Suchi Mukherjee

Introduction
Suchi Mukherjee is an Indian successful businesswoman who found a company that
is known as a Limeroad. The company has been found in October 2012 which sells a
wide range of fashion and lifestyle-related products for women like clothing, shoes,
beauty products, etc. Initially, the company started selling only Women stuff.
However, Suchi Mukherjee extended the company by adding on the website men’s &
kid’s wear including Home & Décor, kitchen.
 
Education and Family Background
Suchi Mukherjee grew up in a middle-class family from Haryana. As far as her
qualification is concerned, in childhood, Suchi has been a good student who did
graduation in economics from St Stephens College Delhi and got a master’s in degree
finance & economics from the London School of Economics UK. If we talk about her
family, she is married and has two children. She has mentioned in interviews that her
family is so supportive and has contributed a lot to achieve the goal.

The Idea of Limeroad

Earlier she was working in an authoritative position, at the position she had to make a
quick analytical decision. Working at a company, the entrepreneurial idea was
growing inside of her head. It’s hard to realize for the first time, However, her
working pattern and her routine inspired her to bring the thought right on the track.
There were two most important gaps that the company intended to fill. First,
providing the safest platform for women who can shop online by knowing product
information including manufacturer and shipping made out of India. Second,
without customers technology making it easy and entertaining for women to find their
local accessories and product.
This is where she found an opportunity to grow rapidly in the market where there was
a serious need for devoted females’ portal to find inexpensive accessories and
products. Keeping in mind female’s needs, she knew that buying the product before
women like to examine other options. Her incredible understanding of the business
led her to get the root of the real issue of service and product. Moreover, she found so
many things that are available on Limeroad.com in less price as compared to the
market. There were plenty of no identified vendors who were not allowed to add their
product across their targeted consumers, that quality makes customers loyal. She has
confidently identified the right balance between demand and supplies. Making all
arrangements, she flew back in India to work on it.
  
Achievement
Today Suchi Mukherjee is not just the founder of the company but she also has
become an E-commerce face in India. In 2018 held conference The Start-up India –
Stand up India, at the time Suchi shared the stage with Indian Prime minister Modi.
 In 2015, The Company revived Coolest start-up of the year from Business
Today.
 In 2015, she won INFOCOM Woman of the year from INFOCOM.
 In 2016, NDTV awarded her Unicorn Start-up Award.
 In 2017, she nominated for ET Start-up Award by The Economic time.

Growth And success Of Limeroad Under Suchi Mukherjee:

The company has been focusing on the organic community driven by scrapbooks,
social platforms, and vendors. Intrinsically, Limeroad product is more friendly this
why the company has become more socially unlike purchasing an electronic object or
ordinary pair of Nike sneakers the joy of looking stunning stuff on limeroad.com.
makes one wish to share it with lovely friends. Today, the company boasts a big
percentage of customer-created content like the scrapbooks look curated by the users,
which doesn’t only help you enhance the user’s engagement with the brand but also
improve brand loyalty. Limeroad also empowers women on both sides. Today, the
company has 50 million visitors on the website or app.
 ‘ARDESHIR BURJORJI SORABJI GODREJ’ SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR

Rome wasn’t built in a day, as the popular saying goes. Some of the world’s biggest businesses
are, in fact, the culmination of decades of hard work and perseverance. Such is the story of the
Godrej Group, one of India’s most renowned conglomerates, which started with a humble lock-
making venture in 1897.

Ardeshir Burjorji Sorabji Godrej, who founded the company 120 years ago, was a man of high
principles and resilience.

Born in 1868, Ardeshir was the oldest of six children in a Parsi-Zoroastrian family in Bombay
(as Mumbai was then called). His father Burjorji Gootherajee changed the family name to Godrej
when Ardeshir was around three years old.

Ardeshir studied law, like many other Indians from affluent families, during the British reign.
However, his career in law was short-lived as Adi Godrej, the company’s present CEO, narrates
in Peter Church’s book Profiles in Enterprise: Inspiring Stories of Indian Business Leaders.
“Fresh from law school he (Ardeshir) was given a brief in 1894 by a firm of Bombay Solicitors
to go to Zanzibar to argue a case for their client. The case was going well until Ardeshir
discovered that he would need to lie or, more charitably, manipulate the truth to present his
client’s case. He refused to do this and no amount of persuasion by the solicitors or the client
could convince him to change his principled stance.”

He came back to India standing his ground, but his career in law was doomed even before it had
started. Church’s book mentions that he firmly believed that India had to become self-reliant.
Having followed his disastrous start in law with an assistant’s job in a chemist shop, he became
interested in manufacturing surgical instruments.
His first business — surgical instruments — did not do well, but Ardeshir was determined to
continue a manufacturing business in India. He received a loan from Merwanji Cama, Parsi
businessman and philanthropist, to start a new lock-making business.

The lock business marked the true start of the Godrej Empire as we know today.

Ardeshir began in a shed on May 7, 1897. His locks were cheaper than those imported from
England — even better, he had discovered that foreign-made locks came with an inbuilt spring
that often broke down. His locks came without this feature and sold far better in the market.

