8/6/2015 AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

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PreethiChamikutty|March03,2014at11:00am

Anita Dongre, the designer whobroke societal stereotypes to be anentrepreneur

For50yearoldAnitaDongre,lifehasbeenaninterestingjourneyasawoman.ShewasborninatraditionalIndianhouseholdwherewomenplayedallthestereotypicalrolesthatsocietyexpectsthemto.Hercousins,aunts,sistersandotherwomenintheextendedfamilywerehappybeingwivesandmothers.Butdespitebeingborninatraditionalhousehold,lifehaddifferentplansforAnita.

IgrewupinafairlytraditionalSindhifamily.MygrandparentswerefromJaipur.IspentlotofmysummervacationsinJaipurandevenasachildInoticedhowrestrictivetheenvironmentwasformycousinsthere.MyfathermovedtoMumbaijustafewmonthsbeforeIwasborn.Mumbaiwasaverydifferentplace.Herewomenhadcareers,andwereentrepreneurs,recallsAnita.Therewerenowomenentrepreneursinherfamily.Noneofthewomeninherextendedfamilyof50cousinseverworkedanywhere.SowhenAnitatookupajobafterherinternship,everyoneinthefamilywasshocked.TherewastotalshockandIwassubjectedtoalotofcounselling.Backthenitwasassumedthatifawomanwantedtoworkitmeantthatherfamilywasunabletolookafterherfinancially,saysAnita.

Butnowallthatseemsalongtimeago.Today,AnitaDongreisamongtheforemostfashiondesignersinthecountryandhasdressedmanywellknownandunknownfaces.HerStorycaughtupwiththissuperseamstresstochalkherentrepreneurialjourney.

The beginning

Comparedtowhatlayaheadinherlifeasanentrepreneur,familyobjectionswereperhapsthemosteasytotackle.Anitaspulltowardsfashionhappenedataveryyoungage,whenshesawthewomeninherhousecreatebeautifulstuffwithfabrics.HermotherPushpaSawlaniwasaskilledartist,whostitchedclothesforAnitaandhersiblingswhentheywereyoung.

8/6/2015 AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

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NextsteptowardsherdreamwasadegreeinfashionfromSNDTUniversity,Mumbai.Designandfashionwastheonlythingthatinterestedmeevenasa15yearold.ManyfriendswhomIstudiedcommercewithinNMcollege,becamecharteredaccountants.ButIfoundthatveryboring.Onlyfashionexcitedme.SoIwassurethiswaswhatIwasgoingtodo,saysAnita.

Shestartedthebusinesswithheryoungersisterinasmall300squarefootareaandfewyearsdownthelineheryoungerbrotherjoinedthebusinesstoo.Theinitialyearsweretough,becausetheydidnthaveaplacetoworkfromandhadtoconstantlymovefromplacetoplace.TherehavebeentoughtimesandinthoseearlyyearsIdidthinkofgivingupacoupleoftimes,butthatwasverymomentary.Iwouldwakeupinthemorningandsay,whatthehell,Iwilldoit,recollectsAnita.Thereweretimeswhentheirlandlordthrewthemoutbecausetheyfailedtopaytheirrent,sheclaims.

Moneywasahugeprobleminthefirstfewyears.Butafterthat,itwasok.Ithinkforanentrepreneureverydayisachallenge.Everydaythrowsupnewchallenges.EventodayatthisstageIfacechallengesdailybutIthinkyoujusthavetolearntodealwiththem,sheadds.

Her business acumen

Whilefashionisherlove,AnitaDongrehasalsobeenveryfocusedinthewayshedidbusiness.Today,hercompanyiscalledANDDesignsIndiaLtd(ADIL)andithasfourlabelsunderit.ANDwaslaunchedin1999andretailswesternwear,GlobalDesi,launchedin2007,sellsethnicwear,Intrepretisalineofeverydayclothing,TimelessisbridalwearandGrassrootstandsfororganicfashion.However,Anitasaysshedoesntspendmuchtime

8/6/2015 AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

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strategizingordrawingbusinessplanswhenitcomestolaunchingnewproductlines.

