You are often described as one of India’s first global women entrepreneurs in the beauty sector.
What were the biggest structural and societal barriers you faced as a woman entrepreneur, and how did you strategically overcome them?
I set an example of an independent woman during the era where women were playing stereotypical role of a housewife. Majority would adhere to the norms laid by the society, but I dared to pave my path to achieve my dream. With passion, dedication and an attitude of never give up, I forged my path into pioneering Ayurveda based products. It is essential to note that being a female entrepreneur at that time made it rather challenging for me to establish my business, to engage people into listening to my voice of truth as I became a beacon of light to many. I created history when synthetic cosmetic industry was pumping millions selling their chemical-based products, I raised my voice against the detrimental effects of chemicals on skin and health. I sighted real life examples of people suffering from blindness due to using chemical eyeliner to people suffering with sever skin issues due to chemical reactions as a result of using cosmetics infused with harsh chemicals. Ayurveda was relatively new at that time, I influenced the very choices of consumers into switching to safer, skin friendly natural products based on botanical extracts and pure natural ingredients serving as skincare solutions not surface cover up.
Your franchise model empowered thousands of women financially and professionally.
Was women’s economic independence a conscious mission behind your business model, or did it evolve organically?
It is all a part of my upbringing and the influence of my father Chief Justice NasirUllah Beg who always taught me the importance of being in servitude to the humanity at large. I learnt from him- what is it that you are leaving for the world behind and how do you want people to remember you? This struck a chord within my heart and thereon I began contemplating how I would like to create a difference to this world and impact the society at large through my presence and my contributions. Ayurveda is definitely one such impactful conscious decision as stated earlier, but then women empowerment is at the helm of it all. I am in fact the first one to ever impart beauty related professional courses through my training academy, providing free of cost education to differently abled people and pave path to financial independence for acid attack survivors. Women empowerment is close to my heart and as a CSR initiative I even collaborated with the government involved in the Government Skill Development through my beauty academy, for Training and Certifying under-privileged women in the beauty and wellness industry.
Many women today aspire to build brands in wellness and beauty.
What three foundational principles should a woman entrepreneur adopt before launching her venture?
There are no definitive guidelines for it, rather the attitude and the mindset that you carry on your endeavour to becoming an entrepreneur. It is essential that you have a growth mindset that would enable you to explore different avenues and means of achieving your goal. Learning and growing, prioritization, viewing setbacks as feedbacks rather than deeming it as failure. It is essential to have a resilience to be able to face the challenges that come your way. Next it is all about setting realistic goals and measurables that would enable you to track your own progress in the direction that you wish to tread, you will then be able to analyse and make impactful decisions that will help you reach your goals eventually. One must remember that instead of competing with people around you, it is all about how you can do better than what you did yesterday, considering the fact that you are your own competition and motivation to do better each day as it unfolds like a gift.
In your experience, how can women balance leadership authority with empathy — especially in service-driven sectors like Ayurveda and beauty care?
It is the innate quality that a leader has that cannot be taught, it is rather an understanding and having compassion for people who work with you. Having the mindset of a leader with empathy and implementing it requires shifting your thought process from transactional or task-oriented approach to people-first mindset. You should recognise where the well-being of employee is as they are the key drivers of productivity. I have always emphasized on the fact that we are a team working towards achieving a common goal, when this is done it reduces burnout, setting a fostering environment where talent is nurtured and it eventually leads to increased productivity impacting customer satisfaction. Having a supportive environment without sacrificing accountability is the key.
At a time when chemical cosmetics dominated the market, you built a global brand rooted purely in Ayurveda.
What gave you the conviction that herbal beauty care could compete internationally?
It is all about back to nature where we live in harmony and strike balance with the natural forces, harnessing the power of botanical extracts and utilising the principles of Ayurveda. I always knew that the west is looking for ways to harness the natural resources that are available to us but are not able to find the medium to do so. I recognised the gap, understood how there is a significant lack of understanding of Ayurveda which was a new concept to them and sighted cases of detrimental effect of synthetic cosmetics on human health, skin and hair. Armed with this understanding, I began forging ahead my path and paved way to introduce Ayurveda in countless international beauty events and exhibitions where I became a guest lecture and often interacted with clients one-on-one basis explaining them all about the ancient principles of Ayurveda.
How do you preserve classical Ayurvedic integrity in formulations while adapting to modern scientific standards and global regulatory frameworks?
Formulation of the product with natural ingredients is the core focus of my product line and I have maintained high standards with regard to quality and ingredients. The botanical extracts and precious herbs are sourced directly from my organic farmland that ensures product authenticity and purity of formulation. With my state-of-the art R&D labs the products are manufactured, tested scientifically and certified by the relevant authorities for its purity. I ensure the quality is maintained and that’s the reason behind achieving product excellence since fifty years of brand inception and still counting.
Ayurveda is often described as a way of life rather than just a treatment system.
How can young professionals integrate Ayurvedic philosophy into entrepreneurship and personal wellbeing?
Leading a life that is driven by the basic tenets of Ayurveda that lays emphasis on striking balance with nature by integrating practices supportive of your personal doshas enables in leading a healthy life.
It is essential to make note how your personal dosha- vatta, pitta and kapha are actually responsible for your physical and mental wellbeing. Therefore, it is important to get your doshas analysed by the practitioner of Ayurveda and based on that you will get suggestions on how to eat a balanced diet, what all you need to avoid or include in your daily routine. Here it is important that you understand that each of these doshas represent the nature of an individual one is fire, one is water and one is air, there are different permutations and combinations manifested in each individual, only after a proper analysis you can understand what is suitable for you.
When your physical health is good, your mind is at peace then you can lead a holistic life. I always tell people to ensure that they practice mindfulness in their life, perform deep breathing exercises and meditate.
As your work continues to inspire generations, what legacy do you hope to leave specifically for young women entering the wellness and entrepreneurial space?
The gift of Ayurveda product line that is supportive of human health and holistic lifestyle is where I have put my roots in. I know that with the ongoing trend of wellness driven mindset of consumers and their awareness towards achieving a holistic lifestyle involving paying utmost attention to the natural ingredients is where it all makes sense. The young generation is quite aware of what they put on their skin and where they invest their money, more about making a rightful choice and Ayurveda is the answer. I am quite delighted to note that the revolution of Ayurveda I started is growing with the awareness of consumers today.
