The nationwide lockdown and the extended work from the home routine have seen people exploring and indulging in various activities. From baking to gardening, DIY crafts to learning new languages and skills, and even starting new businesses. With the new normal, there are newer market challenges to address and several women have used their free time designing new business approaches and solutions.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! That’s what these women decided to do as they turned the coronavirus-induced lockdown into a golden opportunity for themselves. On this International Women’s Day, here is a look at how these women turned entrepreneurs during the lockdown.
1. Tarunima Bajpai:
In April 2020, 25-year-old Tarunima Bajpai found herself without a job and with time in her hand for the first time in years. A lawyer by profession, Tarunima was working as a social activist with NGOs till January 2020, when she decided to quit and look for a job change.
“I started looking for jobs in February 2020. But then lockdown happened. I was still hopeful, thinking the lockdown may be lifted in a couple of days and kept looking for jobs. But by May 2020, I had lost all hopes. Moreover, with no work in hand and so much time to kill, I was going crazy at home. That is when I decided to start my own social enterprise,” says the Noida resident.
On Environment Day (June 5, 2020), Tarunima launched her social enterprise Ecoswop Solutions, which provides and promotes sustainable lifestyle alternatives to customers and also assists corporate houses with CSR initiatives.
“Surprisingly the registrations, including logistics of opening an enterprise went smoothly during the lockdown, which is why I was able to launch the initiative so quickly. I had always thought of opening something of my own, but never thought it would happen so early in my career. Had it not been for this lockdown, I might have been employed at someplace else!,” says Tarunima.
2. Ankita Pandey:
Ankita Pandey had a similar fate. A finance professional, the 29-year-old had moved to Gurgaon from Pune in December 2019 and had started looking for jobs in NCR in January 2020. However, fate had different plans for her as the lockdown was announced in March.
A fitness enthusiast, Ankita diverted her attention towards keeping herself healthy. “I have always been passionate about fitness and nutrition. Since I had nothing to do, I started putting videos of my workouts on my Instagram page. Since many turned to fitness during the lockdown, people started reaching out to me for advice. Soon, I realized that this is the best time to follow my passion, and I took up an online certification course and start a career as a fitness trainer,” says Ankita. Today, Ankita holds virtual zoom classes all through the week. “I feel this lockdown was a boon for me as it gave me the courage to follow my passion. It has been around six months since I started my fitness career and all my zoom classes slots are booked all week!” she says.
3. Sudha Bengani:
Sudha Bengani worked as a Captain with a private airline when the lockdown was imposed in March 2020 and all flight operations were grounded. Having traveled the world for over 19 years, being at home without work was a change that this 45-year-old Gurgaon resident was unable to digest. Hence, with another friend, she started working towards her dream- of opening a cafe.
In November 2020, Sudha and her designer friend Akanksha Arora opened a cafe called “Nautical Miles” in Gurgaon. Akanksha, who used to work at a corporate firm, decided to follow her passion of designing clothes post lockdown and opened a showroom called “Murasakino” on the mezzanine floor of the cafe.
Amid the sweeping economic distress triggered by the pandemic, starting a new business was fraught with risks. However, Sudha had a different outlook. “I thought, we are already at the deep end, what worse could happen now? We were quite apprehensive of starting the cafe during the Covid-era. But surprisingly, it has been very well-received,” Sudha says.
4. Bhawna Bohra:
Bhawna Bohra, 39, had made up her mind that 2020 was going to be her year. After quitting her corporate job in 2016 to look after her kids and family, Bhawna registered for a Mrs. India competition in February 2020 and was selected as one of the finalists when the lockdown brought her dreams crashing down.
“I was training hard and was all set for the competition when lockdown happened. In the beginning, I thought that everything is over, and I will have to try again later when the pandemic ends. However, I did not let that hamper my spirits and decided to become a chocolatier,” tells Bhawna.
Bhawna started making various kinds of homemade chocolates that quickly became popular among her circle. “During the lockdown, I started my own venture by delivering homemade chocolates. Demand was high as during the coronavirus scare, people preferred to know where their food is coming from,” says Bhawna. Earlier this year, Bhawna’s Mrs. India dreams also came true as she was able to travel to Maharashtra’s Daman to participate and became the semi-finalist.
5. Mrinali Singh:
For 33-year-old Mrinali Singh, sailing across the globe with her Merchant Navy husband was a regular affair. However, when coronavirus led her back home in Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur, she found herself yearning to bake.
“It was December 2019 when coronavirus scare had arrived in the Merchant Navy and wives were sent back home. As I was free, I decided to take up a professional vegetarian baking course in Chandigarh. By the end of February 2020, my cakes found a shelf to get displayed at a popular shop in Palampur. But when lockdown happened in March 2020, I was left dejected,” said Mrinali.
With no hopes of finding customers in the small hilly town, Mrinali was surprised when she started getting orders for her cakes over the phone. “Even during the lockdown, people were very much eager to celebrate special occasions, and almost every day, I used to get orders for customized cakes. The popularity spread all through Palampur through word of mouth as well as my Instagram page. While I stopped deliveries during the lockdown, many of my loyal customers used to still order cakes and take them from my doorstep within the two-hour window where people were allowed to go for essentials,” says Mrinali.
