THE STRENGTH of a woman

THE STRENGTH of a woman

Winning the Universe Khushboo Karva, winner of Mrs Universe Arab Asia, 2018, is also director (Finance), Mechatronics Systems Private Limited (MSPL). An entrepreneur and a pageant winner, Karva has also closely worked at the grassroot level for the betterment of women and underprivileged kids. 

The multifaceted personality says, “I have also done a short film and am getting into the fashion industry soon.”

Speaking about the family business, she says, “I have been associated with MSPL since I got married nine years ago. It is a smart digital water resources management and control company, the only company in the country that is recognised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari.”

The shift to pageantry happened over the years, by choice, says she. “Most of us have grown up seeing movie stars and dream of getting a similar chance. I too had such a dream. After I got married, I decided to fulfill it. My husband suggested that if I wanted to pursue my goal, I should do it on a big scale.”

Karva decided to give herself a chance and the rest is history. Mrs Universe Arab Asia pageant, 2018, was themed around domestic violence and the work that Karva had done at the grassroot level caught everyone’s attention there. “I am a socially active person and strongly believe in giving back to society. There are people who genuinely need help; we must help them in whatever way we can. I feel when one gives one’s time and is actively involved in doing something for society, it adds value to the contribution made by them. I met a ladies’ group whose kids wanted to study but due to financial constraints, they couldn’t. So I decided to help them by donating computers, stationery and books,” she says.

Karva considers herself as a self-motivated person and has loved to do challenging things. “My two beautiful daughters inspire me the most. As far as the philosophy of my life is concerned, I believe in being myself,” she concludes. 

DESIGNING HER SUCCESS
Amara, a fashion clothing brand, owned by Madhoo Sarecha, is best known for different types of drapes like sarees and gowns along with kurtis. Recalling how it started, Sarecha says, “I started working three years ago. In August 2017, I held the first exhibition of clothes designed by me under the brand ‘Amara’. It was very well received and that’s when I started designing professionally. Later, I came up with my studio Amara, in Nine Hills Society, where I also conduct workshops. In August 2019, I, along with two other brands, started a multi-designer studio called ‘Treasure Trove’.”

She was earlier associated with ‘Tarasha’, a multi-designer store where she used to display her designs. 

Sarecha says that it was her hobby to play with colours and she had an expertise in Indo-Arabic designs. This made her venture into designing. “I started designing for my family members as a hobby. Later, when I thought I had enough time on hand, I decided to start something as a profession. When I held my first exhibition as a designer, 80 per cent of the stock was sold out and mine was one of the best-selling stores. That gave me an immense confidence to start as a professional designer.”

Speaking of the philosophy in her life, she says, “I believe in moving on in life. Life is full of ups and downs and amidst all that, one has to focus on moving ahead. My father — Inder Lal Budhrani — inspires me the most. He taught me the patience we need to have while pursuing something and also while nurturing relations.”

She adds that her ability to look at the positives around her keeps her motivated. “I feel blessed to have a huge support from my husband. He has never stopped me from doing what I wanted. I owe my success to my family,” she says. 

ART IS HER CALLING
Sajni Uttam studied architecture and took up interior designing as her profession. She owns a design studio called Cass Design Studio that deals with exclusive furniture designs. Speaking about her journey, Uttam says, “I did architecture from Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur which is now called Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT). In my final year, I got married into a joint family. After a couple of years, I moved to Dubai with my husband. There I worked under interior designer Reena Ralli who is famous for designing palaces. I also managed an exclusive furniture showroom called ‘Traditions’, one of Ralli’s flagship stores. From there started my journey into interior designing.”

In 1998, Uttam moved to Pune and got her first project. She strongly believes that ‘Work is Worship’ and that her work speaks for herself. “It is the word of mouth that has always worked for me. When the client sees your work and wants it for himself, he will eventually locate you. I strongly believe that my work speaks for me and hence I have never gone out to advertise it,” says she. 

A firm believer in god, Uttam says that faith, her hard work and the trust of her clients have helped her the most in her testing times. “At times, in spite of my best efforts, when things didn’t work out well, it was surrendering to god that worked. I learn from adversities, improve myself and go ahead,” says the designer. 

According to her, the way her parents raised her played a pivotal role in bringing out her aesthetic sense. “My parents — Maya and Chandar Bajaj — instilled discipline and organising skills in me. My father was a person with a broad vision and my mother, a homemaker, would keep the home and environment spic and span. This had an impact on me,” says Uttam. 

Speaking of the mantra she follows in the house, she says, “It’s very important to be positive and stable even in the worst ordeals. I believe in connecting with the source within and so I practise yoga and meditation in the morning. It’s important to have some ‘me-time’ to kickstart the day.”

She adds that her husband, Sunil encouraged her to take up outstation projects in Nagpur, Mumbai, Bengaluru apart from Pune and pushed her to give her best.

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