NINA LEKHI

BAGG IT
 Nina Lekhi, MD and Chief Design Curator,
Baggit, is an entrepreneur by profession and a
role model for many aspiring entrepreneurs had
started her journey from scratch.
 She has built a popular vegan bag and
accessories brand over the years.
 Recently, the author has launched her biography
called Bag it All. 
 Over thirty years ago, at the age of 18, Nina
Lekhi started Baggit as a vegan accessories brand
made from eco-friendly materials, with just Rs
7,000 in hand. 
 “No woman in our family had ever worked
before, but my mother was extremely
encouraging. I think Baggit is proof that failure is
the stepping stone to success,” says Nina.
 While several domestic brands source their
materials from China, Baggit continues to design
and manufacture its entire product portfolio in
India.
 The startup strongly believes in the  ‘Make in
India’ philosophy, designing and manufacturing
with the Indian consumer’s sensibilities in mind.
 The company has a vision of being a responsible
global fashion brand, and a financial goal
 ONE STEP AT A TIME
 Initially, Nina started off with just one bag with a
vision to create more bags that have their own
“unique attitudes and personalities.”
 She sold it at exhibitions and supplied
exclusively to a few retail stores. 
 “That was my first founding lesson in marketing.
For a brand to be successful and be driven by
passion, the founder needs to believe and own it
completely.” she says.
 Eventually, Nina started designing more variants
such as:
 ranging across slings
 purses, wallets, clutches
 shoulder bags, totes,
 and satchels.
 She started holding her own exhibitions, which
then escalated to outlets like Shopper's Stop and
Regal wanting to stock her bags.
 AS THE YEAR PASSES
 Times have certainly changed since Nina Lekhi
started up almost 30 years ago.
 Women entrepreneurs are now able to leverage
the power of social media to not only power and
scale their business but also to help balance
between family and work demands.
 “Take for example, WhatsApp - it makes work
more fun, adds a touch of humour with all sorts
of emoticons, gifs and memes. While in office,
one can send a quick voice note to ensure that
all’s well at home. For those who are
contemplating on starting their own venture,
Whatsapp Business is an affordable medium, free
of cost and convenient with its 'easy to use'
payment integration. A woman sitting in
Lucknow now has clients in Mumbai for her
beautiful kurtas!” she says.
 RISING ABOVE FAILURES
AND CHALLENGES
 Nina’s journey as an entrepreneur has not been without
challenges.
 She recalls the disappointment she felt when she failed her first
year at the university. 
 “Always being the best student, it was for me as if I'd failed in
life,” she recalls.
 To keep herself occupied during her year at home, she did a
short-term design and screen printing course, while working as a
part-time sales assistant in a shop.
 She started making bags using canvas, with colourful patterns on
them, and convinced the store owner to keep her creations in the
shop.
 Later, when she tried to open her first offline store in
2000, it turned out to be a dud.
 She suffered heavy losses but managed to find her
footing again.
 The pandemic proved to be another challenging time,
during the lockdown the company’s operations
stayed shut for two months, resulting in big losses.
 “But we focused our energies on addressing a new
market (mass market), strengthened execution in a
new channel (online channel), and focused on
improving operational efficiencies across the entire
value chain of designing, manufacturing,
warehousing, and selling,” Nina shares.
 The true measure of her achievements are
reflected not by her strides in business, but by her
success in building a wholesome life replete with
quality time with family and her loved ones, she
believes.
 As a self-made entrepreneur, with a thirst for
achieving more, Nina also believes that being a
woman entrepreneur in a competitive segment for
over 30 years has its own set of advantages.
 “I think being a woman entrepreneur comes with
an advantage, as most people want to help her, as
she is expected to strike a balance between the
expectations of being a daughter, wife, daughter-
in-law and a mother, with that of an entrepreneur.
 I have been very lucky to have the support of my
family and also the team at Baggit who see me as
an entrepreneur and not as a woman
entrepreneur,” she says.
“Always have an exit strategy before starting anything”
-NINA LEKHI
THANK YOU