Followingherhearthasbeenherstrategyforexpansion.Eventhereasontolaunchherownbrandwasbecausethestoreswhereshewouldsupplyherclothestorefusedtotakehercreationsofwesternwear.About1415yearsagoIcreatedacollectionofclothesIreallylikedwhichcateredtothegrowingpopulationofyoungwomenwhohadstartedworkingandwereopentoexperimentingwithwesternoutfits.ButnoneoftheshopsIsuppliedtowouldacceptit.IgotsoangrythatIdecidedIwilldothismyself,andthatshowAnitaDongreDesignswasborn,saysthedesignerwithasmile.

Iattributemybusinessacumentomygutfeel.Idontdoanymarketresearch,Idothingsveryinstinctively.Becausemyclothes(itwasabeautifulcollection)wererejectedbyeveryotherstore,IgotreallyangryandIopenedmyownstore,sheexplains.Anitaadmitsthatsheisnottoofondofthebusinesspartofentrepreneurship,butunderstandsthatitisavitalpartofbeinganentrepreneur.However,givenachance,shesays,shewouldjustliketoonlydesignallthetime.

Atpresent,ANDisretailedthrough250pointsofsale,whichinclude41exclusivestoresandover200otherestablishedmultibrandlifestyleformatslikeShoppersStop,Lifestyle,Central,Kapsons&Pantaloon.GlobalDesihas54exclusiveoutletsandpresencein130MBOs.GlobalDesialsoopeneditsfirststoreinMauritiusthisyear.TimelessandIinterpretarepresentacrossnineAnitaDongreexclusivestoresacrossIndia.

Theentirebrandhas104storesacrossthecountryandhasbeengrowingataCAGRof57%since2010.TheyareexpectingaturnoverofRs350crorebyFY2014.

Grounded yet ambitious

AlthoughAnitarecentlyopenedtwoGlobalDesistoresinMauritius,shecontinuestobebullishaboutampleopportunitiesthatexistwithinourcountry.Adearfriendtoldme20yearsagothathadIbeenintheUSwhenIstartedthebusiness,Iwouldhavebeen100timesbiggerthanwhatIamnow.Butitisok.IlovecreatingIndianstuffandtherearemanyopportunitiesthatexisthere,shesays.2015hasbeenearmarkedforaggressiveexpansionabroad.

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Herfamilyhasbeenaveryimportantpartofherlifetheyhavebeenherpillarsofstrengthbothwithinandoutsidethebusiness.Herfatherlentherthefirstcapitaltostartherbusiness,forwhichhechargedherinterestjustlikeanyprofessionalloanshewouldhavetaken.MyfatherwasatoughmanandIamgladhewasnotanindulgentfatherandtaughtmethevalueofmoney.EventodaywhenmysisterandIrunthecompanywethinkofhimwheneverwehavetotakecrucialfinancialdecisions.Hetaughtustorespectmoneyandthatisveryimportant,shesays.

Herbrotherandsisterhandletheoperationsandretailsideofthebusiness,whileAnitacontinuestoleadonthedesignfront.Shesaystherearestillmanythingsthatshewantstodoinlifeandprobablythislifetimeisnotgoingtobesufficientforit.Predictablyhercorefocusisondesign,andhowtoremainaheadofthecurve.

Thecompanyrecentlypurchasedan180,000sq.ft.facilityinRabale,NaviMumbai,withtheplantointegrateallitsproductionactivities.Thisisalsoimportantfromthepointofviewofqualitycontrol,whichwillbekeyfortheirinternationaloutings.In2008,FutureGrouphadpickedup23%stakeinAnitasbusinessandtherehavebeenreportsofthemexitingthefirmbysaleofstaketoprivateequityfirmGeneralAtlantic.ReportssuggestaninvestmentofRs150crorebyGeneralAtlanticinADILforaminoritystake.

Anitasaysshelovesmakingclothesandwantstodothisforaslongasshecan.Anddespitethedisappointmentsandfailures,shesaysitshardforhertostopworking.Itsablessingtobeabletodresspeople,givethemfashion,makewomenfeelgoodaboutthemselves.Iamgoingtoworktilltheend.WhatIwouldliketoleavebehindisafantasticfashionhousethatbelievesinthevaluesystemwehaveset,saysAnita.

Behappy,stayhappyandbeproudofwhatyouaredoing,isAnitasadvisetowomenwhoarethinkingentrepreneurship.Haveagoodintention,andlookatwhateveryoudoasthebeginningofsomethingthatyouaregoingtodoabsolutelywell.Youcanneverstartanythingthinkingyouwanttomakelotsofmoney.Doyourbestandtherestjustfollows,statesAnita.

8/6/2015 AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

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