8/6/2015

AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

Anita Dongre, the designer who

broke societal stereotypes to be an
entrepreneur
PreethiChamikutty|March03,2014at11:00am
133

108

25

For50yearoldAnitaDongre,lifehasbeenaninterestingjourneyasawoman.Shewas
borninatraditionalIndianhouseholdwherewomenplayedallthestereotypicalrolesthat
societyexpectsthemto.Hercousins,aunts,sistersandotherwomenintheextendedfamily
werehappybeingwivesandmothers.Butdespitebeingborninatraditionalhousehold,life
haddifferentplansforAnita.
IgrewupinafairlytraditionalSindhifamily.MygrandparentswerefromJaipur.Ispentlot
ofmysummervacationsinJaipurandevenasachildInoticedhowrestrictivethe
environmentwasformycousinsthere.MyfathermovedtoMumbaijustafewmonthsbefore
Iwasborn.Mumbaiwasaverydifferentplace.Herewomenhadcareers,andwere
entrepreneurs,recallsAnita.Therewerenowomenentrepreneursinherfamily.Noneofthe
womeninherextendedfamilyof50cousinseverworkedanywhere.SowhenAnitatookup
ajobafterherinternship,everyoneinthefamilywasshocked.TherewastotalshockandI
wassubjectedtoalotofcounselling.Backthenitwasassumedthatifawomanwantedto
workitmeantthatherfamilywasunabletolookafterherfinancially,saysAnita.
Butnowallthatseemsalongtimeago.Today,AnitaDongreisamongtheforemostfashion
designersinthecountryandhasdressedmanywellknownandunknownfaces.HerStory
caughtupwiththissuperseamstresstochalkherentrepreneurialjourney.
The beginning
Comparedtowhatlayaheadinherlifeasanentrepreneur,familyobjectionswereperhaps
themosteasytotackle.Anitaspulltowardsfashionhappenedataveryyoungage,when
shesawthewomeninherhousecreatebeautifulstuffwithfabrics.HermotherPushpa
Sawlaniwasaskilledartist,whostitchedclothesforAnitaandhersiblingswhentheywere
young.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22posttitle%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border

1/5

8/6/2015

AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

Nextsteptowardsherdream
wasadegreeinfashionfrom
SNDTUniversity,Mumbai.
Designandfashionwasthe
onlythingthatinterestedme
evenasa15yearold.Many
friendswhomIstudied
commercewithinNM
college,becamechartered
accountants.ButIfoundthat
veryboring.Onlyfashion
excitedme.SoIwassure
thiswaswhatIwasgoingto
do,saysAnita.
Shestartedthebusinesswith
heryoungersisterinasmall
300squarefootareaandfew
yearsdownthelineher
youngerbrotherjoinedthe
businesstoo.Theinitialyears
weretough,becausethey
didnthaveaplacetowork
fromandhadtoconstantly
movefromplacetoplace.
Therehavebeentough
timesandinthoseearly
yearsIdidthinkofgivingup
acoupleoftimes,butthat
wasverymomentary.Iwould
wakeupinthemorningandsay,whatthehell,Iwilldoit,recollectsAnita.Thereweretimes
whentheirlandlordthrewthemoutbecausetheyfailedtopaytheirrent,sheclaims.
Moneywasahugeprobleminthefirstfewyears.Butafterthat,itwasok.Ithinkforan
entrepreneureverydayisachallenge.Everydaythrowsupnewchallenges.Eventodayat
thisstageIfacechallengesdailybutIthinkyoujusthavetolearntodealwiththem,she
adds.
Her business acumen
Whilefashionisherlove,AnitaDongrehasalsobeenveryfocusedinthewayshedid
business.Today,hercompanyiscalledANDDesignsIndiaLtd(ADIL)andithasfourlabels
underit.ANDwaslaunchedin1999andretailswesternwear,GlobalDesi,launchedin
2007,sellsethnicwear,Intrepretisalineofeverydayclothing,Timelessisbridalwearand
Grassrootstandsfororganicfashion.However,Anitasaysshedoesntspendmuchtime
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22posttitle%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border