As his business flourished, Ardeshir expanded into manufacturing safes, and patented his door
frame and double-plate doors. His affordably-priced safes became so popular that even the
Queen of England used one during her tour of India in 1912, recounts an article in The Hindu.
Godrej safes remain an iconic item till date.

Despite being a marked departure from locks and safes, the business was a hit with that era’s
version of celebrity approvals in the form of endorsements by Rabindranath Tagore and Annie
Besant. Ardeshir  taught people how to make the soap as well, with a Gujarati pamphlet titled
‘Vacho ane Seekho’ (Read and learn).

His younger brother Pirojsha also joined the business, his only sibling to do so, and together they
came to be known as the Godrej Brothers.

Adi Godrej, who is Pirojsha’s grandson, remembers in Church’s book, “Ardeshir was never
content at succeeding at one thing and constantly sought more challenges in diverse areas such as
inks, toffee, perfume making, biscuits and even vineyards. Many of these ventures did not
succeed in his lifetime but those that did made a mark.”

Even as his business flourished, Ardeshir lived simply for most of his life. In the book Vijitatma:
Founder-Pioneer Ardeshir Godrej, journalist and author BK Karanjia mentions how he insisted
on using public transport and “the sight of him patiently waiting at bus stops, engrossed in
reading a newspaper or a book, created a lot of talk in the community.” His personal life was
marked by tragedy as his wife Bachubai died early, leaving no children.

Yet, Ardeshir remained resolute in establishing a made-in-India business organisation. A

Ardeshir passed away in January 1936, a year when Godrej & Boyce posted Rs 12 lakh as
revenue and Godrej soaps reported ₹6 lakh worth of revenue. The quiet man laid the foundations
of what has today grown into one of the country’s most reputed industries with investments
across the world.

o I have choosed Ardeshir Godrej because Godrej is India’s most renowned company n, which
only started with a lock making venturein 1897.
o Ardeshir Godrej was a man of high principles and resilience. He was hardworking, patient
and persistent as his career as a lawyer was a doomed even before it started , he was always
ready to take risks as after the failure of surgical instruments manufacturing he started with
lock business.
o His will to stop foreign goods sales in India, he thought of making something better than
them and have manufactured different kind of locks that became really famous at that time.
o He was mentally strong and clear about his ideas, risk taking , determined, hard working,
flexible as he came up with new idea of manufacturing locks when surgical instrument
doesn’t work, and he wants to do something for his country.
 Karsanbhai Patel – The Man Behind ‘Washing Powder Nirma’

Probably everyone’s ears in India would stand straight up for the most popular ‘Washing Powder
Nirma’ advertisement tune. There is no one who does not identify this women-friendly song
from the ’80s. After all, its ‘Washing Powder Nirma’.

The founder is as popular as the song is Karsanbhai Patel’s brainchild, Nirma the detergent
powder, was a big hit in the Indian Market. The brand did not become an overnight success. A
lot of dedication, hard work, and efforts of Mr. Patel have made this brand one of the top-class
brands in the detergent industry.

Though not born with a golden spoon, Karsanbhai’s hard work and relentless perseverance made
him one of the ace players in the market. Even in the wildest of imaginations, it’s really hard to
imagine that a farmer’s kid would grow up to become such an inspiring and influential
businessman who would change the way people look at detergent powders.

Karsanbhai was very competent in the areas of Chemicals, and that motivated him to join the
Geology and Mining Department of the State Government of Gujarat in the year 1969. After this,
he slowly started feeding his passion. 

His first work floor was his 10x12ft room. He not only experimented in this room but also
manufactured, packaged, and started selling the products as well. Mr. Patel carried packets of
this handmade detergent on his bicycle and started selling them door-to-door on his way to the
office. Competing with well-known brands like Procter & Gamble, and Hindustan Lever was no
joke. The detergent powders and the cake manufacturing were completely dominated by these
multinational corporations. He also implemented the ‘money-back’ guarantee policy to all his
customers that bought the soap powder from him.
Karsanbhai’s detergent was sold at INR 3/- per kg. The consumers started liking the product as it
was priced really less. Who would refuse to invest in a high-quality product at an affordable
price?  His detergent started to attract much attention alongside the other reputed brands. 

After selling it for three years, Karsanbhai inaugurated his first shop in his hometown,
Ahmedabad. Well, to popularise a brand it is important to name it, isn’t it? The yellow-colored
detergent from Patel got the name ‘Nirma’ after his beloved daughter, Nirupama. His daughter
had passed away in a car accident, and the enormous affection and love towards her came in the
form of ‘Nirma.’  

Buying expensive detergents was quite impossible for the lower-middle-class families. With
Nirma being sold at INR 3/-, everyone started to fall in love with the brand instantly. The
detergent powder followed by cakes became a major success in the states of Maharashtra and
Gujarat.

