Women Entrepreneurs from Haryana

When we think of Haryana, Gurgaon (which is one among India’s largest financial and technological hubs) comes to mind. That the Millennium City has great opportunities for budding entrepreneurs (as there is a ready market for anything that is unique, creative and of high quality) – is an opinion that businessmen have today. And, women entrepreneurs believe that Gurgaon has many plus points to support this – like its cosmopolitan nature, the high
concentration of businesses embedded there and a clear professional atmosphere. All this
allows an entrepreneur to start in a small way and then scale up.

Gurgaon has its challenges but it is looked upon as a land of opportunities. And Haryana is one of the country’s three best-performing states. It is among India’s most developed territories – accounting for 50% of national production in passenger vehicles, 50 % in motorcycles, 30 % in refrigerators, 25 % in tractors, 25 % in bicycles and sanitary ware, 50 % of the country’s science instrument exports, and it is third in tech exports from India, making it an ideal place for establishing best businesses in Haryana. The state has indeed, developed into a hub of technology and is an ideal destination for many new business ideas. The state can be a hotbed for small scale businesses for women too.

Here are some women entrepreneurs from Haryana.

> Pooja Goyal, Co-Founder, Intellitots

Working to transform early childhood and K-12 education in India is Pooja Goyal – a well known educator, who is Co-Founder of Intellitots Learning, which promotes excellence in early
childhood education. It is known for its ground-breaking work in the field of early childhood care and education. She started this with Shivani Singh. Intellitots is partnering with Dr. Mariale
Hardiman, of Johns Hopkins School of Education, to drive innovation in early years’ teacher training and curriculum development. She is transforming the way math education is taught in Indian schools by working closely with school leadership teams, teachers and children – to implement innovative programs. With a rich professional experience in France, US, Europe and India her passion for education has been upfront; and she speaks regularly on the issues of entrepreneurship and changing education paradigms. She also bagged the ‘Woman of Substance’ award – for her contribution to the field of education and is a mentor to many school leaders and teachers.

> Shalini Singh, Founder, Cinnamon Stays

Enterprising women often cultivate a dream to start their own venture. And, today, we see a number of them, who have stepped up and started their own business in the millennium city. Being driven by their passion, they have worked hard to achieve success.

Shalini Singh started her entrepreneurial journey four years ago after quitting her cushy HR job at IMG, a sports and entertainment company. She started Cinnamon Stays — a personalised bed and breakfast hotel, in Gurgaon, which is rated No 1 by Trip Advisor in bed and breakfast category in Gurgaon. The hotel has grown over 300 percent since it started and has hosted guests from over 25 countries.

> Ahoi Haolai Sitlhou, Founder & Managing Director, Oriental Senses

Taking a risk is high when anyone decides to branch off on their own. Like Gurgaon-based Ahoi Haolai Sitlhou who launched her own business – Oriental Senses. She felt that if your
confidence level is high then nothing can stop you. It was on a brave note that she moved out of her job, when she established her spa business Oriental Senses. This was after she quit her job as business consultant for an IT MNC.

> Jessica Singh, Founder, JustMyNeighbour

Gurgaon is correctly positioned to aid entrepreneurship. Having the third largest per capita
income in the country (after Chandigarh and Mumbai), Gurgaon has everything to offer new
ventures, feels Jessica Singh, who started JustMyNeigbour.com – a portal to connect people
living in the same residential complex.

After 11 years in the corporate world with companies like Amadeus and Sahara Global, she quit her job to start her own venture. Her portal started with an association with 22 societies in the first year. Now, it is associated with 168 societies in Gurgaon and 3,000 across 13 Indian cities.
Started in 2009, the company has registered 300 percent increase in revenue.

> Rashmi Thakur, Founder, Rendezvous

After a long stint in the IT world, involved with high-profile clients like GE, Google, Citibank and Lloyds TSB Bank — Gurgaon-based Rashmi Thakur, a software engineer, quit her job. It was after her son turned one when she felt he missed her, that she took the decision to step out. Her responsibilities at work were increasing by the day, which of course, increased her achievement and satisfaction levels – but then home responsibilities took on a higher pitch.

And, that was when the idea of Rendezvous, a lounge for kids and moms blossomed in her
mind. The lounge is a one-stop solution for moms and kids connected to fitness, hobby and
leisure. Soon the demand has been increasing steadily and she is happy at her achievement.
Since Rendezvous is all about empowering women (most are from nuclear families and here
they get to be fully independent, while complete responsibility for their kids is taken care of) –
seems ideal for her.