial journey start?
Fashion was always closer to my heart and even though, I had done Masters in Business Administration, I believe my entrepreneurial streak helped me to venture into fashion. My mother's support has always been immense. Today , we have a whole team of designers , we work together and try to spur creativity on each piece we create.
What were the obstacles which you faced in your entire journey?
Yes, we do face challenges like, in terms of production deadlines and dealing with the client's demands at times.
Did you ever think of joining the family business?
After completing my studies, I did join ICFP for one year, but then I decided to start my own venture. Today, I am happy that we have established ourselves in the industry. We work closely with the craftsmen and experiment with current trends in order to provide new and exclusive workmanship to our clients.
How has been your family for you?
My family has always been very supportive in whatever I wanted to do in my life be it my studies or starting my own label “The citrine”.
Do you feel that women should have financial knowledge and why?
Yes, I think it is very necessary for women to have financial knowledge, in order to have a sense of independence in life and take their own independent decisions. I believe in my father's (Mr. K.K. Bajaj) philosophy, “There is no freedom for woman without financial freedom.”
What is your life’s mantra?
“Learn from Yesterday, Live for today, plan for tomorrow and Love your near and dear one’s generously. Life is too unpredictable for rules and regrets.”
Ms. Anu Bajaj
How did your entrepreneurial journey start?
I did my graduation from LSR college in Philosophy and had just enrolled for MA when I got a job in British Airways. I started working right away, as I always had the desire to stand on my own feet. My father had brought-up me and my sisters to be independent and strong women. So, for four years, I worked but left my job when I got married in order to take care of my family. But I embraced this phase of life also very beautifully, as I loved spending time with my mother in-law who was also not working at that time.
But once my kids became old enough, I wanted to get back to work. My father in-law , Mr. K.K Bajaj (whom I call Daddy)- who had always been fond of art and had built up a collection of paintings - started a small gallery. He asked me to take care of the gallery, but since my kids were not old enough, I was not quite ready then. But , my father in-law had a way out and suggested that I can do it ‘online’. That was how my company ‘Ganesha Online’ was born in 2004, with just a website ‘Ganesha Online.com’ and an office in Nehru Place.
Thereafter, I realized, that art doesn’t need an office but a space where it can be viewed. So, after that, I started my own gallery in a family-owned house which was unoccupied. I renovated one floor of the house and that is where my gallery was born.Being a philosophy student, I had no formal education in art. I started researching artists, went to meet them at their studios in Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Bangalore and learnt the tricks of the trade.
My first exhibition titled “Devotion” in 2005 was a runway success and since then, there was no looking back!!
This was the start of her entrepreneurial journey.
What were the obstacles which you faced in your entire journey?
The nature of the business was a challenge. Art was not something that I knew or understood, not even studied it. It took me some time to learn the ropes. Also, when I entered the business, the art market was booming, and it was easy to sell works. But soon after, the art market crashed and was in recession for a long period. Most people who had bought enough art during the boom and had their hands burnt, were then staying away from buying more.
What is success for you ?
It is to grow slowly and steadily, single-handedly with small milestones along the way, from an office space to forming a gallery, to my first international show in Singapore, to establishing Bajaj Capital Art House, to provide Art Advisory services to our clients, to their state of the art gallery in Lado Sarai, the Art District of Delhi. The journey spans over a decade.
THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS TO SUCCESS. It requires a strong will to succeed, dedication and pure hard work. If you have all three, then nothing can stop you from achieving success.
What is your approach to competition?
My current gallery is located in the art hub of Delhi, where over 10 prominent galleries are located. I have competition right at my doorstep. But, I took it positively that anyone looking at Art is bound to come to Lado Sarai, since all art galleries are located there. Also, I believe there is room for everyone, as everyone is offering something that is unique. And in fact, all the galleries co-exist beautifully and plan joint events together.
How has been your family for you ?
I am blessed to be a part of progressive families like ours. My father brought all four sisters up equal to men and told us to dream big. Today all of us are professionals or have prominent businesses.
And my father in law is the one who fanned the entrepreneurial fire in me. He once told me that if I wanted to be respected by my children, I need to have a career. I give full credit to my father in-law for pushing me towards this wonderful direction.
My husband has been extremely supportive in whatever I wanted to do in my life. And now my sons Jai, 21 and Shivam, 19, who are both Business majors in Carnegie Mellon University and University of Southern California give me advice on crucial business matters.
“I think respecting a woman and letting her accomplish her dreams is the biggest thing a man can ever do.”
Do you feel that women should have financial knowledge and why ?
According to me, Women must educate themselves about financial aspects, learn about it , read it, not blindly rely on anyone, and must realize the value they are creating for their family.
What is your life’s mantra ?
Never do wrong with anyone. What goes around comes around. I believe in being honest and upright in my dealings with clients and artists alike.
On the personal front I believe, we need to work on our mind. Have good thoughts. Read good books. Be happy. Surround yourself with positive people who help you grow and evolve. If the mind is healthy, so will the body. Keep the negativity away. Meditate and just BREATHE.
And life is by choice not by chance. Choose wisely.
Ms. Vani Bajaj
How did your entrepreneurial journey start?
I joined my father's business of Garment Export House right after completing my degree in small business management. I and my siblings were trained to be in the business right from childhood. I entered into the organization as a trainee and worked in the merchandising and the sampling department and then went on to look after the production. I also worked extensively with their showrooms based in New York,USA. Handling the Indian production and liasoning with New York operations gave me good experience in management.
After marriage, I joined customer relationship department in Bajaj Capital. The client care center in Bajaj Capital was started by me around 2002. I worked there for a year and then, went on for a sabbatical leave for few years as I was expecting a baby. But I did not sit back at home, I pursued my post-graduation via Distance Learning during my pregnancy as I loved knowledge and always wanted to learn more and more.
When both of my children grew little older, I decided to get back to work again and this time it was ICFP as Education is something, I have always been very passionate about. I took this opportunity of growing it further.
What were the obstacles which you faced in your entire journey ?
I had to learn the ropes again at ICFP because, the education industry was very different from the garment Industry. Initially people thought that I had joined ICFP just to pass time. But they changed their opinions very quickly in few months.
Moreover, when I joined in 2007-08, financial markets were not performing well due to recession, because of that numbers of students joining purely finance programs went down. There were challenges imposed by regulations of AICTE AND UGC. Even though we are still competing with the private universities, Mysore University has recognized our programs which are highly specialized and unique. We are growing at a rate of 30 percent annually.
What is success for you ?
“Success for me is irrespective of what profession you are in, you should pursue it with full devotion and ethics. To be able to walk with your head held high in dignity is the ultimate success for me.”
What is your approach to competition ?
In few years, many universities have come up, but they are not offering anything new. They still have the traditional curriculum setup. But when it comes to ICFP, we change our curriculum every year as the industry is very dynamic. Also, we train our students in a way the industry requires. So, we do not fear competition as we have our own USP.
How has been your family for you ?
My family has been very supportive in whatever I wanted to do, be it my studies or joining Bajaj Capital or ICFP.
“For me the three men instrumental in my achievements are my father, father in-law and my husband.”
Do you feel that women should have financial knowledge and why ?
I believe that it is very important for every women to have financial knowledge as uncertainties can strike up any moment.
What is your life’s mantra ?
Women must do something which utilizes their creativity and skills. Don't be afraid to fail as failure only leads to success and help in learning new lessons of life.
Just remain calm and be a learner. Prioritize what needs to be done by planning your day in advance, you will be surprised by how much you can get done in 24 hours. – Ensure you have a good team at work and good family support.
“For me, my children are my first priority.”