The lovely lyrics and the rhythmic music of the brand Nirma popularised the advertisement too.
Nirma became one of the most sought after products by a lot of house-wives. The lyrics of the
song touched the emotions of women, and that’s what made Nirma a huge success in the Indian
market.

Later, Karsanbhai came up with an eco-friendly formula that created a revolution in the detergent
industry. The launch of phosphate-free detergents attracted consumers of all classes, and the
other competitors also started implementing these ideas.

Nirma turned out to be one of the largest detergent selling companies in India within a decade of
its launch. As of today, this company boasts of 35% and 20% market share in the world of
detergents.  Nirma Group also launched itself in the space of soda manufacturing as well.  

Recognizing the talent, The Government of India appointed Karsanbhai as the Chairman of the
Development Council for Soaps & Detergents twice. In the year 2017, Mr. Patel bagged
38th position amongst the other India’s wealthiest people. He is also a proud recipient of
the Padma Shri Award. 

For all those who are dreaming of taking their baby steps towards their dreams, the inspiring
personality of Karsanbhai Patel would definitely feel it more. Industrialists like these have given
rise to several other business tycoons with their tremendous passion for their goals
 Patricia Narayan's story

Patricia Thomas was only 17 when she married Narayan, a Hindu Brahmin boy, against the
wishes of her conservative Christian family. She was disowned by her father, and, to make things
worse, her Prince Charming turned out to be an abusive drug addict who had no time for her two
children. Youtube Left with no choice, Patricia took financial help from her mother and started a
mobile cart at Marina Beach. She employed two disabled persons to help her in selling snacks,
fresh juice, coffee, and tea. “The Marina is my business school, it is my MBA,” Patricia told The
Hindu in an interview. Over the next years, her hard work and dedication paid off, as she started
branching out into running canteens for offices across Chennai. In 1998, she become a director
of Sangeetha group's Nelson Manickam Road restaurant. By then, her children had grown up, but
her husband's behavior worsened. Narayan would stub her with cigarettes when he didn't get
money from Patricia, and disappear for months. In 2002, during one such disappearance, he died.
Two years later, her recently-married daughter also died in a road accident, along with her son-
in-law. Devastated, Patricia and her son started their first restaurant ‘Sandeepha’ in memory of
her late daughter. Patricia has, since then, loved and nurtured her restaurant the way she would
nurture her daughter. She won the 'FICCI Woman Entrepreneur of the Year' in 2010 for her
extraordinary life and struggles. "I started my business with just two people. Now, there are 200
people working for me in my restaurants. My lifestyle has changed too. From travelling in a
cycle rickshaw, I moved to auto rickshaws and now I have my own car. From 50 paise a day, my
revenue has gone up to Rs 2 lakh a day," Patricia told Rediff.
 Richa Kar

The entrepreneurial journey of Richa Kar wasn’t smooth from the beginning as she gets opposed
by her parents. Her mother was embarrassed about her idea of selling lingerie as she was afraid
what the other people will say when she will tell them about her daughter’s profession. On the
other side, father of Richa Kar didn’t get the concept of selling lingerie online, so no support was
provided from his end also. Still, Richa was determined enough towards her goal, and by her
hard work and determination, she builds the company Zivame of worth more than Rs. 681
Cr.
Early Life of Richa Kar:
Before entering the startup world, Richa had a secured job and career. She was an engineering
graduate from BITS Pilani and had a corporate job in Bangalore. Later she completed her MBA
and started working with Spencers Retail and SAP as a retail consultant where she learned a lot
about the retail sector.

The idea of Zivame came into her mind while working at SAP; she tracked the online sales of
Victoria’s Secret which is America’s largest retail company of women’s lingerie. She observed
that the sales figures crossed the target, but there was no such market for Indian Women. After
working 8 years in the retail sector, Richa Kar got the fair knowledge of that sector and decided
to start something of her own.

Initial Struggles:
When Richa Kar discussed with her mother about her idea of selling Women’s lingerie online,
her mother’s reaction was not supportive. Her mother was worried that how she will tell her
friends that her daughter is selling bra-panties online. Also, no support she got from her father as
he didn’t get the concept of her business.

To get more insights about lingerie business, she visited many malls and shops and observed that
women feel shy about buying lingerie offline as mostly shopkeepers in such shops are male.
Also, women cannot expect fitting and styling tips from such shops. Keeping all these points in
mind, Richa came up with the name “ziva” for her idea which means Radiance in Hebrew. But
since that name was not available so she settled with Zivame, which means Radiant Me. She
launched the brand in 2011, with all her savings and Rs. 35 lakhs which she borrowed from her
friends.

Critics from People

Turning Point
Even after receiving so much criticism, Richa Kar didn’t lose hope. Finally, after some time,
Zivame got a good response from its buyers. Richa got her first client from Indore who was
trying to buy materials from her worth of Rs. 7000. Gradually, Zivame claims growth of 300%
yearly.

Investors got impressed from dedication and hard work of Richa Kar and she received her first
funding of $3Mn in May 2012. Then another funding of $6Mn in Dec 2013 and $40Mn in 2015.
Today her company valuation is more than Rs. 681 Crores.