2/5

8/6/2015

AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

strategizingordrawingbusinessplanswhenitcomestolaunchingnewproductlines.
Followingherhearthasbeenherstrategyforexpansion.Eventhereasontolaunchherown
brandwasbecausethestoreswhereshewouldsupplyherclothestorefusedtotakeher
creationsofwesternwear.About1415yearsagoIcreatedacollectionofclothesIreally
likedwhichcateredtothegrowingpopulationofyoungwomenwhohadstartedworkingand
wereopentoexperimentingwithwesternoutfits.ButnoneoftheshopsIsuppliedtowould
acceptit.IgotsoangrythatIdecidedIwilldothismyself,andthatshowAnitaDongre
Designswasborn,saysthedesignerwithasmile.
Iattributemybusinessacumentomygutfeel.Idontdoanymarketresearch,Idothings
veryinstinctively.Becausemyclothes(itwasabeautifulcollection)wererejectedbyevery
otherstore,IgotreallyangryandIopenedmyownstore,sheexplains.Anitaadmitsthat
sheisnottoofondofthebusinesspartofentrepreneurship,butunderstandsthatitisavital
partofbeinganentrepreneur.However,givenachance,shesays,shewouldjustliketo
onlydesignallthetime.
Atpresent,ANDisretailedthrough250pointsofsale,whichinclude41exclusivestoresand
over200otherestablishedmultibrandlifestyleformatslikeShoppersStop,Lifestyle,
Central,Kapsons&Pantaloon.GlobalDesihas54exclusiveoutletsandpresencein130
MBOs.GlobalDesialsoopeneditsfirststoreinMauritiusthisyear.TimelessandIinterpret
arepresentacrossnineAnitaDongreexclusivestoresacrossIndia.
Theentirebrandhas104storesacrossthecountryandhasbeengrowingataCAGRof
57%since2010.TheyareexpectingaturnoverofRs350crorebyFY2014.
Grounded yet ambitious
AlthoughAnitarecentlyopenedtwoGlobalDesistoresinMauritius,shecontinuestobe
bullishaboutampleopportunitiesthatexistwithinourcountry.Adearfriendtoldme20
yearsagothathadIbeenintheUSwhenIstartedthebusiness,Iwouldhavebeen100
timesbiggerthanwhatIamnow.Butitisok.IlovecreatingIndianstuffandtherearemany
opportunitiesthatexisthere,shesays.2015hasbeenearmarkedforaggressiveexpansion
abroad.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22posttitle%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border

3/5

8/6/2015

AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

Herfamilyhasbeenaveryimportantpartofherlifetheyhavebeenherpillarsofstrength
bothwithinandoutsidethebusiness.Herfatherlentherthefirstcapitaltostartherbusiness,
forwhichhechargedherinterestjustlikeanyprofessionalloanshewouldhavetaken.My
fatherwasatoughmanandIamgladhewasnotanindulgentfatherandtaughtmethe
valueofmoney.EventodaywhenmysisterandIrunthecompanywethinkofhim
wheneverwehavetotakecrucialfinancialdecisions.Hetaughtustorespectmoneyand
thatisveryimportant,shesays.
Herbrotherandsisterhandletheoperationsandretailsideofthebusiness,whileAnita
continuestoleadonthedesignfront.Shesaystherearestillmanythingsthatshewantsto
doinlifeandprobablythislifetimeisnotgoingtobesufficientforit.Predictablyhercore
focusisondesign,andhowtoremainaheadofthecurve.
Thecompanyrecentlypurchasedan180,000sq.ft.facilityinRabale,NaviMumbai,withthe
plantointegrateallitsproductionactivities.Thisisalsoimportantfromthepointofviewof
qualitycontrol,whichwillbekeyfortheirinternationaloutings.In2008,FutureGrouphad
pickedup23%stakeinAnitasbusinessandtherehavebeenreportsofthemexitingthefirm
bysaleofstaketoprivateequityfirmGeneralAtlantic.ReportssuggestaninvestmentofRs
150crorebyGeneralAtlanticinADILforaminoritystake.
Anitasaysshelovesmakingclothesandwantstodothisforaslongasshecan.And
despitethedisappointmentsandfailures,shesaysitshardforhertostopworking.Itsa
blessingtobeabletodresspeople,givethemfashion,makewomenfeelgoodabout
themselves.Iamgoingtoworktilltheend.WhatIwouldliketoleavebehindisafantastic
fashionhousethatbelievesinthevaluesystemwehaveset,saysAnita.
Behappy,stayhappyandbeproudofwhatyouaredoing,isAnitasadvisetowomenwho
arethinkingentrepreneurship.Haveagoodintention,andlookatwhateveryoudoasthe
beginningofsomethingthatyouaregoingtodoabsolutelywell.Youcanneverstart
anythingthinkingyouwanttomakelotsofmoney.Doyourbestandtherestjustfollows,
statesAnita.
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22posttitle%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border

4/5

8/6/2015

AnitaDongre,thedesignerwhobrokesocietalstereotypestobeanentrepreneurHerStory

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22posttitle%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border

5/5